|
|
Banyuls sur Mer - a jewel of a seaside town
Banyuls sur Mer is a real jewel of a seaside town, set against the fabulous backdrop of hills, vineyards and the snow-tipped Pyrénées. The coastline here is one of the prettiest of Mediterranean France, and the southern climate ensures that there is almost endless sunshine in any season. Banyuls is an attractive town too, with a pretty harbour, fishing boats and red-roofed houses nestling shambolically into the hillsides.
|
Banyuls sur Mer is a Catalan town
Banyuls sur Mer is very much a town that reflects its heritage and place as a French Catalan town, rather than a simply French one. Catalan culture is reflected not only in the language and dialect spoken by the locals (although almost all speak French too), but also in the cuisine, which has distinctly Spanish overtones. There are also Catalan dances and musical celebrations to enjoy.
|
Sea or wine, sir?
In Banyuls sur Mer you can take your choice, whether you prefer the exciting water sports on offer here, such as scuba diving (plongée) and windsurfing, or whether your idea of heaven is to relax with a glass of a superb locally produced wine. Oh… and the seafood is excellent too. There are plenty of bars and restaurants around this little town where you can enjoy these things, but some do close for the winter, when the town seems to fall asleep, perhaps resting up before the onslaught of activity that comes with the summer.
|
Out and about
There are lots of places to visit within easy reach of Banyuls, and these include Perpignan, capital city of Roussillon, and off course, the beautiful Spanish city of Barcelona, which is only a stone's throw away. You can explore the lovely villages along this stretch of coast, including the delightful anchovy and artist's town of Collioure, the popular seaside resort of Argeles sur Mer, and the resorts of the Spanish Costa Brava. Do some Euro-saving shopping in the border town of La Jonquera... not a beauty spot but great for paella pots, spices, sunglasses and all manner of wines and spirits!
|
Sports for all
Banyuls sur Mer is a great place for sea sports, and scuba divers in particular head for its lovely calm waters every year as soon as the seas begin to warm up in about April. The beaches are clean and pretty, great for swimming and safe for children. The mountains offer a whole different range of activities too, with ski resorts within reach in winter and climbing, canyoning, hiking and mountain biking up for grabs in summer.
|
How to get there
Perpignan is the nearest airport, and has flights from the UK with Ryanair and bmibaby. Girona and Carcassonne are also nearby, both served by Ryanair. The TGV runs to Perpignan from Paris, which makes train travel a breeze, and you can even continue on down to the Spanish resort of Figeres, or to the great city of Barcelona.
|
Property prices and availability in and around Banyuls sur Mer
Banyuls sur Mer isn't the cheapest place to buy property in France, but in terms of Mediterranean property it offers much better value for money than Provence and the Riviera, just to the east. It is also less expensive than the property to be found on the Spanish coast, just across the border. Types of property vary with modern villas, ancient village houses and country wine growers' houses all available at various times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
BANYULS SUR MER AT A GLANCE |
|
 |
|
|
HOTELS IN BANYULS SUR MER
* online booking & great prices
* up-to-the-minute availability
* unbiased hotel reviews
* full confirmation with directions |
|
|
|
|
|
AGENTS WITH PROPERTY IN THIS AREA |
|
|
|
4/5