Chateau Les Carrasses

Rooms

There are 30 self-catering suites and villas spread across the grounds, hidden between lavender, honeysuckle and jasmine, and amongst fountains. Suites occupy the main chateau and feel more romantic. They also benefit from traditional hotel servicing and incredible views across the vineyards. For honeymooners, we’d suggest the cosy and secluded gardener’s cottage (La Maison du Jardinier), hidden at the edge of the property, with its own pool and beautiful sunsets.

Within the former wine cellars, blacksmith’s quarters and stables, you find a mix of 2- and 3-bedroom villas. Some have a private pool or Jacuzzi; all have gardens or terraces. Our favourites were the atmospheric villas in the old wine cave with incredible views towards the mountains and mezzanines perched atop wooden beams (Les Maisons de la Cave). We stayed in La Maison des Vendangeurs – we found it light, bright, well-equipped and very spacious with plenty of outdoor space to relax and eat together as a family. Well-soundproofed doors and walls coupled with blackout shutters meant good night's sleep for everybody.

Décor is chic throughout, blending modern comforts with original features and bespoke local handicrafts. Expect vintage prints of mushroom varieties, ancient wooden chests and gilded mirrors.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Bluetooth sound system
• Central heating
• Cots available
• DVD player
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• TV
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

All suites and villas have state-of-the-art kitchens, equipped with every gadget you need to create a feast. Mouth-wateringly fresh produce is available at the local markets.

The Mediterranean-style restaurant Orta (Occitan for vegetable garden) and its terrace is a relaxed place for breakfast. In the morning, a long table heaves under a spread of fresh pastries, cheeses and meats – we couldn’t stop eating succulent figs from the estate.

The sophistication dial is turned up a notch or two come lunch and dinner. Seasonal set menus feature the likes of cod with a herb crust or Toulouse sausage with duck confit and white bean puree, all painstakingly presented. Where possible, produce is sourced from the estate's impressive kitchen garden. We washed everything down with a bottle of the chateau’s Syrah. Perfection. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday in low season (November through March).

If you prefer to dine in the privacy of your accommodation, all meals can be ordered to take away. In summer, there's a pizza delivery service and barbecue packs are available. For a change of scene, there are wonderful restaurants in the surrounding villages, including Capestang, which is 5 minutes by car or 15 minutes by bike through the vineyards.

Features include:

• Bar
• Coffee maker
• Full kitchen
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Welcome hamper

Activities

• Laze by the infinity pool with a book and soak up the views
  
• Work up a sweat: the chateau has a pétanque court, a clay tennis court and a beach volleyball pitch
  
• Relax with a Cinq Mondes body or facial treatment in the mazet (wellness cabin)
  
• Enjoy a wine-tasting afternoon. There are hundreds of vineyards close by (try St Chinian, Faugeres or the Minervois); there's an estate wine trail linking the olive grove, farm, kids playground, kitchen garden, mazet and vineyard too
  
• Lend a hand with produce-picking in the kitchen garden, or meet the animals on the mini-farm
  
• Borrow bikes and explore the chateau’s 10 acres of vineyard, meadow and woodland
  
• Take a trip along the picturesque Canal du Midi – either by barge or kayak
  
• Explore the Languedoc region: we’d recommend trips to hilltop Minerve, colourful Sète and seaside Gruissan
  
• The gold-sand beaches at Serignan and Portiragnes are a 25-minute drive

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Vineyard tours
• Walking
• Well being
• Wine tasting

Kids

Fantastic for families, with equipment to borrow for little ones, masses of space for kids to run free, various shapes and sizes of accommodation, a heated infinity pool, tennis court, volleyball, bikes to borrow and an on-site brasserie. In the Easter, spring half-term and summer holidays there's a kids club with a full schedule of events, including 2-3 sessions a week in the mini-farm.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Various 1- to 3-bedroom villas, which can sleep a maximum of 8 people, all with well-equipped kitchens. A number have private pools and all (except the Suites du Chateau) have enclosed, private gardens.

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 40 minutes' drive (Béziers)
• Hospital: 30 minutes' drive
• Shops: 10 minutes' drive

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Château Les Carrasses estate lies between the villages of Quarante, Capestang and Puisserguier in the Languedoc region in southwest France. It’s 30 minutes from both Béziers and Narbonne.

By Air:
The largest and best-served airports in the region are Perpignan (85km), Montpellier (95km) and Toulouse (165km), but nearby Béziers (33km) also has an airport. You'll definitely need to hire a car to get here as there's no public transport to the hamlet.

By Train:
If you'd prefer to travel overland from the UK, there are good services to Montpellier. If you're coming from London and your train is not direct, change in Lille (a platform change) rather than Paris (a station change).

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.

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