The Villa is well placed up in the hills with fantastic views. It feels very private and you are not overlooked. The grounds are quite extensive and very well landscaped. I am a keen gardener and was very impressed with the design, it borrows and merges beautifully with the surrounding landscape. Town is a 10 minute walk and not too strenuous, especially if you go early morning before the sun is too hot. There are a couple of bakeries, a butchers/deli a bar and a couple of restaurants. For bigger shops there are a couple of supermarkets about 15 minutes away by car.
I was there with my family, including a toddler. We mostly enjoyed relaxing by the pool and in and around the villa. I should mention that the villa is very well stocked. The kitchen had more and better utensils/crockery/cutlery than my home kitchen. Also I had taken lots of things I did not need. There is a stock of washing up liquid, dishwasher and washing machine tablets, cleaning products, soaps, handwashes ect......
The bedrooms are nicely decorated and the beds comfortable. I slept well thanks to the air-conditioning in the bedrooms.
The pool area is slightly set away from the main property, on a lower terrace. It has a nice tiled area with loungers and an outside kitchen with a built in BBQ. There is a washing up area and even a fridge. The views are wonderful. It got a little hot down there at 1700 so we would often venture back to the coolness of the terrace off the living room.
The beaches are about a 35-40 minute drive. We went to Valras Plage near Beziers. To be honest it was not really my thing. A little naff with 1000s of people crammed on the hot sands.
I can recommend a visit to Sete, with its lovely canals and seafood restaurants. We also had a nice time in Beziers, there is a good shopping centrre called the Polygon, where we bought our toddlers first pair of shoes. St Chinian is worth a visit on Market Days. There is a lovely restuarant called cafe de paix (or something similar). It is very popular so you may need to book. We also visited Roquebrun and had an ice cream and a swim in the Orb , where the river bends and slows, there is a pebble beach and lots of people swimming.
I think a car is a must. If flying have a look at Beziers, it is the closest by far. The drive up the villa is a little bumpy, and there are a few ruts in the turning area to start the ascent up the villa drive. I had a 4x4 but to be honest it is not a necessity!