Collioure, France
Self Catering Collioure Holiday Rental Villas and Apartments – Rent in France
Collioure is a pretty fishing town based in the Pyrenees-Orientales department and the Languedoc-Rouissillon region. It boasts a stunning Mediterranean setting halfway between Perpignan and the Spanish border. If you chose to stay in a Collioure rental villa, the proud locals will quickly tell you how it's the prettiest town on the Cote Vermeille and world famous for its light, sunsets and climate.
The beaches are flanked by a 13th Century Castle, Medieval church and pretty harbour. The ancient cobbled streets make for a charming relaxing meander when renting a holiday home in Collioure and you'll certainly never struggle for a good restaurant, as the saying goes, there's enough restaurants to eat quality food every day of your fortnight holiday without returning to the same one twice!
Henri Matisse once said “there's no blue sky such as the one in Collioure” and the Mediterranean climate is certainly very attractive. The surrounding area is renowned as the mildest of the whole of France with many weather sites claiming it has over 300 sunny days a year!
Matisse wasn't the only artist to love Collioure and with thirty art galleries, it's no wonder the town is still known as the“City of Painters”. Picasso, Dali and Chagil feature in Collioure's Museum of Modern Art and common picture themes were the colourful balconies, picturesque staircases, quaint fishing boats and the ancient fortifications.
Historically, Collioure was considered important due to its position at the mouth of the Mediterranean and so close to the Spanish border. Collioure Castle stands on ancient Roman ruins and it was the Court of Majorca that gave the town the layout it still has today. Certainly, the locals are very proud of the Catalan influence on their food. As well as their take on tapas, a “must-taste” in Collioure are the anchovies, the basis for many Catalan dishes.
Rising above Collioure are the Pyreneen foothills where the Grenache vine is still tended by hand. The locals are very proud of their AOC wines, including red, white and rose. There's a fresh produce and crafts market every Sunday and Wednesday and many festivals in July and August, the main one being the Festival of St Vincent in August, culminating in a magnificent firework display.
Travelling to your Collioure holiday villa or apartment - the best airport is Perpignan, a 30 minute drive away, with Ryan Air flying from the UK and Ireland, and from there you can choose either the train or a hire car. It's also possible to reach Collioure from Barcelona airport and the car journey from there is roughly two hours.
Collioure has a warm Mediterranean climate all year round. Collioure enjoys four distinct seasons, differentiated by mild changes to temperature.