The South of France is not only the Riviera. West of Provence, the Mediterranean coastline carries on towards Spain, and the Languedoc keeps the same sea and the same light with its villages, its vineyards and its long sandy beaches, at a gentler pace. Fitou, in the Aude, sits exactly there, between the Corbieres hills and the sea, with the Spanish border about an hour away. Villa Container Fitou stands on the heights of the village, a holiday villa with a heated pool and a sea view, built from recycled shipping containers by an architect.
A pool heated twelve months a year
Most villas in the South of France close their pool from October to May. Here, the pool is heated all year round and covered by a sliding terrace outside swimming hours. Spring and autumn breaks keep their swims, and a winter week in the southern sun comes with a warm pool and a sea view. The sliding terrace also secures the pool for families with children.
Space for eight, and the sea from every room
The villa offers 130 sqm on one level: four bedrooms sleeping eight (three double rooms, one child's room with a trundle bed), each with its own view over the hills or the sea, and an open living space with a fitted kitchen facing the sunset. Outside, a raised wooden terrace with garden furniture overlooks the Leucate lagoon and the Mediterranean.
The Languedoc within reach
Perpignan airport is 25 minutes away. The lake, the beach and the sea are less than 10 minutes; the beaches of Leucate and La Franqui 15 minutes, with one of Europe's largest kitesurf spots. Narbonne is about twenty minutes, the medieval city of Carcassonne about an hour, Collioure 1 hr 30 and Barcelona 2 hours by road, and Cap d'Agde, one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean, is not far by motorway. The Fitou AOC winemakers' cellars are right by the villa, and the Corbieres trails start at the door. In winter, the Font-Romeu ski resort is 1 hr 40 away: the sea in the morning, the mountains in the afternoon.
Sandy beaches, a pleasant sea and boats
The beaches here are the wide, fine-sand Mediterranean beaches of Leucate, La Franqui and Port-Barcares, 15 minutes from the villa, with room to walk, swim and lie down. The sea warms up from late spring and stays mild into the autumn; when it is cooler, the villa's pool is heated all year round. On the water, there is a sailing school and boat hire at Leucate and Port-Barcares, on the lagoon or out at sea, jet ski, and cruises on the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi. And for the wind, Leucate is Europe's second largest kitesurf spot, host to the Mondial du Vent every spring, with the sheltered Fitou lake and La Palme lagoon for beginners.
Spain, the Pyrenees and Andorra next door
The Spanish border is about an hour by road, Collioure and the Vermilion Coast 1 hr 30, and Barcelona 2 hours: a day in Catalonia, Gaudi, the Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia, is an easy add-on to a week at the villa. On the mountain side, the Pyrenees and the Font-Romeu ski resort are 1 hr 40 away, and Andorra, 194 km away beyond them, a duty-free shopping paradise with its ski resorts, makes a day trip: the sea in the morning, the mountains in the afternoon.
Book direct, no commission
The villa is let directly, with no platform commission: the price shown is the price you pay, from 360 € per night depending on the month, with a 20 % increase on Friday and Saturday nights. Payment is secured by Stripe, 30 % deposit at booking, balance 30 days before arrival, no security deposit held. Pets are welcome.
See also: the villa near Perpignan airport, the heated pool villa in the Aude and the large villa for 8 guests.