La Chapelle - 1 bedroom, shared pools

A former country house transformed into holiday apartments, spacious and comfortable luxury gites, fully equipped with private gardens and terraces, outdoor and indoor pools, you will feel at home on your holidays whether as a couple or as a family.

This former priory, a magic place chosen by the monks for its silence and calm, ideal for relaxation and meditation. Make the most of the tranquillity, the light, sunshine and Mediterranean climate.

Set in leafy grounds in a country setting, the Priory is built on the site of an ancient Roman villa, dating from the 7th and 8th centuries: a unique blending of past and present.

Ideal holiday destination for couples or families or for large family gatherings.

Situated in the countryside in the south of the Herault, with easy access from two motorways, two airports and the TGV, only 5 minutes from Pezenas, the former regional capital, and 20 mins from the Mediterranean, the Priory offers you a warm welcome.

This region is an area of dramatic contracts – we have miles and miles of glorious sandy beaches yet there is ski-ing to be found only a couple of hours away in the Pyrénnées. We have endless vineyards and a tour of this region reads like a wine list.

Inland are amazing gorges and rivers and a myriad of fortresses and castles dating from the bloodthirstly Cathar times.

In short:
- Fabulous hot, sunny weather.
- Beautiful long sandy beaches with shallow water, ideal for young children.
- Gorgeous countryside with miles and miles of vineyards, stunning rivers and gorges, pretty medieval villages and bustling cities.
- Wealth of historical monuments and castles, the amazing Cité of Carcassonne.
- Great dining experiences whether it be on the beach or in a medieval village amidst the vineyards.
- Good, locally produced wines at prices you won’t believe!

Here are some highlights, not to be missed!

BEACHES
The beaches at Valras Plage, Sérignan Plage and Narbonne Plage are all very suitable for children and a quieter option to the beaches closer to Cap d’Agde. They have sheltered bathing areas for children and Valras Plage has some great play equipment on the beach.
For ‘all the fun of the fair’ head to Cap d’Agde with the fabulous ‘Aqualand’ water sports park as well as plenty of water sports, boat trips, a beautiful harbour, golf, casino, fashionable shopping, nightclubs, waterfront restaurants and several children’s theme parks.
At Vias Plage, there is a funfair open during July and August called Europark which is very popular with teenagers.

BOAT EXCURSIONS
At Grau d’Agde on board the Millésime you can take a guided excursion between the Canal du Midi, Thau lagoon and the Hérault river. Also boat trips available at Valras Plage, either trips up the coast or even sea fishing ones.

CANAL DU MIDI
Take the time to visit the Canal du Midi, a beautiful tree-lined Canal which links the Atlantic with the Mediterranean anc which has miles of flat walks along the shady tow paths. Explore it on rollerblades, on horseback, by bike, by barge or simply on foot. Whichever you choose, it will be an ideal way to discover one of the longest canals in France.

FURTHER AFIELD
Barcelona is just 2 1/2 hours away, easily achievable for a lunch in Spain!
About an hour to the south there are the Pyrenees.
Take a day trip (about 3 hours each way) to Andorra.
The Massif Central starts only a short distance to the north.
Not far away you can discover the ‘Pont du Gard’ en route to Provence

GOLF
Several good golf courses are within easy reach, Golf Saint Thomas at Béziers, approx 20 minutes drive – see www.golfsaintthomas.com/english/

HORSE-RIDING
There are plenty of places offering horse-riding in the area. One is the St Jean Ranch in Serignan Plage which offers a range of activities such as excursions, horse-drawn carriage rides, horse rides on the beach or at sunset, and even excursions for experienced riders.
Portiragnes Plage also has a horse riding stables – coming from Portiragnes towards Portiragnes Plage, you will see it on your left just before you get to the town.

PRETTY VILLAGES
We have so many lovely traditional wine-producing villages in this area, all with weekly street markets and of course those sun-blessed Mediterranean beaches. If you enjoy the atmosphere of medieval streets, you will love walking through the old part of these villages, with their tiny squares, ancient porches and ramparts. Most villages have several fetes and festivals throughout the year, including the famous processions with floral floats.
The village of Minerve is classified as one of the ‘Prettiest villages in France’ and is worth a trip. It is off to right on the way to Carcassonne is a must for those interested in the history of the Cathars.

VINEYARDS
Many of the local vineyards offer free tours and wine-tasting. There is one at La Baume between Beziers and Pezenas and the tour was offered in English. Great fun and very interesting to see how they turn the grapes into wine.
The coastal plain provides literally hundreds of Domaines for superb wine-tasting – its obligatory! Samples will be generous, and in many cases guided tours are provided.

This former 8th century chapel is an original living space with three stone arches dividing the space into areas for sitting, sleeping and cooking.

The garden is west facing with an entrance porch, walls up to 1.2m thick.

- Total surface area 80m2 accommodating 2 people
- 1 bedroom with 1 bed 160cm wide (or 2 x 80cm wide)
- 1 very large bathroom
- 1 separate WC

Private garden with a table and seating for up to 4 people,
2 sunbeds and a BBQ.

Gardens
These gardens have been divided up and laid out for different purposes:
Reception area: open to the outside and laid out for car parking in the shade of the trees – pines, plane trees and carob trees. You will be greeted at the entrance gates by a magnificent spring flowering mimosa and yuccas which flower up until Christmas.

Courtyard garden: the former interior courtyard transformed into a garden, surrounded on all four sides by buildings; in the centre an 8th century well. The varied flowerbeds and typical Mediterranean plants (palm trees, cypress trees, laurel bushes, bamboo, and pomegranate) shelter the private gardens, offering relaxation and intimacy for all guests. In the centre, a thousand and one scents: orange blossom, roses, vervein, laburnum, wisteria, begonias, jasmine, and irises. The variety of flowers ensures that the garden is in bloom 12 months of the year.

Riverside garden: bordering and shading the ancient Roman road, the oaks, plane trees, cedar trees, Judas tree and eucalyptus covering and sheltering the stream “Saint Martial” where generations of children have built dens and caught tadpoles.

Gardens and pools: allowing you to alternate sun bathing and resting in the shade of fig trees, olive trees and pine trees. The indoor heated pool is not forgotten with its hibiscus, its aloe plants, its ficus, and its picture windows looking out over the grounds and the beautiful façades of the main buildings.

Leisure gardens: for ball games, badminton, table tennis or “boules”, for reading in the shade of the pine trees, the chestnut trees or in the gazebo, these gardens are ideal for relaxing. During your stay, you might come across squirrels, observe hoopoes, turtle doves and pipistrelle bats, see geckos lazing in the sun and appreciate the flocks of birds which take advantage of the abundant greenery and security of the setting.

The discovery of this place will not fail to surprise and enchant you

Recently visited by our team

• Bedrooms : 1 double bed or 2 single beds
• Bathroom : 1 with bath and shower over and 1 separate WC.
• Kitchen : Fridge, hobs, microwave, washing machine, dishwasher, coffee maker and toaster.
• Dining : Seating for 2.
• Lounge: Seating for 4, WIFI.
• Garden : Table with seating for 2 and 2 sunbeds
• Shared small communal room : library with books in English, French and German.

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