Mas Pallares - Le Grenier (the Loft) is a beautiful two-bedroom apartment located in Vallespir, Southern France, a magical region where the Pyrenees mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea. It is fully modernised and tastefully furnished to provide a comfortable and beautiful spot in which to holiday enjoying the stunning views of the Pyrenees as you sit in the garden or relax by the pool.
The apartment’s terrace and front door is approached through the garden and up an attractive spiral staircase. The good-sized terrace has a table and six chairs and 2 sun loungers from which to admire the views whilst sipping a glass of delicious local wine from one of the many local vineyards.
The front door leads directly from the terrace into the lounge where there is comfortable seating and a TV monitor and DVD player. Through the next door is a large kitchen/diner/family room with stunning high beamed ceilings. The room is well-equipped with ample space for dining and relaxing.
The two bedrooms and bathrooms lead from this main living area. The master bedroom has a double bed, plenty of storage and an adjacent shower room. The second bedroom has good storage, an en suite shower room and toilet and 3 single beds which can be configured as a double, a twin or with all three beds if required for three children.
The apartment benefits from air conditioning, which is vital in the summer but also has central heating in the winter should there be cold weather. There is an extra charge only for central heating.
The property shares a large, secured pool (open from beginning of June to the end of September), with great views and sun loungers, with the other 4 similar-sized apartments in the Mas. The pool measures approx. 10 by 4 m and has a deep and shallow end. Other shared facilities include a 4-person sauna (small charge applies), a table tennis table and an exercise room with treadmill and a laundry. Washing machines are available for a small charge.
This is truly a beautiful location with the gardens in constant bloom. Opportunities for walks in the hills are endless and can be accessed directly from the house. The nearest boulangerie and bars are a 15 minute walk with a supermarket a 5 minute drive away. Nearby Céret has a magnificent Saturday market and is very popular with artists. It boasts a Museum of Modern Art featuring regular exhibitions including works by Picasso, Matisse and Soutine among others.
The apartment is situated a short drive from the historic market town of Céret and nestles in the foothills of the Pyrenees just a 30-minute drive from the beaches of the Mediterranean. The Spanish border is 20 minutes in the car with Barcelona only a 90-minute drive away. This is an ideal location to get away from it all with numerous options to explore the many attractions nearby.
The picturesque seaside town of Collioure is 40 minutes away and it is only 30 minutes to the nearest beach for a swim or snorkel in the Mediterranean. There are many watersports at Argeles Beach and boat-trips along the coast available daily from Port Argeles where you will find endless fish restaurants selling the catch of the day. The snorkelling is best at Le Racou (the far end near the Criques).
The proximity to Spain means that you get 2 countries for the price of one! Many locals do their weekly shopping in Spain at La Jonquera, Local food has a Spanish flavour! You will enjoy paella and tapas at the many local restaurants as well as traditional French cuisine. In nearby Port Argeles and Collioure there are endless fish and seafood restaurants, it would take at least a year to visit them all. The local catch is also available to buy daily at Port Argeles. The Languedoc Roussillon is famous for its wines and your apartment is situated very close to numerous vineyards where you can taste and sample the local vintages. You will see the “wine routes” signposted on the main roads. Sangria and cerveza are also popular drinks for an aperitif.
Mas Pallares is located in Reynes, a lovely, sparsely populated hillside township, stretching from the Tech River to steep Pyrenees foothills. Five minutes away is the popular town of Ceret (“cherries” in Catalan), also known as Ville d’Art. It was a favorite of Picasso in the 19th Century whose presence and work there drew many other painters including Brach, Chagall, Masson, and Dali, all of whom painted the scenic town and surroundings. This led to the founding of the highly regarded Museum of Modern Art in Ceret, which contains the paintings and sculptures of these and other artists as well as wonderful rotating exhibits. That, plus a Music Museum (Ceret is also known for its Catalunyan music and musicians), its Cherry Festival, its city walls and beautiful lanes, trees, shops and restaurants, making Ceret a very big draw for tourists.
Tourists also flock to the region for other attractions. On the Mediterranean shore, about 30 minutes away, are prominent cities like the regional capital, Perpignan, and famous coastal towns like Collioure (boasting a medieval castle and fortress, beautiful beaches, and charming shopping streets), and wine-producing towns like Banyuls-sur-Mer, whose mountainside vineyards run all the way down to the sea. Running south, the coastal road soon enters Northern Spain, passing through Salvador Dali’s hometown (with his museum not far away), the Spanish riviera (Costa Brava), the charming old town of Girona, and, in just another hour, the magnificent metropolis of Barcelona and its treasures.
Also, not to be missed are the inland treasures of the region: the foothills and peaks of the Pyrenees, including Mount Canigou, sacred in local tradition, wonderful hikes and bike trails, and charming mountainside villages like Castelnou and Eus (the latter above the Tet River facing Canigou) and monasteries like St. Martins high up on Canigou’s shoulder.
All of these add up to Mas Pallares being a Southern France paradise. You may experience it by booking soon.
The apartment is one of seven carved out of the large 15th Century stone-walled Mas (villa). Le Grenier has been totally modernized, its kitchen supplied with an electric range and oven, microwave, dishwasher, and soda stream; and its living room has a TV, WiFi and a fold-out bed (sleeps 2). Its two bedrooms both have adjoining bathrooms, the master one having a double bed, and the other, two single beds and a rolling trundle bed. All rooms are tastefully furnished and decorated with textiles and paintings, many by local artists. At the apartment’s front door is a roomy terrace surrounded in the spring by purple Wisteria and set up for outdoor dining and lounging. From the terrace you can view the valley below, the Pyrenees’ foothills, and Mas’s spectacular garden, bursting all year with fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and colourful perennial and annual flowers. Nestled in the garden are a large swimming pool, sauna, workout room, and a ping-pong table – fun for kids and adults. All apartments have heat pump-generated heating and air-conditioning.