Location, Location, Location – not just the name of a TV Programme but also the most important thing to consider when buying a home. Whether you have found this site because you are looking for a property, or already live here and are selling a property, you are in the right place!
This area is often referred to as the ‘Real’ South of France – because while it has everything that our ‘richer’ neighbours in the Cote d’Azur enjoy, it remains largely unspoilt and has kept its French heart and soul.
The Pyrénées-Oriéntales department is full of a diverse range of scenery, culture and production. There are miles of sandy beaches stretching along to the Spanish border, sweeping plains full of vineyards and orchards, and valleys leading up to the ski-slopes of the snow-capped Pyrénées mountain range. Where else in france could you ski in the morning and spend the afternoon on the beach?
Perpignan is the Capital City, a thriving mix of old and new architecture and ideas, with designer fashion shops situated beside artisanal charcuteries. The two other departmental towns are Prades (situated midway between the Med and the Mountains) and Ceret, home to the biggest Modern Art gallery outside Paris. Dotted about the region are charming stone-built villages, many of which still have wine-making as their main source of income.
The beaches here are fabulous and whether you prefer safe sandy beaches patrolled by lifeguards, wild-beaches where you can watch the kite-surfers, or hidden rocky coves, there is something for everyone.
And what about the weather? Well, this is the southernmost and sunniest place in France – with over 300 days of sunshine each year. It is rarely too hot in the summer (nothing a chilled glass of Rosé and a refreshing swim won’t cure) and while it can feel a bit nippy on a winter’s morning, by midday it is the perfect weather for enjoying lunch in the sunshine at a pavement café.