Art galleries to market towns:
For art enthusiasts, there is also much to see in the region. Collioure is picturesque seaside village, with its narrow streets that feature great cafes and restaurants has dozens of art galleries. This veritable art patchwork is indicative of the regions great and colourful beauty and this has attracted many of the more famous artists including Pablo Picasso (past resident in nearby Ceret), Salvadore Dali who lived about 35Km south of the villa and the likes of Henri Matisse, Chagall and others who lived and painted many famous works in the locality. For those who like to enjoy leisurely shopping and in particular market shopping, the area has much to offer and there is a great choice of beautiful old towns nearby including the famous Ceret with its large Saturday market. Fresh produce and local crafts are on sale on Sunday and Wednesday in Collioure, and daily except Monday in Perpignan “la Criee”. The fish market is not to be missed in nearby Port Vendres.
Eating out and Shopping:
The local town of Le Boulou is about 3 miles away (5Km) and has everything you could need for day to day living. It has a number of large supermarkets (Intermarche, Netto, LeClerc, etc). It has several boulangerie and patisserie as well as newsagents, banks, wine stores, gift stores, a fish market and much more. It also has a good tourist office with very helpful staff. Le Perthus on the French-Spanish border is also only about 5 miles away and is a very popular shopping town and promises many great bargains. For more serious shopping you should go to Perpignan which is about 30 minutes away. When it comes to eating out, there are many options with great restaurants in the seaside towns a short distance away. In Le Boulou there are a number of more functional restaurants and a number of take aways including a McDonalds and two good take away pizzerias.
How to Get Here:
Perpignan to the North of our house is the closest airport ( 20 mins). Girona airport in Spain (50 mins). Ryanair flights available from London Stanstead to Perpignan or Girona. Flybe flights are available from Birmingham, Southampton and Manchester (summer only). Montpellier, Carcassonne and Barcelona airports are all within about 90 minutes on the motorway and the house is about 5km from the nearest Motorway junction (Le Boulou)(A9) Autoroute which connects Montpellier, Perpignan and Barcelona
Ski:
The main Ski resorts are towards Andorra and are about 90 minutes drive and include Les Angles, Font Romeu, Querigut, Formigueres, Beille and several others. Many of the resorts have a full range of slopes and Les Angles is particularly good for beginners and there are two great childrens ski schools
Golf:
On the French side of the border there are two golf courses. Golf St Cyprien is about 30 minutes away and is located next to the sea. Alternatively, in the mountains to the west ( about 50 minutes drive) there is the resort of Golf de Falgos. This challenging course rolls through south-facing valleys on the vast Catalan estate of Falgos close to the Spanish border beneath Mt. Canigou. It is a well maintained course and a fantastic setting. The complex offers full Spa facilities which are very reasonably priced. As an alternative why not play Golf in Spain, there are courses within a 1 hour drive so you really have the best of both worlds.
