3 Bedroom Holiday Home in Clara

Our lovely ‘Maison de village’ is in the beautiful mountain village of Clara situated close to the thriving market town of Prades in the South-West of France. The village is nestled in the foothills of Mount Canigou, and benefits from incredible views across the lush Conflent valley and beyond.

Recently renovated to a very high standard, our house is extremely well appointed and offers accommodation on three levels with a double bedroom and bathroom on the first level, spacious bright open plan living accommodation on the middle floor with balconies overlooking the river, and two further double bedrooms with access to a terrace on the third level. There is also a covered courtyard barbecue area, which offers a beautiful shady place to relax, chat, eat and listen to the river flowing by.

Perfect for families, groups of friends or couples, our home would be a cosy retreat for a couple or a great place to get together as a group.

For our autumn and winter guests, the house also offers heating in all rooms. This makes it ideal for those wishing to use the house to tour the ski areas. (major ski resorts are a 45 minute drive away).

Clara is a very peaceful, typical village of the region with the local church, boules court and tennis courts. It also benefits from having one of the best restaurants in the region, right in the heart of the village, which is definitely worth a visit. The river runs through the village, just in front of the house and provides a wonderful setting off point for a gentle walk, or a more strenuous hike.

The nearest main town, just a few kilometres away, is Prades. A thriving market town, Prades has many great shops and restaurants as well as a lively market on both Tuesday and Saturday mornings, where you can buy local produce such as the peaches and cherries that are grown in abundance here, fresh vegetables, wonderful cheeses…. and of course the excellent wine!

There are events and festivals throughout the year. Spanish cellist Pablo Casals fled to Prades during the Spanish civil war, stayed and established the festival that now bears his name. The Catalan summer school takes over the town for two weeks in August, and there is dancing in the square every night during this period.

Places of Interest: For touring the area, Clara offers an excellent base. Just a few of the sites of interest within easy driving distance are listed below:

* Villefranche de Conflent, a fine example of a medieval walled town
* Little Yellow Train, catch this train from Villefranche and enjoy the specatular mountain views right into the Pyrenees.
* Grottes de Canalettes, magnificent renowned caves with an incredible light and sound show
* St Martin du Canigou, 9th century abbey perched impressively high on the hillside with fantastic scenery and walks.
* St Michel de Cuxa, 6th century abbey that hosts concerts during the Pablo Casals festival but is also open for viewing most of the year.
* St Thomas les Bains, outstanding natural thermal hot springs in wonderful outdoor mountain setting.
* Casteil, small animal park, a great day out for all the family, the park is situated up the sides of a valley and the animals are mostly allowed to roam free in their own habitat.

For winter lets the house has a beautiful cast iron enamel log burner to create a warm cosy atmosphere. The house contains everything you will need to make you stay in Clara perfect.

If you prefer water sports, there are opportunities to try out rafting, kayaking or canyoning. There is a golf course within 30 minutes drive and horse riding a short distance from the house.

There is a lake in the local town of Vinca, with beaches, from which you can swim, sail or wind-surf, or you could just visit the popular open air swimming pool in Prades.

Weather: We benefit from being in the sunniest region of France, and enjoy warm, sunny weather from March all the way through to October. November and December are cooler but still with sunshine. January, February and March are great skiing months (45 minute drive to the ski resorts).