Local Attractions

Collioure

 The Pyrenees Orientales is the perfect base for a holiday. The diverse scenery and Catalan heritage offer something for
everyone. Céret is ideally placed for exploring the area and for venturing into Northern Spain.
In the Pyrenees Orientales we enjoy a wonderful temperate climate with approximately 300 days of sunshine per year. And from May to October we have an average of 8½ hours of sunshine per day!

You could enjoy walking in the Pyrenees or the less taxing Alberes. And there is the beautiful Cote Vermaille offering miles of wide sandy beaches.

Céret, is sheltered in the valley of the Tech from the tramontane winds and is France’s sunniest spot. Here cherries ripen luxuriantly. The crop, France’s first cherry harvest is celebrated at the annual cherry festival. Located close to the Spanish border, Céret drew artists in the turbulent 20th Century in flight from Franco’s Spain or the Nazis. The fruits of their labour are displayed in Céret’s exceptional modern art museum whose collection is so large that only a small selection can be displayed at any one time. But you will always see some masterpieces by Chagall, Catalan artists Manolo and Maillol, and Picasso whose twentieth century ceramics, each depicting a dramatic stage in the bull-fight like a strip cartoon, steal the show. It is a treat to wander around this charismatic town - particularly on a Saturday when a colourful market extends through the heart of the old town.

Céret’s Saturday Market

Céret’s Mairie and a side street

The Cote de Vermaille is just 30 minutes from Céret by car. It enjoys many miles of wide sandy beaches (all blue flag award winners) which offer a wide variety of water sports for all ages: windsurfing, water skiing, scuba diving, sailing , fishing trips and jet skiing. Take your pick from the resorts of Argeles, St Cyprien (where there is an 18-hole golf course and Aqualand) and Canet Plage. Argeles is currently on the circuit of the Windsurfing Championships and the famous mistral winds attract windsurfers of all abilities.

A little further south the fashionable fishing port of Collioure is recognised as one of the most attractive fishing ports in the whole of the south of France. It is here that the best anchovies in France can be sampled. Once a favourite haunt of Matisse and Picasso due not least to its superb quality of light it is quite simply resembles a picture postcard. Once established as a trading post by the Phoenicians, today it has a vast selection of restaurants, many overlooking the picturesque harbour and the Chateau Royal (summer residence of the Majorcan
Kings). Boutiques offering ceramics and arts and crafts line the narrow streets of the old town and on Sundays and Wednesdays there is an excellent market offering fresh produce and crafts. Just outside Collioure horse-riding is available. Take an organised ride through the wooded landscape and over hillsides to enjoy spectacular views.

Panoramic View of Collioure

The Cathars built many hilltop castles in the area and their ruins make for fascinating visits.

A little further along the coast at Port Vendres one can explore the wonderful daily fishing market or simply pause to enjoy fresh oysters and local wine.

Banyuls, the most southerly seaside resort in France has a delightful yachting harbour. The resort is set against a pretty backdrop of vineyards around a bay divided into 2 coves by the promontory on which the old town stands. The site is sheltered from the harsh northwesterly gusts of the tramontane, with the result that a number of tropical plants have been introduced here.

Banyuls is renowned for its superb wines. The famous Banyuls, a dry, medium or sweet wine is capable of gracing the best of tables. It can be drunk as an apperitif, or with dessert and is the ideal accompaniment to foie gras, strongly flavoured cheeses and game. There are many local caves open to the public where you may taste before purchasing.
Travelling along the coast road north of Perpignan you will come across Port Bacara (Centre Nautique), Sigean Safari park, Beziers, Narbonne and Montpellier.

Carcassone is only 1 hour 15 minutes away from Céret. The famous fortified town is said to be France’s second most popular attraction. It has many narrow cobbled streets on which you will find endless restaurants, cafes and shops.

Perpignan was once the Capital of the Kings of Majorca (1276-1344) and its diverse history is still very much in evidence. It lies only 30 km from the Spanish border and today is capital of the Pyrénées Orientales department. Although Perpignan has belonged steadfastly to France since the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) the city proclaims its Catalan heritage loud and clear with music, dance and the Catalan language. Meandering through the narrow streets of the old town and the churches one feels a real sense of exploration.

Castelnou is a wonderful example of a fortified village sleeping peacefully behind its ramparts. Its tiny paved streets are clustered around the foot of the feudal castle restored in the 19th century. Artists and craftsmen vie with each other among the local population.

Travelling inland you could follow the Tech river and visit Amelie-Le-Bains, a beautiful spa town, or Arles sur Tech, the religious centre of Vallespir where its stone coffing exudes mysterious and magical powers!

A drive along la Têt river through Thuir and towards Prade will take you towards Pic du Canigou with some fascinating views.

Prades is where the Spanish Catalan cellist Pablo Casals lived having fled from Franco’s Spain. He subsequently established an annual festival of classical music which continues to this day.


To experience some of the most breathtaking scenery in France take the Little yellow Train from Villefranche, a fortified town dating back to the 11th Century, high into the Pyrenees.

The mountain resorts are popular in both summer and winter due to their wonderful fresh air and stunning scenery. In the winter, the resorts offer skiing for all standards but without the lengthy Alpine queues! There is plenty of après-ski including the option to relax in one of the natural thermal spas nearby. In winter it is simply magical to enjoy the open-air hot water pools at St Thomas les Bains surrounded by snow, beneath a clear blue sky.

The route to Les Angles
From the resorts you may chose to continue into Andorra (a duty-free principality) via Bourg-Madame and again you will experience some magnificent views.

If you wish to venture into Spain, Figeueras is only 35 minutes away and it is here that you may visit the principal Dali museum which is also where Dali is buried. Numerous Tapas bars wait to serve you either before or after you hit the shops!

The Dali Museum, Figueras
Gerona is worth a visit, just 1 hour 15 minutes by car and within 2 hours you could reach Barcelona where you could amble down Las Ramblas watching the street entertainers, enjoy the many fine restaurants and cafes or shop ‘til you drop. Its architecture is stunning and you will see Gaudi’s influence everywhere. For children there is the world-famous aquarium and the city zoo.

Remember – Catalan culture is not all about dancing – it’s about learning to relax and take it slow – there can be nowhere better to learn this lesson!