Les Terrasses de la Bade, Languedoc: Close to beaches, towns, cities and airports

Located in a charming village of 135 inhabitants, Les Terrasses de la Bade enjoys superb views of the rugged beauty of the Corbières to the west, with its olive trees, vines and wild thyme, and the Mediterranean to the east.

The small size of the village gives the location a uniquely tranquil and serene quality. However, only 10 minutes away is the seaside town of Leucate. Narbonne, with its many shops and restaurants is 20 minutes' drive, as is the pretty seaside town of Gruissan, a village perched on a hill overlooking the sea. Perpignan, the capital of the Roussillon region, is also only a short drive away. It offers superb shops, galleries and restaurants, with a distinct Catalan flavour.

Spain is only 45 minutes drive - and a new TGV line will make the journey to Barcelona faster than ever. An hour or so away, up the majestic Pyrenees mountains, are the popular ski slopes of Les Angles and Font Romeau (and many other resorts). The increasingly glamorous seaside town of Collioure is just beyond Perpignan, and the gorgeous Canal du Midi is only 30 minutes away.

Drive inland only about 30 minutes, and you reach the dramatic Cathar castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse.