The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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2 years ago

Issue No.26

THEPYRÉNÉES-ORIENTALESwhere the mountains meet the sea ...Easy to reach and a tempting blend of French/Spanish border cultures, thePyrénées- Orientales offers buyers beautiful beaches, ski resorts and hilltopvillages says Liz Rowlinson…

If you’re torn between a home somewhereby the beach or up in the mountains - withthe Pyrénées-Orientales you can have both.This department in southern France,adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier(Catalonia) and the Mediterranean, is slowlygetting discovered by British buyers,although the French have long appreciatedits diverse appeal.There aren’t many places in the world whereyou can ski in the morning and enjoy a glassof wine in the sunshine on theMediterranean coast in the afternoon, butthe Pyrénées-Orientales can offer you thisand so much more.For dedicated skiers there are eight skistations that are generally more affordableand less crowded than the French Alps. Thetwo largest are Font-Romeu and Les Angleswhere it is possible to buy a 1 bedroomapartment from €80,000. Here you canmix skiing with biking or other activities, andtake advantage of the dual seasonality of theregion, which is great for those looking tomaximise rental income.Access to this area is easy, with flights toPerpignan, Béziers, Carcassonne and Gironaairport all within a 2-hour drive. There is alsoa TGV sevice to Perpignan train station. And,the A9 motorway links to the Spanishborder.“The area offers such a contrast in scenerywithin a short distance travelled, from thehuge expanse of sandy beaches thattransform into rocky coves and the plainsthat are full of cherry, peach and apricottrees, right up to the mountains with theirspectacular scenery,” says Donna Tulloch,Leggett’s local agent. “Mount Canigou is thehighlight of this area. Not the highestmountain at 2,784m but the most visiblefrom as far as Barcelona and Marseille.”