Will and Tilly Howard had successfully run a nearby village B&B for 9 years when the opportunity arose to move to a farmhouse with barns overlooking a bucolic vineyard valley and small lake. They jumped at the chance to bring their boys up in the country and set about converting the barns into 4 self-catering cottages, complete with 20-metre lap pool and south-facing terraced gardens gazing over vineyards.
Interiors bear Tilly's trademark flair and simplicity: whitewashed walls, splashes of colour, roll-top baths, flowers, exposed beams and the odd print. Will is a dab hand at creating and reclaiming useful bits of wooden furniture. Each cottage has private space to the rear and wonderful views; the smallest is separate from the other dwellings, perfect for couples, while the largest can sleep up to 6, ideal for families. There's a kitchen garden, hammocks strung between trees, friendly cats and chickens, communal weekly pizza nights, and a couple of sociable Barns complete with ping-pong and pool table. And you're in the heart of dramatic Cathar country: ruined castles, rushing rivers, authentic market towns for delicious local provisions and brocante shopping, and a wealth of wineries. Tilly can give you local recommendations for every day of the week - you're very well looked after here, but you can treat the place as your own. It's low-key, welcoming and full of character - just the sort of hideaway we like.
Languedoc Hideaways
Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Highs
- Great value and a lovely, relaxed style - you'll feel instantly at home here
- Friendly, helpful owners who live on site and are on hand for anything you need (breakfast deliveries, activity recommendations)
- Fantastic for families, with toys, pool, animals, trampoline and swings in the gardens
- But great for couples, too - those rugged views and vineyards!
- Delightful part of the world, just 40 minutes from Carcassonne, and heaps to do in the region, which has fascinating Cathar history
Lows
- This is a rural location, accessed via winding country roads, and the nearest towns for provisions are 20-30 minutes' drive away
- The cottages have a wonderful rustic style, but don't expect immaculate interiors
- Steep stairs in the larger houses
- Expect to be sociable; no hardship for most
- Summers get booked up fast
- Baby bedding
- Night light
- Baby bath
- Stair gates
- Books and toys
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
All cottages are well-equipped for self-catering
- Fenced swimming pool
- Trampoline
- Hammocks
- Chickens to feed
- Swings and slide
- Toys and outdoor games to borrow
- Table tennis
- Pool table
- Craft workshops at certain times of year, please enquire
- Boutique Gites
- 4 cottages for 2-6
- Self-catering, drive to shops and restaurants
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
- Concierge Service
- Towels & linen provided
Rooms
Three of the cottages flank Tilly and Will's home; the fourth is hidden down in the garden. All have whitewashed walls, natural materials like rattan or flagstones on the floors, kingsize beds, aromatherapy toiletries, a private terrace or patch of garden with table and chairs (and your own barbecue) and full kitchens.
L'Etoile is closest to the barns and pool. It's set on three floors, with one room per level. You enter via the patio into a funky kitchen-diner, arguably the loveliest of all the cottages, and certainly the largest. On the first floor is a twin room with a Juliet balcony for those awesome vineyard views. Up top: the master bedroom and a shower bathroom.
Le Marin is a ground-floor apartment in the middle of the building. It's cleverly thought out with its living/dining room in the front garden, complete with sofa, coffee table, dining table and free-standing lamps! Two single beds are in the entrance room - one in a fun little nook that kids will love - while the bathroom, a small but functional kitchen, and a lovely double bedroom are behind. There's a little terrace out the back too, with a bench seat where the friendly resident cat loves to snooze!
The largest cottage, Le Jasmin, has three bedrooms – a gorgeous, high-ceilinged double on the first floor, and a small double room beside, plus a twin attic room above for kids. Below is the kitchen-diner-living space and bathroom with excellent walk-in shower and clawfoot bath.
Smallest, and for couples, is stand-alone Le Figuier, set in the garden and mini-orchard near the pool. It has a galley kitchen and shower bathroom (with underfloor heating) beside an airy bedroom, plus a secluded terrace with gorgeous views.
Features include:
- Coffee / tea making
- Fan
- Hairdryer
- Terrace/balcony
- WiFi
Eating
The four kitchens have all you need for self-catering. Each has a coffee machine as well as an oven, stove and fridge-freezer, in which you'll find your bottle of Blanquette de Limoux (the inspiration for Champagne) for booking through i-escape. Tea, coffee and milk are supplied on arrival. The 2 larger cottages have dishwashers and dining tables, Le Figuier's bistro table and chairs are on its private terrace overlooking the orchard and vines.
Your convivial hosts arrange weekly wood fired pizza evenings in the Barn Bar, and can offer local cassoulet served with salad from the garden any night of the week (on request). Tilly also provides simple suppers brought to your cottage on arrival night, or any night of the week if you're booking the whole house for exclusive use.
Alternatively, head out for dinner to Limoux, Mirepoix, or Belveze-du-Raze - we enjoyed a meal at winery Domaine Gayda - or plunder the local food shops and markets (Mirepoix Mondays and Thursdays, Limoux Fridays - about 10-15 minutes drive away).
Features include:
- Bar
- Barbecue
- Coffee maker
- Communal dining
- Dinner by arrangement
- Fridge
- Full kitchen
- Hob or stove
- Kids' meals
- Oven
Activities
- This is Cathar Country: hike along the Cathar Trail or climb up to soak up the views from these magnificent castles (we visited Montsegur and Puilaurens) and discover a fascinating period of history
- At the property there's the pool, a yoga platform, orchard and the Barn Bar for socialising
- With a vineyard in the valley below, and wineries all around, sampling local fruits of the vine is a popular pastime
- Check out the local markets and brocante shops
- Grotte de Niaux has 14,000 year old cave paintings
- For active types canyoning, canoeing, white-water rafting, wild swimming and paragliding are all possible nearby; Tilly and Will can make bookings for you
- It's easy to explore the area and cycle and walk from the property; Tilly and Will can advise
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Birdwatching
- Canyoning
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Kayaking
- Paragliding
- Rafting
- Shopping / markets
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Tennis
- Wine tasting
Best Time to go
Our Top Tips
Visiting the Cathar castles is a must: although a bit of a steep climb to the summit for most, they repay your efforts with amazing views and a real sense of a bygone era.
Location
Languedoc Hideaways is to the south-west of Carcassonne in the south of France, in an area known as the Razes, between Limoux and Mirepoix.
By Air:
Fly to Carcassonne (30-35 minutes) or Toulouse (1hr15m). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.
From the Airport
You can take a taxi for around EUR40-50, or request a transfer to be booked.
By Car:
Most will hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to France and getting around
Airports:
- Carcassonne 35.0 km CCF
- Toulouse 100.0 km TLS
Other:
- Beach 100.0 km
- Shops 9.0 km
- Restaurant 15.0 km
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Our guests' ratings...
Based on 13 independent reviews from i-escape guests