French Catalonia is a land of contrasts with a great historical and cultural heritage set in an extraordinary natural setting. Mountains and sea, forests, rivers and lakes merge and converge under the Mediterranean sun. All the wonders of this land are yours to discover during your stay: prehistoric and roman remains, castles and forts, gothic, baroque and modern art, and the natural world.
Music, whether classical or modern, is also well represented with numerous festivals and concerts (such as les Estivales et Jazzèbre in Perpignan, the festival Pablo Casals in Prades, the Déferlantes in Argelès).
Spain, of course, is just a short drive away and you can plan to visit Girona and its historical centre, Figueras and the Dali Museum, Cadaques and Portlligat on the coast.
Region
A brief overview:
Perpignan
Capital of the ancient kingdom of Majorca, this city retains a resolutely Catalan flavour. Its historic centre is always fascinating to discover.
Collioure
Lively town, immortalised by numerous painters (including Picasso and Matisse), which will seduce you by its setting and its history.
Céret
A town where art & festivities meet (museum of Modern Art, archaeological museum, galleries, feria, San Ferréol festa)… and the best cherries in the world!
Tautavel Museum and Bélesta Castle-Museum
Discover the region’s prehistory through their permanent collections and programs of activities.
For lovers of religious art and architecture, the treasures are almost too numerous to list. But you can start with the abbey of Saint-Martin du Canigou , the priories of Serrabone and Marcevol, the church of St. Peter in Prades and the cathedral and cloister in Elne .
Cathar castles
Less than an hour by car, visit the castles of Peyrepertuses , Puylaurens and Quéribus for the sheer exhilaration of the amazing panoramas and the fascinating history. Well worth the climb.
… and let’s not forget the little yellow train .
Activities
First and foremost… to do nothing! It’s easy with 40km of sandy beaches and 20km of rocky creeks. There’s space for everyone and we can advise you of more out of the way places.
Afterwards, do as you please. All the sporting and fun activities are possible in the area. Here are some ideas:
Water: scuba-diving, yachting, sea, lake and river fishing, kayaking, kitesurfing, canyoning, rafting, waterparks.
Earth: hiking (our favourite activity), golf, climbing and via-ferrata, cycling, horse riding, potholing, go-kart, minigolf and amusement parks.
Air: parascending, hang-gliding, microlighting, kite flying.
Fire: (not technically an activity but to keep the symmetry) fireworks and pyrotechnic shows (especially the one of the Saint-Vincent fête in Collioure… magical).
We have all the necessary information for you to decide and book. Don’t hesitate to ask us.
Winter Sports
During the season, you can consider going to spend a day on the slopes of Font-Romeu and Pyrénées 2000 . The journey by car takes about 1 ½ hour.
Spas
Le Boulou : ¼ hour by car. Specialised in cardio-vascular and digestive system health. The only sodium-bicarbonate spa in the Pyrénées.
Amélie-les-Bains : ½ hour by car. Rheumatology and respiratory system.
Links
http://pyreneesorientalestourisme.com/index.php3?langue=en
http://www.little-france.com/
http://www.sunfrance.com/index.php3?langue=en