Saint-Cyprien holiday villa: Saint Cyprien

We rented this villa in July 2008 with our four young children and absolutely loved it. the complex is very safe and secure, the huge swimming pool and baby pool had a lifeguard on duty at all times. There is a lovely little children's playground inside the complex and a larger one in the park just outside. The town beach is 5 minutes walk away but we tended to go to the south beach (about 15 minutes walk) where the beach bars are wonderful and the beach itself is very safe. There are lots of child-friendly bars and restaurants with entertainment on the Marina, although we had to encourage the children to try French cuisine so that they did not survive on chips and pizza for the entire holiday.

Elisabeth and Steve were on hand when we arrived to settle us in and were available whenever we needed them and to offer suggestions on where to go and what to do.

The villa itself is very clean and offers every convenience for self-catering (although there is no separate oven there is a combination microwave/oven/grill and the owner has left instructions in English on how to operate it, so we were able to cook everything). Comfortable beds and air-conditioning made night times very bearable in the extrememly hot weather. A high chair and baby bath are available and the stairs are fitted with stair-gates. The garden is secured by a gate that can be locked.

The area around St Cyprien is lovely and it is worth renting a car to explore the Pyrenees and the Alberes mountain ranges. Food is much cheaper during the day and we tended to have lunch early (Plat de Jour for €9-€12 per head) on the days we were out exploring and have a snack at night. For large families it is certainly more economical.

Overall I loved this villa and our holiday. As our children are small the security and convenience of the villa was great and I would certainly rent it again or recommend to a friend.