Beautiful location, well equipped and spacious
Submitted: September 6, 2011
Stayed: August 2011
Have just returned from a two week holiday here with my husband and two sons and my brother and his family. It's a beautiful location, on the edge of a sleepy village but near enough to essentials such as restaurants and supermarkets not to feel too isolated.
The villa is spacious and well equipped with everything you need for your stay. With 7 people staying - 4 adults, 2 teenagers and a 12 year old, we never felt cramped or crowded. The pool was a godsend as we had weather that was far hotter than we were expecting (high 30's). The pool kept our 3 boys entertained and was a welcomed cooling off for the adults. The upstairs bedroom did get a little hot, even with the provided fan and some nights were a little on the sticky side, but that is hardly a complaint!!!
The surrounding area is stunning and full of things to do. The cathar castles are beautiful, particularly Mont Secur which is in a spectacular location and truly breathtaking, well worth the effort of the hike up. We thoroughly recommend hiring a canoe or kayak at Alet les Bain, itself a very picturesque village, and paddling along the River Aude. And everyone should experience the journey to Quillan both for it's spectacular mountain scenery and the tight bends of the road down into the town!
There are plenty of places to eat in the nearby villages, we found the local restaurant Moulin L'Eveque very good and the tucked away Stella Pizza restaurant in Chalabre is a rare experience in itself with surprisingly good pizza and pasta dishes available.
Excellent local wine, the locally produced sparkling Blanquette de Limoux is great, cheap and satisfyingly fizzy and at around 5 euros a bottle it would be rude not to drink it! There are plenty of places to sample it on the way to Limouxand the other side of Quillan, look out for the 'degustation' signs at the side of the road.
Great area for walking too and a number of signed walks initiate in the village of Rivel itself.
All our dealings with the owner have been an absolute pleasure from start to finish. We were given lots of useful information before we left, including advice on our journey to the house from the airport and thoughtful advice and consideration to our shopping needs on arrival as we were a late Saturday flight into Montpellier.
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and left very reluctantly and greatly relaxed. It's certainly somewhere I will return to, would love to see the area in the Winter months. Thanks again for a really great hol
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
People with Disabilities,
Romantic Getaway
Owner's Response: So pleased you had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday, and loved the area.
The weather was much hotter than normal during your stay. It's usually beautiful in August but high 30's is rare as the climate is tempered by the nearby mountains which is why everywhere is so green.
There is so much to see and do in the vicinity, I'm still finding different places after several years. Hope to see you again soon - maybe you could try the ski-ing at Mont D'Olmes !!
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