Townhouse on Mediterranean sea

Marseillan on Etang De Thau 

Marseillan is a port-town on the Étang de Thau, the inland sea between Beziers and Montpellier both of which have airports. Like Marseille it was founded by Greco-Phoenicians attracted by salt. Today it is a popular tourist destination offering miles of sandy beaches along the coast nearby, oyster and mussel fishing in the Etang with some diving for clams. The surrounding land has vineyards and the maison ‘Noilly Prat’ in the heart of the town producing the famous French vermouth, open for guided tours. The enchanting port has many restaurants and boutiques and the main town all amenities and fascinating little streets dating from early centuries. The Étang is ringed with villages from Agde where the Canal du Midi reaches its final destination from the Atlantic coast, continuing around to Sète, France’s ‘Venice’ on the Mediterranean sea opposite Marseillan. There are varied museums, one showcasing all the treasures dredged up from the river Herault or in the Étang,, a roman villa with amazing mosaic floors, one the original site of dinosaur eggs and prehistoric remains, history and traditions of the area. Flamingos come and go in migration around Marseillan and are a familiar sight along with other coastal birds. There is a sailing school for children.

Further afield are villages like Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, or La Couvertoirade with the label of ‘one of the most beautiful villages in France’and the countryside with natural wonders like the Cirque de Navacelles or the Chaos of Montpellier le vieux. Whether you like rugged country, wine tasting or water sports you can satisfy all tastes in this region.

Townhouse in Villeréal (Lot-et-Garonne)

Villereal is a bastide town founded by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1269 and the market has been held every Saturday since then. As one of the ‘most beautiful villages in France’ it has medieval streets and remnants in the architecture and a magnificent market place and fortified church. It is a dynamic town with all amenities, a theatre festival, a jazz festival, a bodega, a day devoted to horses with events in the hippodrome and blessing of the horses in the town. It is close to other medieval villages such as Monflanquin, Monpazier, Issigeac, Cadouin and with easy access to all of the sites of the Dordogne and Lot et Garonne, castles such as Castelnaud, Bonaguil, sites like La Roque Sainte Christophe, Lascaux and Les Eyzies, towns such as Sarlat. The soft painters light of the undulating countryside with vineyards of the Bergerac region, sunflowers and prune orchards make walking, cycling or riding wonderful discovery days. The closest international airport is Bergerac at thirty kilometres and both Bordeaux and Toulouse are around two hours away.