The Pyrenees Mountain Hideaway

Rooms

The 3-bedroom gite (catering for up to 6/7 people) is the largest rental at 100sqm. It boasts two bathrooms and an open-plan layout, plus underfloor heating, a wood-burning stove and a private hot tub. The terrace offers stunning views of the Vallespir mountains.

The 2-bedroom gite is slightly smaller but has a generous living area, kitchen, dining room, and two ensuite bedrooms. Ideal for families or groups, the larger bedroom accommodates up to three children and an infant, with the flexibility to transform large singles into a super-king double. It also has a breakfast terrace and a sky terrace with a private hot tub.

For couples/friends, the adjacent 1-bedroom apartments, Cherry and Nut, are similar and have flexible bed arrangements (two large singles or a super-king double). They share access to a large terrace featuring a firepit/BBQ and those mountain views, as well as a sauna and cold plunge pool.

Hand soap, shower gel and towels are in each bathroom. Firewood, firelighters and kindling are provided for the wood-burning stoves (in every apartment), as well as for the hot tubs (in the larger two apartments) and fire pit (1-bed apartments).

Features include:

• Beach towels
• Central heating
• Fireplace
• Hairdryer
• Pool towels
• Satellite TV
• Toiletries
• WiFi

Eating

The day begins with a breakfast of baked bread and croissants from the village, hand-delivered each morning, or you could have home-grown eggs from the farm (both cost extra). Dinner at the property's garden on Tuesday evenings is a special treat, featuring a two-course vegetarian buffet made from the finest local produce, some grown on-site. Any food waste is collected and composted on-site.

For other meals, you'll be self-catering. On arrival, you'll find olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and some spices, a selection of teas, ground coffee and filters for the coffee machine, and milk. You can buy fresh cheese from the neighbouring sheep cheese farm. Additional groceries can be bought in Arles Sur Tech, and there are more shops further down the valley; a large Intermarché and organic shops are in Ceret, which also has a great Saturday morning market, lovely cafes and restaurants, and is about 30 minutes' drive away.

Nearby Corsavy is small and picturesque but does have a couple of dining options. Le Corstsavi is a campsite with a restaurant that serves pizza and paella (and also has a playground for kids). There’s a creperie, and a restaurant featuring a set menu of five courses (trout, guinea fowl, cepes omelette) that hasn’t changed in 50 years!

For finer dining, jump in the car. There's a host of top-notch restaurants within a half-hour drive, including one or two with Michelin stars. The menus around these parts tend towards a mix of traditional French, Catalan and Mediterranean – though there are also Japanese and Italian eateries to be found.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Coffee maker
• Food blender
• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• Hob or stove
• Microwave
• Oven
• Self-catering
• Toaster

Activities

• There are some great hiking and bike routes surrounding the property, with options such as Pic de la Souque, and Tour de Corsavy – which is suitable for children. You can also stroll to neighbouring villages such as Montferrer, where you can visit the ruined chateau, or walk to the spectacular Gorges de La Fou
  
• In the mornings and evenings, children can join in feeding and caring for the animals (the pigs, sheep and goats were originally rescued), and learn more about animal husbandry and permaculture (from composting to soil structure)
  
• It's an easy walk (under 2.5km each way) to the river, for wild swimming on a warm day
  
• St Jean Pla de Corts lake, about 40 mins away, provides a more active destination with aerial tree rope courses and an inflatable slide park, pedalos, and a Wakepark for those wanting to waterski or wakeboard; there's a lakeside restaurant here too
  
• There’s also the forest adventure playground in Amelie les Bains, great for younger childrenwhich offers aerial tree rope courses and water slides for older kids
  
• Horse lovers can enjoy a ride by the river at Promenade a Cheval, an hour's drive away, or head to Amelie les Bains and canter through the mountain forest trail
  
• Visit the Grottes de Canalettes, a massive cave system located at the foot of the Canigou massif. A Unesco World Heritage site, it is frequently illuminated with light shows and often hosts concerts in high season. The main attraction is the Angkor Temple, reminiscent of the Khmer temple in Cambodia

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Farm tours
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Playground
• Swimming
• Wildlife

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

The Pyrenees Mountain Hideaway is situated up at nearly 1,000m altitude, close to the village of Corsavy, in the Pyrenees Orientales region of southern France, near the Spanish border.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Perpignan, about 50km (1 hour) away. You can also fly into Girona (1.5 hours) across the border in Spain, or to Carcassonne (2 hours) or Montpellier (2.5 hours).

From the Airport:
Getting away from it all means the area isn’t well served by public transport. A car is a must. Car rentals are available at these airports (see our car rental recommendations), and there is also a bus service from Perpignan to Corsavy which takes about 1.5 hours, but we think you'll need a car to discover the region.

By Train:
The local area is not served by trains. The nearest station is Marquixanes, about 80km away.

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