Luxury Stone Built House with Large Pool

The Maison de Guardier details

Home description

What do you require from your holiday?

Whatever the season, if you are seeking to spend your holiday in a beautiful home with its own pool, in a tranquil location, in the mountains but close to the Mediterranean with 300 days of sunshine per year, Mas Cortal is for you. The owners and their two small friendly dogs live on the property and welcome guests and friends who appreciate and respect the special qualities of the house and its location.

The Mas is a stone built luxury House and is set, together with a separate Maison de Guardiér, a 40 ft Pool, in wooded gardens with outstanding south facing views of Mt. Canigou and the Pyrénées, near to Prades in the Languedoc Roussillon region of Southern France.

Mas Cortal is ideally located for spring blossom, summer sun, autumn colours and winter sports holidays or for longer house hunting trips.

Mas Cortal

Peace, tranquillity and a high level of comfort await you at this small estate overlooking Prades. Mas Cortal is conveniently situated for you to explore the Mediterranean (45 minutes), the mountains of the Pyrénées (on the doorstep) and Andorra (90 minutes). If you prefer history, architecture, cultural activities, shops and nightlife, you will find them all within easy reach.

Mas Cortal can accommodate up to six people in comfort. However the options are flexible with a variety of possibilities depending upon your requirements.  It comprises a self contained Pool Apartment with two double bedrooms and the 'Maison de Guardier' sleeping two comfortably - The Pool Apartment and Maison de Guardier can be rented separately or together.

Both properties have been recently renovated and finished to a standard you would not expect in the normal holiday home. This is not the normal holiday property!

An extensive refurbishment program was undertaken in 2002 to exacting standards. Only the highest quality furniture, furnishings and accessories have been used to create its individual style and character whilst continuing to reflect that of the owners. You will find both the day-to-day necessities as well as those 'little extras', like oriental rugs, ornaments, vases, books and pictures, that make such a difference between 'somewhere to stay', 'a home from home' and 'somewhere truly special'. The Mas is also built to make the most of the exceptional climate in that it is south-facing but due to the typical French design and construction it offers a beautifully cool interior if you wish to rest 'out of the midday sun'. For the very few 'winter weeks' the owners have used a combination of a large wood burning stove with ducted heating to the bedroom and reception areas combined with thermostatically controlled radiators to ensure year round comfort.

Mas Cortal Facilities

Additional Internal facilities

CD's, Books, Games, Oriental Rugs, Satellite TV, King Size Beds, All Linen, Bathrobes

Additional Facilities

Summer Kitchen, Barbecue, Multi-gym, Pool Towels, Poolside Power Shower,  Ironing facilities, Sunbeds and Mattresses, External Tables and Chairs

A laundry service can be provided upon request as can an iron and ironing board. Other optional extras include the ability to organise transport to and from local restaurants or concerts.

The Pool

How often can you swim in 'your own' luxury pool?

Imagine that 'first thing in the morning' refreshing swim before using the poolside power shower and then sitting down on a large, paved terrace for 'café et croissant'? All the time with an azure blue sky above framed by the brilliance of Mediterranean trees and listening to the exotic birds such as the 'Whoopoo'.

On the other hand after a hectic day sight-seeing how about a relaxing evening swim with underwater floodlights and terrace lanterns, followed by an aperitif and dinner by the pool.

The pool area is totally enclosed and has ample tables, chairs and sun beds. Both the large upper and lower terraces have dining tables allowing a choice of location for alfresco dining. The summer kitchen facilities are superb and include a large BBQ, American fridge freezer, hob, microwave and dishwasher.

Other poolside facilities include a power shower and gymnasium.

When only one group of guests are booked in, they will have exclusive use of the pool.

Grounds

The grounds have been fully landscaped including both oak and eucalyptus woods, a large lawn surrounded by clipped conifers, terraced shrubbery and a wide variety of conifers, flowering trees, shrubs and a rose garden. As you wander through this Mediterranean paradise you have spectacular views of Mount Canigou (2,785 meters) as well as finding shady places to sit and pass a pleasant few hours in tranquil surroundings.

Accommodation detail

Accommodation of Maison de Guardier - sleeps 2

Completely re-furbished recently, the Maison de Guardier is a separate, self-contained stone built house. Throughout the furniture and furnishings have been carefully co-ordinated and chosen for their quality and comfort. You will find both the day-to-day necessities as well as those 'little extras', such as oriental rugs, ornaments, vases, a CD player and pictures, that make such a difference between 'somewhere to stay' and 'a truly special home from home'. The construction of the cottage is such that it is wonderfully cool in summer yet it retains the warmth in the stone walls for the winter.

• Spacious lounge with wood burning stove and typically Catalan chimney opens directly onto a sunny, east-facing terrace, that benefits from the early morning sun all year round. It has been furnished in keeping with its cottage style and retains the original stone walls.
• Newly fitted kitchen has a full range of appliances for you to prepare your own meals should you wish to. There is a full size dining area with glazed French doors leading to its own south-facing patio.
• Large double bedroom upstairs, equipped with full size twin beds that can be securely joined together, including zipped mattresses, to create one super king sized double bed if required. As with the rest of the accommodation no expense has been spared in selecting the bedding and linens which are all of the highest quality. The double pine wardrobe, bedside cabinets and antique chest of drawers reflect the warmth of the natural stone walls and provide ample storage space for guests. Once again oriental rugs are scattered across the tiled floors providing both character and comfort under foot. If required there is ample room for a travel cot.
• En-suite shower room is completely tiled and comes with a WC, wash hand basin with a large, well lit vanity mirror and shaver point and a large, purpose-built, walk-in shower. Cupboard space is ample and there is, of course, a hairdryer. A separate, thermostatically controlled radiator doubles as a towel rail. The luxury continues with large, soft and absorbent towels and beautiful piqued cotton bathrobes. Separate pool towels are also provided.

The house is completely separate from the Mas and has an independent access to the pool, sun terrace, gymnasium and summer kitchen. External tables, chairs and parasol are provided on its private terrace.

About the location

Local Attractions

Department 66, The Pyrénées Orientals (PO), is the most southerly part of mainland France. The Conflent is a particularly special region within the PO. Shielded as it is in a microclimate, the area benefits from over 300 days a year of sun making it a 'year round' delight with long, bright sunny days, clear skies and snow glistening on the mountain peaks. So just where is this magical paradise?

• 2 hours flying time from the UK - Stanstead and many other UK airports
• 30 minutes from Perpignan
• 35 minutes from comprehensive winter sports facilities at Pyrénées 2000
• 40 minutes from the Spanish border
• 45 minutes from the Mediterranean beaches
• 50 minutes from the ski slopes of Font Romeu
• 1.5 hours from the tax free haven of Andorra
• 1.5 hours from the fortified town of Carcassonne
• 1.5 hours from Gerona
• 2.5 hours from Barcelona

The PO has had a chequered and interesting history that has shaped its people, art and gastronomy. A strong Spanish/Catalan influence can be seen from the colour of the flags, the construction of the buildings and the wide variety of food and drink.

Many bloody battles have been fought over this land resulting in a wide range of castles (notably those of the Cathares), forts and fortified towns such as Eus, Villefranche de Conflent and Carcassonne, all of which are well worth a visit.
There are many sites of natural interest, monasteries and priories, crafts and produce and activities to take part in if you want to soak up local history and countryside.

The dominant local attractions for many are the most obvious: the beaches, ports and water-based facilities provided by the Mediterranean and the walks, climbs, skiing and flora and fauna provided by the Pyrénées. We can provide you with a comprehensive catalogue of the well and lesser-known places that may be of interest to you. Whatever you want from your holiday, be it peace and tranquillity, fine food and wine, local produce and activities, ancient monuments and castles (they abound here), gregarious nightlife, walking, shopping, art, culture, painting, museums, music (classical, jazz, pop), climbing, sailing, canyoning, skiing, health spa – you will find it is all within a short drive from Mas Cortal.

Prades is the capital of the Conflent and a town that displays a number of facets. On the one hand it is a typical, quiet French village where the locals (and our visitors) sit on the benches outside the church or under the plane trees, drinking coffee and watching the world go by. On the other it is a bustling market town (Tuesday and Saturday mornings) offering a wide variety of local produce, wine and character. There again it is a cultural centre with the Pablo Casals museum and festival (July and August) and the largest Baroque altarpiece in France. The annual Pablo Casals music festival is always worth a visit and we can normally arrange tickets if requested. You will also find a wide selection of locally run charcuteries, boulangeries, boucheries, jewellers and small stores as well as two larger supermarkets.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Adventure park, Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Canyoning, Caving, Cycling, Drawing and painting, Fishing, French tuition, Go karting, Golf, Gourmet dining, Gym, Hiking, Horse riding, Mountain biking, Paragliding, Photography, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Sea excursions, Shopping, Sightseeing, Skiing, Snorkelling, Snowboarding, Spa, Swimming, Tennis, Theme parks, Tree adventure park, Walking, Water skiing, Water sports, White water rafting, Wind Surfing, Wine tasting, Wine touring, Yoga

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

There are a variety of ways to travel to Mas Cortal.

Fly

Ryanair flies to Perpignan (25 minutes drive to Mas Cortal), Carcassonne (one and a half-hours) and Gerona (one and a half hours drive) from London Stanstead, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Brussels and Dublin. Many more major airlines fly to Gerona and Montpellier (one and a half hours), Toulouse (two and a half hours) and Barcelona (three hours) from all over Europe. There are also daily flights from Paris (Orly) to Perpignan and with Easyjet from Luton to Barcelona and Gatwick to Toulouse. FlyBe fly to Perpignan and Toulouse from many regional airports such as Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Southampton and Belfast.

Drive

Either by ferry then drive, approximately 14 hours from the Channel Ports of Calais and Boulogne, or put the car on the TGV to Narbonne, then drive - under and hour and a half.

Train

A daily TGV rail service from London, Brussels and Paris now terminates in Perpignan. There is a local service from Perpignan to Prades.

Most major car hire companies have facilities in all of the above locations.

Detailed directions as to how to find Mas Cortal will be sent to you with confirmation of your booking.

No Hassle Option

Too tired or too busy to plan your holiday?
Why not talk to us about us organising every aspect of your visit – from door to door and back again!

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.