Vacation Rental Description
The villa and studio are rented together, and accommodate up to eight guests. The villa has two bedrooms – a master bedroom with a queen size bed and an en suite bathroom with a jacuzzi, and another bedroom, also with an en suite bathroom, with a double bed. The pool is visible from the living room window and the terrace outside the living room, so parents can keep watch over children in the pool area. A built-in barbecue enables guests to cook and eat meals on the covered terrace of the main villa.
The independent split level studio is a short distance from the main villa, housing a mezanine with two single beds and a sofa bed in the living area.
The owners do not reside on site which insures absolute privacy.
Further details outdoors:
Planted with a variety of trees and plants, there is plenty of room to relax in the shade. The 10x5 metre pool is surrounded by a terraced area with the same combination of privacy with excellent views. The property enjoys great privacy, and is separated from the nearest neighbour by a hundred metres of forest. Panoramic views, taking in the magnificent 3000 metre Mont Canigou to the West, valleys and towns to the North, and the Mediterranean to the East are evident from the main villa, studio and pool area, as well as the terraces of the two buildings.
A free standing garage houses the clothes dryer and serves as ample storage space should the need arise. A crib and high chair are provided.
A car is highly recommended. The centre of Ceret is about a 5 minute drive downhill. The ambitious can walk down in 20 minutes and back up in perhaps 30. There is a large private and gated area for parking. There are no steps between parking and the main villa. There are several steps between the main villa and the pool area, and several steps between the main villa and the studio.
The property is located in the hills overlooking Ceret, Mauraillas, St Jean Pla de Corts, and Le Boulou. The medieval town of Céret, a five-minute drive from the property, has three supermarkets, butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable sellers and some great cafés with plenty of outdoor tables. There is a great variety of restaurants in Céret and within a 30-minute drive. Picasso, Chagall, and Braque, all lived in Céret in the early twentieth century, it's Museum of Modern Art features their works permanently as well as special expositions nearly the year round.
The region includes the Spanish side of the border (30 minute drive) with excellent restaurants, and low-tax shopping, not to mention ancient churches, the battle fields of Charlemagne, cloisters with masterpieces on columns. The cloister at St Michel de Cuxa is perhaps the best known, an hour by car near Prades.
Facilities
Cable Satellite
Cleaning Service
Cooking Utensils
Dishwasher
Dryer
DVD
Garage
Heating
Jacuzzi
Kitchen
Microwave
Open Fire
Amenity Parking
Private Pool
Refrigerator
TV
Washer
In the main villa, a large kitchen / living / dining area faces wide French doors with a view of mountains and valleys, admitting plenty of natural light. The open-plan American-style kitchen is fully equipped, while in the living area, a pair of sofas and two armchairs surround a television with video DVD, a fireplace, and a walnut bookcase. The dining area has a table for eight, and all furnishings are solid wood.
In the studio, the living area has a sofa bed, rattan sofa and armchair, and coffee table. The mezzanine area has two single beds, wardrobe and bathroom/shower. From the living area, a large French door leads onto a private terrace, also with panoramic views.
The floors are covered with hand made carpets, the walls with original art. (The Dufy as far as I know is a print)
Activities
Biking
Horse Riding
Hunting/Rock Climbing
Mountain Biking
Restaurant
Shopping
In Ceret there are activities the whole year, but especially during the summer when the Feria (July) brings many thousands to town. There are dances with live bands within a 15 minute drive from May to August. Saturday market is a regional attraction offering home made cheeses, cured meat, fresh oysters, Roussillon wine and fresh fruit and vegetables. Musicians pass by as you shop, not only on market days. All the shops and restaurants are open the whole year, unlike many resort towns. This makes Ceret a magnet for people from all over the world, though it seems there is rarely a crowd - except for the July Feria, when visitors come to mingle in the crowd.
The Mediterranean beaches of the Cote Vermeil are about 30 minutes away. As for mountain biking and hiking, the detailed 25,000 to one map shows world class marked trails which pass the property and criss-cross the surrounding hills. Two golf courses are within an hour's drive.