Gite des Cathares

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Gite |1 bedroom |Sleeps 4

Couiza in Languedoc-Roussillon

From £204 per week

1 night minimum stay

Changeover flexible

4 out of 5

2 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Balcony/terrace, car not necessary, pets welcome

About the home

Couiza is a pretty village in the heart of Languedoc-Roussillon and is ideal for an active or family holiday. Couiza itself has 2 restaurants, 2 patisseries, a local shop, cafe and bar and is a short walk from markets, river swimming and beautiful landscapes. Gite des Cathares is well-equipped, beautifully decorated gite with a door opening onto the terrace. (This page describes the ground floor, there is also a 1st floor apartment which sleeps 6 and has a double and twin room). Please see our website for more information.

3 apartments; 2 sleep 4, 1 sleeps 6. Property can be rented as 1 unit.

4km from Gite des Cathares is Rennes-le-Chateau, former home of the famous priest Sauniere and said to contain buried treasure. Several beautiful lakes are a short drive away - in Arques, Montbel and Dhuilac and several castles dot the landscape. Other attractions near Couiza include walks, horse and bike rides, water sports including white water rafting. There is a dinosaur museum in Esperaza, a medieval events with jousing tournaments in the summer and a lively music and art scene. We are an hour away from the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean (near Perpignan and Narbonne) and also from ski resorts for winter vacations.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The holiday gite, Gite des Cathare in Couiza is hung with original art from 3 local artists and has a very well-equipped kitchen with oven, microwave, kettle, toaster, etc. and plenty of pots and pans. Bedding is included and towels are available for hire. Also included are ADSL Broadband Internet access, electricity, heating (with fans for the summer), tea and coffee and a final clean meaning the gite is lovely for the next holiday makers.

The spacious lounge has a sofa bed and comfortable chairs, with a door opening onto the terrace and the bedroom contains a king-sized bed and ample storage.

Further details outdoors:
The terrace of Gite des Cathare, Couiza looks over the river Salz and has seating for 8, with shade provided by a tree and plenty of flowers to add colour. A path from the terrace leads down to the river and a 10 minute walk along the river takes you a secluded swimming spot.

Further details

Gite des Cathares, the holiday accommodation in Couiza, Aude, is no-smoking, with the only exception being on the terrace. We speak both English and French and are on hand to answer any queries (we live a short drive away). Pets, children and babies are welcome and we can provide a cot, bedding, toys, plastic cutlery and crockery and a high-chair at no extra charge. We also provide books, leaflets about local attractions and a selection of games. Long term rentals available all year from €650 per month including bills.

Conditions

Prices are per apartment, per week (not per person). The price for the 1st floor apartment is €495 per week in peak season.

We accept bookings from any day to any day and proportional rates are available. We accept payment in Euros and British pounds by bank transfer, cheque or PayPal (a secure online payment system).

We offer great discounts (20-25% for bookings of 2 weeks or more) - please contact us for details.

An £80 or 110 Euros deposit per apartment per week secures your booking. Full payment is due eight weeks prior to the start of your holiday, or at the time of booking if it is within the eight week period.

Long term rentals available all year from €650 per month including bills.

Photos

 

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Holiday gite in Couiza, Languedoc-Roussillon with computer and art

 

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Ground floor bedroom with king-size bed

 

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Terrace of Gite des Cathares - Couiza, Languedoc-Roussillon

 

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Arques Chateau

The Languedoc-Roussillon / Aude region

Languedoc-Roussillon is a fascinating region of South France. Before the now famous crusade against the Cathars and the Templar Knights, it was a wealthy country in its own right, with a reputation for liberalism and tolerance.

There is something for everyone in the Languedoc, with 300 days of sunshine a year in which to enjoy the breath-taking scenery and thousands of miles of trails for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. There are castles and chateaux to visit, markets and restaurants, plus rivers, lakes and the sea for swimming and water sports in the summer and skiing in the winter.

Languedoc-Roussillon is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrénées Mountains and Couiza is based in department 11 (Aude), within Languedoc-Roussillon.

The Couiza area

Near to Couiza are the thermal spas of Alet les Bains and Rennes les Bains with outdoor swimming pools at a steady 30 degrees. There is river swimming in several spots up and down the river Salz, including one almost on our doorstep and another ten minutes walk away in a secluded spot. Locally, other water-sports include canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting and trout fishing (or tickling, if you prefer). There's pony-trekking on the local horses of the Camargue, golf and even a casino with piano bar, a dinosaur museum and a museum of hats, truly something for everyone!

East of Couiza is the forest of Arques and its swimming lake, to the West another two lakes, Montbel (pictured above), where you can wind-surf, canoe, kayak or hire pedalos and lake Puivert, which also has one of the most outstanding Cathare castles. The castles of the Cathars dot the beautiful valley of Aude from Narbonne to Foix, the evidence of a remarkable era in history is cast on the landscape in the form of ruins and forts standing proud on promontories around Couiza and the Cathare region. Casteland.com has information and photos on many of these castles.

The gite is 34 km from the medieval city of Carcassonne, in the heart of the Cathare region, famous for its walled city within a city. Carcassonne has many museums and historic monuments to visit. 8 km South of Couiza is the attractive market town of Quillan, which heralds the beginning of the climb into the Pyrenees and some amazing drives along roads hewn literally from the mountain side. Rock climbing, mountain walks and caving are all available in or near Quillan.

Just over an hour away to the East are huge swathes of beautiful Mediterranean beaches - plenty of room to find a secluded spot, should you so desire. If, however hotdogs, buckets and spades and cheeky postcards make your heart sing, Narbonne Plage will come high on your list of must sees. We also provide beach chairs which you're welcome to borrow for a trip to the seaside.

For winter holidays, the Pyrenees mountains have long been considered one of the top areas for skiing, with numerous ski resorts which also cater for other winter sports, including snow boarding, often in brilliant sunshine and always with awe-inspiring views.

Couiza nestles in the warm, temperate Aude valley, between Limoux and Quillan, which means that snow doesn't usually settle here, so if you're planning on a winter visit, you'll only need snow chains if you're going to go up into the mountains.

The nearest ski resort, 27 miles away, is Camurac, with 16 downhill pistes and 14 km of cross-country ski tracks. Buses go every half hour from Quillan during the skiing season. Slightly further afield are Puyvalador and Les Angles.

How to get there

What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Map showing the Couiza areaReset Map

The nearest airports to the holiday gite in Couiza are Carcassonne (34 km), Perpignan (60 km) and Toulouse (100 km), Montpellier (190 km) and Barcelona airport (270 km). There are regular flights to Carcassonne with RyanAir from London Stansted, Brussels, Dublin, East Midlands and Liverpool and flights to Perpignan from London Stansted, Birmingham, Southampton, Manchester, etc.

There is an aerobus service from Carcassonne which drops you at our door, or alternatively Couiza is on both a bus and train route. Couiza is between the towns of Quillan and Limoux and other nearby towns include Arques, Esperaza, Rennes-le-Chateau and Rennes le Bains. Please scroll down to visit the owner's website, which includes details of the local taxi service, aerobus and links to train timetables and airports, as well as a page of information on several local towns, walking, castles, lakes, river swimming, etc.

Activities near Couiza

Reviews

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

17 Oct 2011

“A perfect family holiday” We rented out all three flats for a holiday with our extended family. It was perfect for such a large crowd as all flats were accessible from the main hall and stairs. Each floor was beautifully decorated and furnished, the beds were comfy, and the kitchen facilities were excellent. We particularly valued the massive dining area in the first floor flat and the terrace outside, both of which could accommodate our large party of 17. The gite is well-sited in the centre of Couiza with pretty views across the river. Local shops were excellent. Of particular note are the markets twice a week with excellent veg and meat stalls, and the Huit a Huit which includes an amazing bakery and pattisserie. We should also mention the very friendly cafe where we watched the early matches of the Rugby World Cup - handshakes and free drinks all round for each successful try! Further afield the area has a lot to offer for all age groups. Families with children enjoyed the local Dinosaur Museum, rivers and lakes for swimming and recreation parks. Others in the group took advantage of the local kayaking and white water rafting opportunities, stunning walks, sightseeing and wine-tasting. The comfortable accommodation and range of activities on the doorstep or nearby made for a perfect family holiday.

07 Sep 2011

“Gite Des Cathares - A Gateway to Cathar Country” We stayed in the first floor apartment for 4 weeks & loved it! As it was just 2 of us we had plenty of space (it has 2 bedrooms & is advertised as being an apartment for 6) but 6 people in there would have been too crowded with only 1 bathroom & toilet. The apartment is light & airy & tastefully furnished. The fans provided were essential as it was very hot being August. The only downside to the apartment is that it sits on the main trunk road to the coast & traffic (particularly heavy lorries) thunders past virtually 24 hours a day. We found early mornings particularly noisy from around 5am. The other disappointment was the lack of outside space - the advert features a shared terrace but in essence this is tiny & as it comes straight off the ground floor Gite the people staying there tend to use it for their own personal space. However, the local park is close by & we tended to use that for lazy afternoons as it is very quiet & relaxing to sit by the river which runs through the park. Couiza itself is a charming local town & we enjoyed many relaxing visits to the local cafe/bar for coffee & drinks. Couiza is ideally placed to visit the Cathar countryside & we would highly recommend it as a holiday venue. We would also recommend Gite Des Cathares - despite the road noise! It is a lovely place to stay.

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

Reviews powered by

Guestbook for Gite des Cathares

Reviews of Gite des Cathare, Couiza. We have received the following reviews:

'Our experience here was exceptional - wouldn't dream of staying elsewhere in Southern France, and in particular, you were warm and welcoming!' Betsy, USA

'Felt 'at home' straight away. Gite clean, bright, colourful, with everything we could possibly want. Would have no hesitation in re-booking if we return to this area. Many thanks to you both for your hospitality.' John & Trisha, UK

'Good quality furniture and bedding. We really enjoyed our week; thank you for your hospitality.' Kathryn & David, France

'The space and open space makes this an outstanding accommodation. It is convenient to travel to other areas of South France and the Pyrenees. The people of the area were helpful, even though we did not speak French.' Tom & Joan, USA

'Many thanks for a tremendous holiday in a beautiful apartment.' John & Katie, UK

Rental prices

Prices for group size 4
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Winter	13 Jan 12	31 Mar 12	245€ 245	0-	0-	1 Week
April	31 Mar 12	28 Apr 12	295€ 295	0-	0-	Flexible
May	28 Apr 12	2 Jun 12	325€ 325	0-	0-	Flexible
June	2 Jun 12	30 Jun 12	345€ 345	0-	0-	Flexible
July	30 Jun 12	29 Jul 12	395€ 395	0-	0-	Flexible
August	29 Jul 12	1 Sep 12	475€ 475	0-	0-	Flexible
September	1 Sep 12	29 Sep 12	325€ 325	0-	0-	Flexible
October	29 Sep 12	3 Nov 12	295€ 295	0-	0-	Flexible
Winter	3 Nov 12	15 Dec 12	245€ 245	0-	0-	1 Week
Christmas & NY	15 Dec 12	5 Jan 13	345€ 345	0-	0-	1 Week
Winter	5 Jan 13	30 Mar 13	245€ 245	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Long term rentals available all year, for as little as €450 per month in winter (plus electricity but price includes all other bills and internet)

3 apartments; 2 sleep 4, 1 sleeps 6. Property can be rented as 1 unit (sleeps 14).

We offer a 20-25% discount for 2 week + holidays and great discounts for long-term winter lets and longer holidays (40% discount for 2 + months), please contact us for details.

We accept payment in pounds sterling or Euros by cheque, PayPal or bank transfer.

We are now offering long term furnished rentals, from €450 per month plus electricity. All other bills, including internet and taxe d'habitation are included.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Availability notes:

Given that the holiday gite has 3 floors, we only mark the gite as booked when all 3 floors are booked. Please contact us for a full holiday calendar.

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anway No. of adults No. of children Message * Email me special offers and holiday ideas T&Cs

2 years listed You are contacting David Woods Landline +33 468 748839 Mobile n/a Web Visit site Languages spoken The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2009. This gite has received 2 reviews from previous guests.