The Aude is a department that fits into a day's drive and that you never finish exploring: the Mediterranean and its sandy beaches, the vineyards and garrigue of the Corbieres, the castles of Cathar country and, further off, the Pyrenees and their fir forests. Villa Container Fitou sits at the southern edge of all this, ten minutes from the sea, with the heated pool to come home to.
The sea: sandy beaches and lagoons
From the terrace, you can see the Leucate lagoon and the Mediterranean. The Fitou lake and the beach are less than ten minutes away. The long sandy beaches of La Franqui, Leucate and Port-Leucate are fifteen minutes away, those of Narbonne-Plage and Gruissan half an hour. The cliffs of Cap Leucate and its lighthouse overlook the coast; the protected La Palme lagoon is the kingdom of flamingos and windsurfers.
Cathar country and the nature reserves
Fitou has its own castle, visible from the village, and the Narbonnaise regional nature park, by the Mediterranean, starts right here. Aguilar castle is twenty-five minutes away, Queribus forty-five, Peyrepertuse and the Galamus gorges an hour. For nature: the Sainte-Lucie nature reserve at Port-la-Nouvelle, the Sigean African Reserve, l'Île de l'Aute, and the Corbieres hiking trails between vineyards, garrigue and limestone ridges. The Fitou vineyards, the oldest red appellation in the Languedoc, can be visited on foot from the villa.
The Pyrenees and the fir forests
In an hour and a quarter, you are in the upper Aude valley: the forêt des Fanges, one of the finest fir forests in France, above Quillan and Axat, the Pierre-Lys gorges, the Sault plateau. In an hour and forty minutes, the Catalan Pyrenees resorts, Font-Romeu and Les Angles, with skiing in winter and mountain lakes in summer, and the Catalan Pyrenees regional nature park. The same week, you can swim in the sea and walk under the firs.
The villa
An architect-designed villa of 130 sqm built from recycled containers, four bedrooms, eight beds, an open fitted kitchen, two terraces, a pool heated all year round, sea view. Wifi, air conditioning, a workspace, dogs welcome. Direct booking, no commission.
See also: the sea view villa near Leucate, the skiing holidays at Font-Romeu and the Sigean African Reserve.