Lagoon and sea views from the heart of the village of Bages between Narbonne
About
A beautiful and historic stone house that has been lovingly renovated while retaining its authentic French style. It stands in the very best spot on the main square (along with the café/boulangerie/épicerie) in the picturesque Mediterranean fishing village of Bages, situated between vineyards, salt-water lagoons and sea. The house overlooks the village square and rooftops with views from every bedroom and from the roof terrace to the sparkling water of the Étang de Bages (lagoon) and the Mediterranean beyond. We fell in love with the French style and character of this house the very first time we saw it as well as the friendliness of the village and we are sure you will too; it is the perfect place to relax, switch off and enjoy a taste of the very best of France and French village life but also close to Narbonne, Perpignan, Collioure, Spain and Barcelona and a large choice of beaches plus every activity on land or on water. The house is tucked away in the prettiest part of the village, peaceful and calm but with everything you need on the doorstep; watch the sun rise over the water from the terrace, then pop across the square for your morning baguette and stop by the café to enjoy a petit crème with your croissant. There is every activity close by; fantastic walking, beautiful cycle trails, sailing, windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, rowing, fishing, bird watching (the region is famous for its bird life and flamingos), tennis, wine tasting, beaches, historic chateaux and cities – or just sit and enjoy the views and soak up the atmosphere of this friendly and authentic fishing village in the perfect climate of this part of the south of France. Bages is that very rare thing, an unspoiled, authentic and picturesque Mediterranean fishing village in the Languedoc-Roussillon (now Occitanie) situated between vineyards, lagoons and sea but that is utterly untouched by mass tourism and has managed to retain its traditional feel and way of life despite being just 15 minutes from Narbonne and on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Languedoc coast. One of the prettiest villages in the region, Bages dates from the 11th Century and is situated in the beautiful wine-growing area of Corbières, overlooking a vast lagoon, part of the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée natural park and home to flocks of pink flamingos and an extraordinary assortment of birds (350 species have been spotted here). There is still a small fishing industry here and the village is famous for eels, sold in nearby Narbonne and exported all over the world. It is an idyllic location in a wild, picturesque and lightly populated pocket of the otherwise crowded Mediterranean French coast and with over 300 days sunshine a year and temperatures constantly above 30o for four months every summer. (N.B Bages, our village has the postcode 11100 and is in the Aude – do not confuse with Bages in the Pyrenees Orientales, postcode 66670, which is further south and inland.) The landscape all around is a spectacular mix of salt water lakes, sea, mountains, islands, lagoons, flora and fauna and vineyards covering 12,000 hectares of protected natural park. This provides a unique landscape and offers a wealth of outdoor activities for holidaymakers. You can walk around parts of the 75km Gulf Path, cycle along the numerous cycle paths, swim, sail, kayak, windsurf, kite surf, fish, row to the islands, spot flamingoes, herons, cormorants, storks, visit local vineyards for a wine tasting or just sit on the terrace and enjoy the views and the peace. It is the perfect place to stop, switch off, relax and re-connect. The village itself sits in a protected rocky outcrop with spectacular views over the water; an utterly peaceful oasis of calm. In the village, everything you need is close at hand; there are two restaurants plus a third restaurant/café/epicierie/ with organic fruit and vegetables, fresh bread and general supplies. Thanks to its picturesque setting and charm, the village also attracts artists and there are a couple of lovely art galleries. A cycle ride away in Peyriac de Mer (6km) are more restaurants, a small supermarket, chemist and a choice of viticultures with wine tasting. The cycle tracks are spectacular and a great way to see the numerous birds on and around the lagoon. Across from Peyriac is the hidden beach of Doul and swimming here in the little Etang de Doul near Peyriac is an interesting experience as the water is 43% salt, similar to the Dead Sea. In Bages itself, you can rent out kayaks, dinghys or windsurfers at La Bateautheque and explore the lagoons or cycle around the water to the sailing club La Nautique where there are bigger boats, sailing and windsurfing lessons and another good restaurant. For something entirely different, just 15km to the south of Bages is the Sigean African Safari park with over 3,500 different animals and a great day out. Location is everything and Bages has so much on its doorstep; national park, historic towns