Pool at Villa Le Catas                                                          Vineyard 5 mins walk away
                                                                                                         (unfortunately no wine to buy though)

Villa Le Catas - a slice of tranquility in the Midi Pyrenees. A peaceful, rural, rustic retreat.
A place to allow you to totally unwind,relax and just enjoy the beautiful views 

Location

From Toulouse Airport you head North east
It takes approximately 90 minutes to get to Villa Le Catas (further details will be sent to you)
Villa Le Catas is approximately 5 km from Cordes sur Ciel, a bastide town and an immensely popular holiday destination and tourist attraction

Brief description of Villa Le Catas

Totally isolated,Villa Le Catas stands in its own grounds of 4 acres, most of which is woodland with Oak trees.

The nearest house is about a 5 minute walk away.

Approached over a lovely brick paved driveway, the Villa is a single storey property with a wrap around verandah - perfect for sitting under in the shade and soaking up the amazing view from this lofty perch. The full length windows allow you to take it all in even whilst having breakfast! Because the sun is never directly on the rooms, even on the hottest day, the inside of Villa Le Catas is cool and tranquil.

Villa le Catas has 2 excellent sized double bedrooms and the facility for a further single bed in one of the rooms to sleep the 5th person.

An open plan living/dining/kitchen area. Rustic wooden bespoke kitchen with plenty of storage.

Family bathroom with bath,enclosed shower(with water jets) his and her sinks and a further toilet in the inner hallway with wash hand basin.

Villa Le Catas also has a large well maintained (weekly in the summer season) pool. Not heated but the swimming pool is plenty warm enough due to the day long sun it receives.
There is a wood burning stove but, take it from us, it will be the last thing you will need in the summer!

Please note...dog(s) by prior arrangement only (please email or ring us) and no children under the age of 14 please.

Nearest town (and the nearest shopping facility)

Cordes-sur-Ciel (Cordes in the clouds) approximately 5 kilometres from the villa (about 10-15 minute drive)

Cordes sur Ciel is a very pretty bustling Bastide tourist town in the summer season, but with shops and bars open throughout the year also.
Lovely Pâtisserie(cake shop) and a superb Boulangerie(bakers shop) but get there early if you want the best choice of bread - it disappears quickly! 

Old Cordes is either about a 20 - 30 minute hard climb up cobbled streets or a 5-10 minute ride in the small train up to a beautiful tree lined cobbled Square with views over the surrounding countryside.The character of the old town has been retained, yet it bustles with shops selling local food and crafts and a large choice of restaurants. Views from the top are wonderful and the square is shady with trees and stone seating areas.

Shopping

Cordes has 2 very well stocked supermarkets (both of which are gradually stocking more and more 'English' food!
Also 2 super bread and cake shops (boulangerie). One in the centre where you can have coffee too and the other a matter of 100 metres away - this one has the most gorgeous croissants, but as with any of these shops, they open early and close at lunchtime, so get there early if you want a good choice!
Remember the siesta time though - all shops(apart from the coffee shop) close from around 12ish until about 3pm.They may start to change this gradually for the summer months though.
On Bank Holidays (and it seems on virtually anything resembling a holiday!) all the shops shut. This is the same throughout most of France. So check whether there are any holidays during your planned stay and buy food etc accordingly.
A local open air market takes over the village square one day a week on a Saturday - lots of local produce and the hustle and bustle of the real France.Please note parking and driving around Cordes on that day could be very stressful!
See chart for information on market days in the Tarn area

Eating out

There are a variety of eating places in Cordes and towns within a half hours drive for a change of scenery and menu!
St Antonin Noble Val, a very pretty tourist town approximately 25 mins drive away has a great open air Pizza restaurant for the summer months. Get there early though as it's very popular.
Cordes does have a super coffee shop (which is actually the Pâtisserie) right in the centre where the 4 roads to the town meet. Great coffee and almost always a seat somewhere for you to sit & watch! Open from approximately 7am until early evening only though.Sandwiches/quiches served all day.

The pub opposite does a mean Stella Artois at reasonable prices! It has a restaurant and does a variety of foods.

Vegetarian? France is not renowned for catering to vegetarians! However, there are wide choices of Pizza and you can 'mix and match' items on the menu to suit.

Weather

Have a look at this link for a 10 day weather forecast for Cordes-sur-Ciel (5 km away) so you can help plan your days in the sun...

Some pictures for you

Scroll down for some photos of Villa Le Catas and decide if it's for you!

    
          Entrance porch and patio                          Watch the world go by (Cordes sur Ciel)

                                   Looking from pool towards Villa                                      Pool bathed in early morning mist
                                                                                           

  
    Living/Dining room at Le Catas                             Patio looking towards main gate

Click  here  for Ruud and Phyllis Dijkmans Estate Agency website DISC

A little about the Midi Pyrenees

The Midi Pyrenees is (more to follow)