ISOLATED COTTAGE in the PYRENEES

 

The cottage is situated in the commune of Prunet et Belpuig in the foothills of the Pyrénées, 1¼ hour from the Mediterranean beaches, 50 minutes from Perpignan and 1 hour from Spain.

AVAILABILITY

Start                  End             Price*                             Status

21/09/2008  -  27/09/2008        680€     by the week      available

27/09/2008  -  04/10/2008        560€      by the week      available

*per week

The detached farm cottage is part of a traditional Catalan mas, with the cottage orientated for maximum independence and privacy. The mas is set along a quiet, rough country track in 150 acres of mixed woodland which leads down to a stream.

 
The front entrance leads into a living and dining area with open fireplace and bread oven, wood floors and exposed beams and joists. There is a small C.D./ cassette player.

 
A door in the living area leads into a room with tiled floor and shower, wash basin, W.C. and cloak facilities.

 
From the dining area a step down into the terracotta tiled, fitted kitchen with double sink, dishwasher, fridge-freezer and gas cooker.

 
Double glass doors open onto a part paved, part lawned terrace with table, chairs and large built in barbecue, and magnificent view of surrounding countryside with Mount Canigou as the focal point, and the 10 x 5 meter swimming pool on a lower terrace.

 
Upstairs there are 3 wood-floored bedrooms, 2 with double beds, 1 with 3 single beds, all with fitted wardrobes.

Bedroom 1 : 4.55 x 3.2m ; Bed. 2 : 4.45 x 3.60m ; Bed. 3 : 4.7 x 3m.

 
The bathroom comprises shower, bath bidet wash basin and W.C.

 
Access from the exterior to a small utility room with washing machine, shared with owners.

 

THE AREA

 

The immediate area, as well as the whole region, is perfect for walking, from gentle strolls to hill walks ; mountain biking and (road) cycling ; and horse riding. There is a fund of things to visit, from the local 12th.century chapel and ruined châteaufort, to Cathar castles, markets, local fêtes, music festivals or the weekly petanque/boule competition in summer at the neighbouring village where you will also find two restaurants, one with bar, a bakery/grocery store, part-time post office and tennis court.

 

CERET, 23 kms.away, with banks, restaurants, cafés, bars, supermarkets, petrol, etc.Ceret also has a Modern Art Museum (Picasso, Matisse, Dufy, Chagal, Soutine, Juan Gris and others, many of whom have had some association with Ceret in the past.) This is well worth a visit. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, this region is the first in France to produce cherries- with the cherry markets being held in Ceret in May and June. Market every Saturday 8-12 noon.


ILLE sur TET, 18 kms., major peach growing area. Market Wednesday and Friday mornings.


PERPIGNAN  is the nearest city, 40 kms. away. It used to be the capital of the Majorcan kings in the 13/14 centuries (visit Palais des Rois de Majorque.) During the height of summer Catalan folk dancing-Sardanas-takes place at the Place de la Loge in the old town adjacent to the Castillet which is open during the day as a Catalan Folk museum. Plenty of interest to visit, plus ‘Estivales’ summer festival entertainment and ‘Visa’ International exhibition of photojournalism in September.

BEACHES  : There are plenty of resorts to visit-Leucate, Barcarès, Canet, St. Cyprien and Argèles, the latter two boasting golf courses. A favourite is Collioure, the ‘jewel of the Mediterranean,’ a Fauvist art colony during the early part of this century. Collioure is where the wide, flat beaches that run from Marseilles finish.It has four small beaches of varying degrees of popularity and smartness but is terribly crowded in July/August though still worth a visit. Market every Wednesday and Sunday morning.


SPAIN : approximately 1 hour. Should you not like long, wide beaches and want to avoid the crowds at Collioure, then Spain has a number of small bays with good beaches approximately 75 minutes away.      Figueras : birthplace of Salvador Dali with the Dali museum and market every Thursday and Saturday. Gerona : small, attractive city with river running through it, worth visiting, 1½hr by autoroute. Barcelona : 2½hr, loads to see but Gaudi’s works a must.

 
RECOMMENDED READING

The Rough Guide to the Pyrénées.


ACCESS TO THE COTTAGE

A car is essential, there is no public transport. Directions will be forwarded with the final receipt.

 

AIRPORTS

Perpignan (1hr) and Carcassonne (1¾hr) : Ryanair

Gerona, Spain (1¾hr) : Ryanair, and various charters.

Barcelona, Spain (2½hr) : Easyjet.

Holiday rental : from Saturday to Saturday.
Short stays from 4 day(s) .
All charges-included, Supplement for heating depending on the season, Security deposit requested, Downpayment / Deposit requested
 
Please contact Susie and Paul Lawton on 0033 (0)4 68 39 44 58 gite@pyrenean-property.com for rates and availability of the cottage above.

Nicholas Stallwood n@stallwoods.com  for details of gites, property, bed and breakfast, long term rentals and holiday lets across France - Aveyron, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot, Pas-de-Calais...