Here, water is everywhere, and it does not taste the same from one kilometre to the next: the fresh water of the lake, the brackish water of the lagoons where oysters grow, the salt water of the Mediterranean. Villa Container Fitou sits in the middle of all this, on the heights of the village, with the lagoon and the sea in view from the terrace.
The Fitou lake and the La Palme lagoon, ten minutes away
The Fitou lake lies below the village, less than ten minutes away: a calm stretch of water for children, with the sea just behind the sandbar. The La Palme lagoon, a protected and listed site, is the sporty spot of the area: paddleboarding, windsurfing, first kitesurf lessons on shallow water, and colonies of pink flamingos watched from the banks, all year round.
The Leucate lagoon and its oyster beds
The Salses-Leucate lagoon separates the village from the sea. It is an oyster-farming basin: the oyster tables can be seen from the road, and the producers' tasting huts, at the Grau de Leucate and Port-Leucate, serve the lagoon's oysters and mussels, facing the water, often with a glass of the local white wine. It is the quintessential midday outing, a quarter of an hour from the villa.
The Bages-Sigean lagoon and the Narbonnaise
To the north, the Bages-Sigean lagoon and the Narbonnaise en Mediterranee regional nature park form a landscape of lagoons, islands and fishing villages. Bages, Peyriac-de-Mer and its salt pans, the Ile de l'Aute, the Sainte-Lucie nature reserve at Port-la-Nouvelle: flat loop trails along the water, perfect for a family morning. The Sigean African Reserve is right next door.
Lake Salagou, an hour and a half away
Further north, in the Herault, Lake Salagou is worth a day trip: a stretch of turquoise water ringed by red earth, the ruffe, scenery found nowhere else in France. Swimming, paddleboarding, walks around the lake and a detour to the Mourèze cirque and its rock formations. Allow about an hour and a half's drive from the villa. On the same route, the Thau lagoon and Bouzigues, the oyster capital of the Languedoc, are also worth a stop.
Back at the villa
After the salt water, the villa's pool heated all year round, secured by a sliding terrace, and the wooden terrace facing the sunset. A 130 sqm architect villa built from recycled containers, four bedrooms sleeping eight, an open fitted kitchen, wifi, air conditioning, dogs welcome. Direct booking, no commission.
See also: the Aude between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, the wine holiday in Fitou and the Sigean African Reserve.