Mountain Retreat Near Ceret On 50 Acres, Private Infinity Pool
Rare Serenity and Views, 40 Minutes to Med Beaches
Sleeps 7 (3 Bedrooms)
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Mas Soubiranne is a rustic Catalan farmhouse, recently re-furbished to high standards, with marble tiled bathrooms, antiques, a bread oven and original artwork. Arrive via a winding mountain road (15-20 min/5 miles from Ceret), past deep ravines and ravishing views. The Mas nestles among old stone terraces, meadows, and oak and sweet chestnut forests, part of a small estate of 3 houses previously owned by a 19th c bishop. Rare serenity with close proximity to Ceret! The Mas has a new, fitted kitchen and master bedroom on level 1. An artisan-designed spiral staircase leads to a spacious 'sejour' with fireplace and double bedroom. Level 3 is a mezzanine with 3/4 beds - ideal for children. The outdoor terrace is planted with figs and vines. A brief uphill walk leads to a landscaped stone terrace and 6 x 12m heated infinity pool. A new pool house with kitchen facilitates spellbinding poolside dining as the sun sets behind Mount Canigou. Mountain walks straight from the breakfast table!
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 1 April 2012 - 30 April 2012 | £900 | 7 | ||
| 1 May 2012 - 31 May 2012 | £1000 | 7 | ||
| 1 June 2012 - 30 June 2012 | £1400 | 7 | ||
| 1 July 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £2200 | 14 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 30 September 2012 | £1500 | 7 | ||
| 1 October 2012 - 31 October 2012 | £1000 | 3 |
Notes on prices
Enquire for Christmas or longer holiday rentals. Pool is usually open from end of May through September although September is unpredictable in terms of swimming days as the mountain nights become cooler.
Changeover day
Flexible but prefer to avoid Saturday.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 with double bed, en-suite, antiques, stone floor. Bedroom 2 with double bed, en-suite, high ceiling, great views. Mezzanine overlooking living room with three single beds, cot available. |
| Bathrooms: | En-suite bathroom to Bedroom 1 with freestanding bath and walk-in shower, tumbled marble tiles throughout; wc separate. En-suite bathroom to Bedroom 2 with walk-in shower, tumbled marble tiles, wc separate. |
| Kitchen: | Stainless steel kitchen with wood counters, full sized fridge/freezer, double oven and stove, dishwasher, rustic bread oven, coffee maker, blender and toaster. |
| Utility Room: | Washer and dryer, iron. |
| Living Rooms: | Open plan, double height living room with stone fireplace, two linen-covered sofas, books and games and antiques, original artwork from widely exhibited local artist. |
| Other: | Open study area with antique Catalan desk, TV and DVD, speakers and CD player. There is also a large barn with a ping pong table available to guests, a volley ball net, and a tree fort with rope ladder and swing. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Towels, including pool towels, and linen included; weekly change of linen and towels, property must be left tidy and is cleaned weekly, pool cleaned twice a week. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge/freezer fridge dishwasher washing machine tumble dryer iron/ironing board satellite tv tv telephone central heating cot barbecue private pool (for sole use of guests) |
| Suitability: | pets accepted |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
This is a 150 year old farmhouse with original features; kids are fine but there is a spiral staircase. House is well insulated with stone walls and new roof; it has no air conditioning but remains cool in summer and retains heat in colder months. Heating is electric - the wood fire is also toasty. Water is supplied from our new well, and there is a back-up spring fed hydraulic system. Please see more photos of the Mas and the area, as well as things to do and recommendations from past visitors, on our facebook site, under the name 'Mas Soubiranne'.
Accessibility
The property is not suitable for wheelchairs.
Outside
Terrace outside of house is planted with rose bushes and lavender as well as vines and fig trees. Infinity pool, 6 X 12 meters, heated by solar cover, is built into a 30 meter stone-tiled terrace with pool house located a short uphill walk above the house. Pool furniture, poolside dining, barbecue area. Next to the house is an old barn awaiting renovation, a digger is parked nearby. This is a lost and rural landscape; 2 horses graze in nearby meadows. Mountain terrain is steep and lush, with mature chestnut and oak trees, also cherry, walnut, apple, and plum orchards bloom and yield fruit. Wild herbs and blackberries abound. Grounds trimmed by local gardeners. Outdoor games include giant chess, volleyball and croquet. Mountain walks throughout 50 acres; mushrooming, hiking, canyoning, biking. Great hike down to Ceret, 1.5 hours. Southwest views of Mt Canigou, highest mountain in the eastern Pyrenees. Spectacular sunsets, can be windy; please note grounds are rustic, not suburban!
Coast/Beach
The Roussillon coastline boasts kilometre after kilometre of golden beaches, rocky hideaways, azure lagoons.... a day at the beach is so much more than a bucket and spade experience, surrounded by the surrounding scenery of the Albères mountains with the sacred Canigou rising majestic in the distance. The Côte Vermeille (vermilion coast) stretches from Argelès-sur-Mer to Cerbère via Collioure, Port Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer.
Golf
The Pyrenees Orientales is ’officially’ the sunniest region in France, therefore the keen golfer can practice his or her sport all year round. It is highly attractive to northern visitors who cannot use their own courses in winter. There are several golf courses in the PO département but if they are not to your taste, pop over the border into Spain and tee off on some of the best golf courses in Europe! The Languedoc-Roussillon region has 21 courses, some of which have high-quality reception facilities, and, with the help of the CRT and the Languedoc-Roussillon Golf Course Economic Interest Group, is developing a range of golf promotion activities. For example the “Golf-Pass” allows you unrestricted access to a number of sites in the Languedoc Roussillon. Golf courses in the Pyrénées-Orientales: - Golf de Saint Cyprien. - Golf du Domaine de Falgos (Saint Laurent de Cerdans). - Golf de Font-Romeu.
Skiing
Many skiing areas are accessible in the Pyrenees at 1.5 hours plus by car.
Distances
Ceret is 15 minutes or 7km downhill, 1.5 hours hiking. The nearest beaches are 40 min. In less than 2 hours drive you can visit Barcelona, the Costa Brava and other parts of Spanish Catalonia. On the French side you can reach Montpellier, Carcassonne, Toulouse in 2 hours or less, Perpignan in 40 minutes and also Collioure, Argeles and Canet Plage in under an hour. Ryanair and EasyJet fly to Perpignan (45 min) and Girona airport (1 hour 15 min away).
Further details
Céret is a popular but relaxed Catalan town with a colourful history of legends, traditions, music and art. Full of leafy cafes, once frequented by Picasso, it boasts a colourful market on Saturday mornings; an impressive modern art gallery, with works by Picasso, Matisse, Miro, and Chagal; and ancient legends surrounding the 'Pont du Diable' and the fountain in the 'Place de neuf jets'. Céret is part of the premier cherry growing area in France and is known for its cherry festival, held at the end of May/early June. This is followed by the Feria 'Céret de Toros' in early July in which bulls are run through the streets by skilled horsemen followed by street music. A festival celebrating the complex, circular 'Sardane' dance is held mid July. The surrounding countryside is of exceptional beauty, ranging from the 'Pic du Canigou', sacred mountain of the Catalans, down the ancient, forested foothills of the Pyrenees, across the vineyard and orchard-covered plains of Roussillon, to the beautiful sandy beaches and coves of the Mediterranean Sea. Glorious walks start from your front door. Easy access to French and Spanish beaches and coves; picturesque villages; castles and monastaries steeped in history; festivals; grottos; a Mecca for artists; world famous prehistoric sites; opera in Perpignan; modern night clubs; and a freshwater lake with a tree canopy walk for kids. Treat yourself to the local wines and delicacies found in superb 'dégustations' and restaurants - and don't forget Spain! El Buli is not too far away for true foodies, about 90 min by car. Ceret is an excellent base for travelling to the medieval cities of Carcassonne, Montpellier, and Perpignan; the Cathar castle towns and the lively Catalan centres of Girona and Barcelona.
Booking notes
25% deposit due on booking, balance due 8 weeks prior to arrival. 400 euro refundable security deposit to cover damage and breakage.
Guest comments
Please contact us for references. We have received many comments, among them these:
"Thank you for allowing us to use your wonderful home for a week. We had the most incredible weather and were absolutely stunned by the magificent scenery and idyllic setting. I think it's safe to say that the pool was the biggest hit and we spent most of the week up there, but the rest of the house is so beautiful too- you have done a fantastic job." 2009
"...we have just had a fantastic week at your house, it was absolutely beautiful our boys loved the tree house/lego/knights and castle. I just loved the pool and cooking over wood on the pool BBQ...2010
"I just wanted to connect with you after our fabulous stay in Ceret. The house and pool are truly spectacular...You've done an amazing job with the place. It's just perfect. We arrived at dusk,exhausted, and were thrilled to discover that the house completely exceeded our expectations.." 2009
House swap
House swap considered but generally not easy to organise given our school -driven vacation schedule.
Owner profile
Martin and Karen
About the owner
Amidst raising a young family and pursuing two careers as medical doctor and climate change specialist in London, Martin and Karen, a British/American couple, have worked very hard and over many holidays to create a high quality, original, and welcoming property which celebrates local materials and Catalan style. We bought the property in 2004 as a lasting gift to our three children and to family generations to come. We enjoy teaching our children about nature in the wild Pyrenees, much as we do on our sailing vacations. We also love the deeply-rooted local customs and culture in vibrant Ceret and its surrounding landscapes of sea and vineyards. Our French house has become an oasis for us: it is a great pleasure to see that our guests also find the luxury of serenity at Mas Soubiranne.
Year purchased: 2005
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We bought the property as a leaky hovel in early 2005. It was a rare chance to buy 50 acres of mountain property, along with its pure well water and rich earth. The mountains and sea offered huge possibility for sports, skiing and exploration, enticing for a young family with boys. The road leading past the Mas travels up over the old route to Spain, & we love taking Alpine walks above the French and Spanish coastline. The terraced farm still produces cherries, apples, apricots, plums, chestnuts, and walnuts; mushrooms abound. We believe that conservation of our land is a serious responsibility, and we will introduce solar power to make it energy self-sufficient. At the same time, we have easy access to the culture and history in the towns and cities below, as well as to London and Europe.
Unique benefits of the property
Some of our favorite activities include cultivation and landscaping of the property; hunting enormous beetles and butterflies; picking cherries from our trees - perhaps to be sold in the cherry festival; cooking extravagantly with home grown herbs, mint and lavender; dining at the pool at twilight; visiting our neighbour, a widely exhibited and popular Catalan artist who will show you his work and studio; buying fois gras from the mas below; hiking down the mountain to Ceret; watching Sardanne dancing in the streets; buying anchovies in Collioure; watching the stars come out and listening for owls and wild boar with the kids. Lots of time for reading and swimming in the infinity pool, which some call the best in Ceret!
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR5072
Karen McClellan
Mob: (UK) + 44 (0)7792 501 109
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0)2077 351 897
Martin Godfrey
Tel: (UK) +44 (0)7905 285 255
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Property Ref FR5072
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