Laroque des Alberes holiday villa

Back from our holiday in the Alberes we just wanted to say thanks very much for the use of your lovely house in Laroque.
We really enjoyed our time there and everything went well. Marvelous view from the balcony, and the location suited us perfectly; nice walks up the hills outside the front door for the dogs and family, proximity to the sandy beaches which we used a couple of times (still 23-25°C in Oct is wonderful), visits to Spain (Figueres, Costa Brava), a day in Carcasonne and sightseeing around the local area from the colourful markets in Ceret, Amelie-les-Bains and Argeles to the dizzying coastal tour up the rocky Alberes through Collioure and Banyuls to Port Bou and back. A good time was had by all. The only hiccup over the two weeks was that one of the hinges on the downstairs toilet seat broke, wear and tear I suppose, and would need to be repaired/replaced. Let me know what it costs and I'll send you the cash. I told Mark about it when we left the house on Saturday.

This was the best villa that our family has had the pleasure of staying in. It felt like home and it possessed all that we needed for the six of us to enjoy our fortnight in late summer. Our grown up children enjoyed the privacy of the independent downstairs apartment whilst the four older members including my elderly father greatly enjoyed their leisurely existence in the main part of the villa. The villa is well situated and the views were breathtaking. Almond picking was a new experience and the Cathor castles wet our appetites to explore more. The weather deteriorated after the first week and the lovely coastal region has kept many of its secrets for another time. Usually we say we have been there and done it but this time we are all wanting to return as we all felt priviliged to stay in this well appointed villa and share our company and have such an excellent time.

My wife, myself , two daughters, husbands, four grandchildren 10 to two years old travelled from Prestwick with Ryanair to Girona, hired cars to drive to the house, from the instructions given it was easy to find.
The house suited our needs perfectly. We occupied the poolside apartment, the families occupied the upper levels. A travel cot was provided for the two year old. The other three children slept in single beds on the upper level that has bathroom facilities. With the large living area of the upper apartment there is plenty of room to spread out. The kitchen facilities in the poolside apartment were not used as we ate with the family upstairs. All our meals were on the balcony, there was no better place to eat given the views over the plain, right to the sea. The pool was tremendous, we spent most of our time around the pool on the days when we did not leave the house. The grandchildren had a great time. The house is very well appointed with everything we needed and well maintained, and the beds very comfortable. The area around the house is very quiet, little traffic comes near, you are at the road end. The description of the property and the local area given on the owners website is accurate and we can highly recommend this house for a family holiday.
Laroque des Alberes is lovely. Bars and restaurants? Café de Artistes in the village centre is highly recommended. Run by an Irish couple who made us very welcome, the food was great and they catered for the kids. Ate at La Cueva and Auberge de Margeux in Sorede both highly recommended.
Big attraction, Aqualand at St. Cyprien. This caters for all ages, the small pool with little slides for the young to big slides for those who think they are still young. There is a good selection of food outlets on site. Our families opted to pay extra so the tickets could be used a second day which we did, we stayed all day.
Two beaches visited were very good. The first was between St. Cyprien Plage and Canet Plage in the area opposite the etang. It is just a beach, no facilities, so take eats and drinks with you. The second was at Leucate Plage, an hours journey up the coast but worth it for the sea food lunch and the sleep on the beach afterwards. The are restaurants on the opposite side of the road to the beach. Both beaches were clean. A lifeguard was on duty at Leucate.
Overall a wonderful holiday at the house and we can highly recommend it, just wish we had booked it for a longer period of time.