Le Chat Qui Rit - Village Holiday Cottage in Perillos, near Perpignan, South West France

Local Attractions

We are situated in Opoul is a friendly, sleepy village where time seems to stand still. The village is crowned by the ruins of an ancient château, which dominates the local landscape and gives a hint of more turbulent times.

The gîte is close to the village centre with close access to the local amenities. There is a post office and two bars, both of which serve meals at different times by arrangement. Usefully, one bar also acts as a boulangerie , a source of entertainment on Sunday mornings when most of the village seems to congregate there. The owner, Laurent, has recently opened a general store opposite, where most fundamentals can be found. The other bar, Le Lèzard, is staffed by a mother and son team, Christanne and somewhat suprisingly, Dylan, both of whom speak excellent English and promise a warm welcome should you choose to patronise them!

A small local market trades here twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays. Further afield, a number of large hypermarkets provide for your every need and can be reached in about twenty minutes.

The nearby villages of Fitou, Vingrau and Tautavel all have several restaurants and the town of Rivesaltes is large enough to have most amenities and hosts a produce market in the main square once a week on Mondays. The entire region is peppered with wine producers and well worth a visit!

Perpignan lies within half an hour's drive and is the region's capital. Here you will find all manner of amenities, as befits a capital city and more than enough to satisfy the whims of the shopaholic!

Twenty minutes away you will find uncrowded, unspoilt beaches with vast stretches of golden sand and plenty of free parking. Numerous restaurants are open during the high season.

The Pyrénées, clearly visible from the village, are about an hour's drive away, offering endless opportunities for outdoor activities from cycling and mountain climining to skiing in the winter months.

Further afield is the Spanish frontier (about 45 minutes). Without going into too much detail, The Gallery of Salvador Dali is housed in Figueres, just over an hour away.

There is such a wealth of activities to be found in the area that it's difficult to do justice to each one. Within the village there is a pony trekking centre, it's possible to go cycling or mountain biking, wine tasting or touring, walking or rambling in the Corbières, or the Pyrénées on one of the GRs, on one of the local randonées, or perhaps the Sentier Cathar.

Painting and photography is also very popular in the vicinity of the village, with several artists living locally and displaying their work in Le Lizard.

Water sports of all sorts may be found in the Mediterranean resorts and canyoning, canoeing and white water rafting may be found at several locations in the near Pyrénées.

Climbing is very popular in the area. Very locally, the cliffs near the Chateau ("Les falaises d'Opoul") are frequently used by several groups and together with those near Vingrau enthusiasts are provided with plenty of opportunities to hone their skills.

Via Ferrata sites can be found in several locations, notably the village of Llo in the Pyrénées, where conveniently, it runs alongside a thermal spa. More locally, on the outskirts of St-Paul-de-Fenouillet,on the D619, another centre also offers equipment hire.

In terms of sightseeing, the choices are endless. Collioure in the south west of the region, buzzes with activity at the height of the season. Its medieval streets, which manage to compliment the tiny harbour, thronged with sightseers and visitors hoping to lunch at one of the many street cafés where one can chat or simply watch the world go by.

Céret is host to the Museum of Modern Art and is also the place from whence cherries derive their name.

Perpignan, which was once the principal city of the Kingdom of Majorca, has many historical sites worth visiting, notably the Palais des rois de Majorque.