The Mediterranean coast:
The Cote Radieuse, with its sweeping golden sandy beaches backed by the busy resorts of Canet-Plage, St Cyprien and Argelès-sur-Mer, changes at Le Racou into the rugged and picturesque Cote Vermeille. Here, the beautiful old port of Collioure sits beneath ancient fortifications and vineyard-covered hills around a calm enclosed bay with several safe swimming beaches. In the early 20th century, Collioure was home to the Fauve movement (Matisse, Derain). It now has art galleries and craft shops, a thriving market (Wednesday and Sunday mornings), and a wide choice of restaurants by the water’s edge. The local delicacy, fresh anchovies, features extensively on the menus. Further south, Port Vendres is a fishing and commercial port that was once the home of the Scottish artist and architect Charles Rennie Macintosh, and Banyuls is a bustling seaside town. Along the coast there are a number of small coves and pretty bays with accessible beaches.
Roussillon:
The countryside around Laroque is dotted with interesting old villages and small towns. The lovely old town of Céret has a marvelous museum of modern art and the best local market around; it is also famous for the cherries that grow in the surrounding countryside. Elne has a perfectly preserved 12th century cloister beside the cathedral at the top of its quiet, ancient village centre. By contrast, Perpignan buzzes and bustles with activity; great for shopping, dining, or just sitting in a pavement café and watching the world go by. Two local destinations are completely different again: Aqualand at St Cyprien is a theme park, while Tautavel is a prehistoric site that was occupied by modern man’s ancestors around half a million years ago.
The mountains and Spain:
The Albères rise to 1,256m at Pic Neulos, which can be reached on foot from the apartment — a strenuous whole-day hike. To the west, Pic du Canigou (2,785m) dominates the entire Roussillon plain; its base is about one hour’s drive. You can take a 4-wheel drive excursion from Vernet les Bains to within 700m of the summit, after which it’s a couple more hours on foot to the summit. Beyond, the valley of the Tet rises from the Roussillon plain through valleys and gorges to the open alpine meadows of the Cerdagne, with excellent walking opportunities all along the way. Spain can be approached either along the beautiful but slow coast road past Cap Cerbère, or much more rapidly by the toll motorway which takes an inland route. On the coast, the small port of Cadaqués is the prettiest seaside village on the Costa Brava. 1km beyond is Dali’s incredible house at Port Lligat. Inland, Figueres with the Dali museum and Girona are both attractive commercial centres.
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