Polfages French Gites between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, Aude, France - Mazamet Reviews

We enjoyed a wonderful week at Polfages. The property has been beautifully renovated to a very high standard, with all mod cons. It was great having Andrew and Jo on site, who were attentive, without being intrusive, always there if we needed anything and very knowledgable about the area. We were a little unfortunate with the weather, but this didn't stop us exploring the area, including Mirepoix (pretty medieval town about 15 minutes drive), Carcassonne (Hilltop, walled town, 45 mins drive) and we even ventured as far as Narbonne Plage in search of the sunshine one day! All in all a lovely week and we would definitely recommend the property to a friend/relative.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Polfages. We received a really friendly welcome when we arrived early evening. The owners live in the complex and were extremely hospitable and helpful throughout our stay. We had a fantastic week, it was relaxing, peaceful, beautiful everywhere we visited. The roads were so clear and lovely to drive along which added to our relaxing holiday! The swimming pool was a lovely temperature and our 6 year old daughter had a wonderful time playing and learning new things in the pool. The two dogs belonging to the owners were lovely to have around and again our daughter really enjoyed playing with them when they were around. The accommodation is fantastic, it has all been completely renovated over the last couple of years and is very tastefully decorated with all the facilities needed, including WiFi! There were a few essentials in our fridge upon arrival which helped us out! The supermarkets are quite far to drive to so I would advise visiting one before driving to Polfages. There is a fridge and small freezer so we would advise buying icecream of some sort!!😊 also we would encourage you to have bug spray, there were not many bugs around but it is nice to have the windows open at night. 😃.....oh and the shower was amazing!!

This was our second visit to Polfages, we came back because of the quality and locations of the gites and were not disappointed. The gite we stayed in this time was up to the same high standard and I had forgotten how great the views were. We took advantage of the newly offered option of meals and really enjoyed the range and style of cooking. Its not often something is better the second time around, however this holiday was.

Upon first sight of Pol-Fages it is easy to understand why people fall in love with the place, it's mix of different landscapes is quite mesmerising - the snow capped Pyrenees a perfect backdrop for the rolling fields which change colour through the season. These French Gites have been lovingly restored to a superb standard providing modern facilities yet in a style sympathetic to its surroundings.

From the moment you are welcomed by Andrew, Jo, Jasmine and the extended canine family members Rufus, Carmen, and Dipstick you know you're in good hands as nothing is too much trouble.

I spent a week in the 2 bed Gite Calmont which was immaculately presented and had the added bonus of Wi-Fi and English television channels for those who wish to keep in touch with events at home.

Equally, you can also just switch off and spend all week relaxing in the grounds, visiting the chickens / goats, or lounging by the pool or terrace.

The choice is yours - you can even send your grocery list in advance via the web site so your favourite items can be in your Gite on arrival.

If you do want to explore I would recommend to visit Mirepoix with it's 10th Century half timbered buildings and the medieval city of Carcassonne complete with it's own fortress.

When the sightseeing is done you can arrange as I did, to sample some of the seasonal menus on offer back at Pol-Fages, all sourced locally with vegetables, herbs, salad and eggs on site - I can vouch for the moules marinere and caramel cheesecake which are to die for!

In fact, the only positive thing I found about leaving the place was by the time I'd said goodbye to all my new human and furry friends it reduced the time until I can return.

We stayed in Pol-Fages for a couple of days on our way back home from Spain.

It was our first time in the area.

We were welcomed by Jo, Andrew, their daughter and three lovely dogs. They became our children's (5 and 7) best friends.

The house was really welcoming and very spacious for a family of 4. It was fully equipped and clean linnen/towels were provided by our hosts.

Dinner was provided on our first evening. The home-made pizza's were delicious!

Andrew also insisted to make us a Belgian dish on the eve of our national holiday and it was fantastic. He really is a great cook!

We were given a folder with a lot of information on the area and a lot of visiting-tips. They were very handy.

Pol-Fages is really beautiful. The view at the back of the house is amazing!

The boys really enjoyed running around the big garden and playing in the swimming pool. In the meantime, we could relax and enjoy the view.

Pol-Fages will definately be an annual stop when we pass through France!

One of the prettiest locations we have found in our years visiting France, perched on a hilltop, surrounded by rolling countryside and mountain views to the North and South. We loved Polfages so much last year, that we immediately re-booked for summer 2016 upon returning to England, and will be booking flights and organising diaries for summer 2017 before someone else gets in there first.

We absolutely love staying at Mazamet, and once again the place was beautifully clean, well decorated and stocked ready for our visit. The gite is so relaxing and calm, and we love the views from the bedrooms particularly waking up to sunshine coming through the shutters. It is very useful having three bathrooms, and all the rooms are a very good size with very comfy beds and lots of towels and everything required for a comfy stay.

The kitchen has everything you need to cook every day, the children enjoyed the pizzas made by Andrew and Jo and especially the baking and puddings on offer. The weather was glorious we spent most of the week by the pool and in the garden, but we enjoyed our daily drive to Mirepoix for provisions, and we did drive to Lac Montbel one day to swim in the lake and sit on the beach, so well worth a visit and probably only 40 minutes’ drive from the house.

Castelnaudaray is well worth a visit and the drive there is very pretty. My husband spent all week cycling and hired his bike from a local company which for the second year has been excellent with the bike being dropped off and picked up from the house. Andrew was very kind again to take delivery of this for us on the day before we arrived. We didn’t do as many day trips this year, but Carcassonne is lovely, as well as Narbonne and a trip to the Plage. We watched the Medieval procession in Mirepoix which was very authentic, and some amazing costumes, music and street acts.

The boys loved meeting Dip Stick and talked about nothing else for the last year but Carmen and Rufus and Sebastian (please get another guinea pig before next summer?!), as well as wanting to see Andrew and Jo again and take advantage of their wonderful hospitality. Andrew and Jo are so welcoming and helpful and nothing is too much for them, to ensure you enjoy your stay in their beautiful home. We can’t wait until 2017 when we can return again.

We absolutely love Polfages and everything that this wonderful place brings. Our third family visit in three consecutive years and we will book again very soon for next year. Thank you Jo and Andrew and Jasmine and all the animals for another perfect holiday. This gorgeous place has so much to offer with its countryside location, great weather, 360 degree views, easy access to the sea and mountains, brilliant amenities and amazing hosts to name but a few things.

We visited Ax-Les-Thermes which we would recommend as the drive itself is beautiful to the Pyrenees, and the thermal baths are well worth a visit. Our two sons (8 years old) enjoyed the hot baths, even though they couldn't dive bomb in them! We made another trip to Lac de Montbel which being only about 40 minutes away is a lovely lake to spend time on the beach and in the water. It is easier to drive to the North part than the South.

Another day trip was to a lake just south west of La Cite in Carcassonne which is amazing for children with lots of inflatables, slides, zip wires and so much more. Definitely recommend going and will be returning next year for a full day and take a picnic.

Belpeche is a lovely village nearby with a fab bakers and butchers and I am told you can canoe on the river from there. Mirepoix market is definitely worth a visit on a Monday as they sell absolutely everything!

This is a quiet, rural location and you definitely need a car to explore, but as a family we cycled, walked and ran around the local area and this is probably our favourite area of France having visited quite a few over the years. There are lots of day trips to do in the area, of if you like sunbathing then the garden and pool are perfect and have the most amazing views.

Thanks again to the Frith family and we miss Carmen, Rufus and Dipstick and the boys want to Facetime the dogs and cats!!! See you in 2018!

We stayed at Polfage for 7 months and loved the accommodations, the environment and Jo and Andrew who introduced us to so many things and people. It was our first long term let in France, and left such an impression on us. Our dogs miss their dogs and our daily walks down the road with the view of the Pyrenees and the rolling hills, was incredibly wonderful.

This was our second visit to Polfage, again in Gite Mazamet. Standard of the accommodation still very high, with a huge warm welcome form Andrew and Jo. Andrew has a great philosophy of 'our guests may only have 1 holiday a year, and if that's with us we need to get it right'. We love staying here! This year we went on trips to Ax les Thermes to the hot spring pools, Lac Montbel (hire an electric boat), car safari at Sigean (tip: go at 4pm when the animals have woken up), Space museum in Toulouse, Fontfroid Abbey. I can also highly recommend a visit to the inflatables at Carcassone Plage and a walk around the city walls at Carcassone Cite. On departure day we drove down to Girona via the Pyrenees which was amazing! Thanks to Andrew's friend for that tip!

We'll definitely be back. Thank you Andrew, Jo and Jasmine for such amazing holiday memories xxxx

The day before we were due to arrive at the villa, we received at lovely phone call from Andrew informing us that the local supermarket was not open on a Sunday. He even offered to do a small initial shop for us for convenience sake. The beautiful views and countryside are clearly visible on the drive up the road towards the villa, where upon arrival Andrew was waiting to greet us and show us around our Gite. We were pleasantly surprised by our accommodation, it was superbly decorated and well furnished; keeping to its rustic features which added great character to our 2 week stay. The fruit bowl was full, complementary wine was in the fridge and tea & coffee was supplied along with other various cleaning and cooking items (which were of high quality). Our next surprise was the care and attention Jo and Andrew gave to the 3 bedrooms. All were accompanied by a shower/bathroom which were all fitted to a high standard. The beds were VERY comfortable which came with both a duvet and blanket to accommodate for general sleeping comfort. The TV came with satellite which included the majority of all UK TV channels. The lounge area was very spacious with double french doors over-looking the excellent views. The patio was private and came with a BBQ and outdoor furniture and led onto the spacious garden and the pool. The pool itself was a generous size and was still useable during the September months. The poolside had sheltered areas for windy days along with sun loungers and seating areas all of which overlooked the views.

An added bonus for us (as dog lovers) were the two friendly and lovable dogs, Rufus and Carman. Which we allowed into our Gite on a daily basis, and they were very obedient and no hassle whatsoever. All the linen was changed half way through our stay.

Andrew was always on hand to advise and care for us whenever we needed. We regularly approached him for ideas for days out and he never failed to help us with navigation, especially on the way to Andorra.

The convenience of the location includes a 15 minute drive to the local supermarket and the local market square. 20 minutes away are also various activities including Go Karting and Horse Riding, other more adventurous activities can be located in Toulouse which is only just over an hour away.

We advise booking through their personal website rather than comparison site.

It you are looking for a farm like, rustic feel to your french holiday this is the place for you. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!