It’s very naughty,” cried five-year-old Eva as we bounced around in a boat We were in Saint-Cyprien for the opening of Pierre & Vacances’ new self-catering complex Safe to say Eva was already having a whale of a time here on the boat tour She especially loved it when the captain floored it so that we barrelled into oncoming waves at quite the pace I am not sure what was trickier — dealing with the water splashing in our faces or the shrieks as a gaggle of excited kids pretended they were going to fall in we had a lovely outdoor decking area back at our villa where we could dry off in the sun As well as 71 villas, Pierre & Vacances’ latest opening has 79 apartments, which all sleep between four and eight people — each one decorated in ­neutral tones with crisp new linens. Where Golfe du Lion really differs from most bog-standard self-catering holidays is not just in the shiny new living spaces, but the extras. There are a host of things for families to do around the complex, including mini golf, climbing frames, volleyball, table football or giant chess — all of which are free for guests. plus there is a kids’ club which runs for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon to give knackered parents a break Water babies can wander to the Lagune Plongee for a scuba diving excursion or venture to l’Etang de Canet where they can get stuck into kitesurfing or who want to make it a multi-generational trip And you can’t forget about the swimming pool which went down a treat with Eva — who claims to be half mermaid and spent the whole time we were there threatening to push my partner Dan in  We were on holiday in March but were really lucky with the weather so Eva still got to do flying leaps into the solar-heated outdoor pool with massive shouts of “cannon ball” Meanwhile I shivered on the sidelines as Dan prayed Connie wouldn’t make good on her promise so we had to venture out to get provisions Luckily there is a store about a ten-minute walk away plus a small ­market area which is even closer The complex is 900m from the port and the beach because what makes Saint-Cyprien stand out is its location but neither of us have been to a beach which has both sun-kissed sand and a clear view of snowy mountains before The area is so near the Pyrenees you can even go skiing if you want, it takes 1.5 hours to get to Andorra — so you really get the best of both worlds Or maybe you want a day trip to Spain The area is so near the Pyrenees you can even go skiing if you want That is more than doable if you hire a car that will get you there in about 40 minutes Saint-Cyprien itself is everything you want from a pretty French port town has great ice cream parlours and lots of activities on offer We picked a boat tour but others at our resort had been horse-riding or tried one of the 23 hiking trails or 20 cycling routes in the area Holidaymakers can also try their hand at kite-surfing or stop by the tennis courts Dan and I would also highly recommend the Catalan breakfast which is put on by locals at the harbour It is an all-you-can-eat barbecue meat feast for a bargain six euros — though we weren’t too thrilled by the blood sausage which was presented to us this is a holiday which really doesn’t have to break the bank a four-person apartment will set you back just over £750 while a villa for the same number of people is £900 In the summer, there are also direct flights from the UK to Perpignan which is only a 20-minute drive from the site The only thing missing from all the fun is the French dolphins GETTING THERE: Ryanair flies direct from Stansted to Perpignan from £14.99 each way See ryanair.com STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ self-catering at the Premium Residence Domaine du Golfe du Lion in Saint-Cyprien is from £754.31 for a one-bedroom apartment For details, call 0870 0267 145 or visit pierreetvacances.com Pierre & Vacances kid’s club is available Sunday to Friday Reserve places in advance when you book your holiday OUT & ABOUT: A dolphin-watching boat cruise with CTM Croisieres is from €29 (around £25) for adults and €22 (around £19) for children See en.tourisme-saint-cyprien.com Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed WITH four miles of glor­ious wide sands fronting the Mediterranean And it’s proof that a holiday in the south of France need not cost the earth The lagoon resort, 20 minutes’ drive from Perpignan cultivates the art of “good living” which revolves around sport Pierre et Vacances luxury self-catering complex Résidence premium Horizon Golf is a 15-minute walk to the beach Set on an 18-hole golf course and nature reserve it also has a heated outdoor pool The 42 four-star apartments sleep between two and six and feature all you could possibly need take the shady tranquil trails to the beach where there are all kinds of nautical activities including hydro-biking — like cycling a penny-farthing over the surf It’s the closest you’ll come to walking on water Check out spotyride.com for details on the activity as well as more traditional watersports including kite and wind-surfing, paddle-boarding and sailing. And if you want to admire those amazing beach views from the comfort of your apartment, Pierre et Vacances hotel and self-catering Residence Les Bulles de Mer is right on the beachfront with one-bed apartments from £128.25pp a week. The star of the show is obviously the beach and the vibrant marina both of which are well-served by lots of restaurants and bars But we headed to the old town for a stroll around the quaint medieval streets Until the 1700s, St-Cyprien was part of the Spanish region of Catalonia which is evidenced most in its cuisine We tucked into innovative takes on tapas-like dishes but with a French twist at La Pub a la Francaise (lepubalafrancaise.eatbu.com) The region has ideal conditions to cultivate grapes, so be prepared to sample some special wines, or tour a vineyard (roussillon.wine) Restaurant Saint-Cyprien Can Paco (can-paco.com) will boost your energy levels with gourmet specialties ahead of a visit to the nearby botanical gardens The Jardin des Plantes des Capellans is a hidden paradise of thousands of species of plants Whether you use St-Cyprien as a base for the region or just to experience the Med without the cost of Cannes GETTING THERE: Return flights from Stansted to Perpignan are from £35 with Ryanair STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ self-catered at the Premium Residence Horizon Golf is from £397pp based on two adults sharing Seven nights’ self-catered at the Residence Les Bulles de Mer is from £294pp based on two adults sharing See pierreetvacances.com MORE INFO: en.tourisme-saint-cyprien.com Apr 9, 2019 | , The French Air Force National Display Team La Patrouille de France have released details of their international displays for 2019 season This will see the team visit the Netherlands La préfecture des Pyrénées-Orientales annonce que le département est placé en vigilance jaune vagues/submersion à partir de ce vendredi 21 mars L’épisode méditerranéen en cours sera accompagné de fortes rafales de vent. La hauteur des vagues pourrait atteindre jusqu’à 3 mètres Le littoral sera particulièrement impacté Pour la sécurité de leurs citoyens certaines communes ont décidé de fermer leurs plages un arrêté temporaire a été pris interdisant l’accès aux plages et au baladoir de ce jeudi 20 mars 18 heures au mardi 25 mars inclus "La réglementation pourra être réactualisée en fonction de l’évolution des conditions météorologiques" Même cas de figure à Saint-Cyprien qui interdit aussi l’accès à son front de mer et à la plage : "Bien que le spectacle des vagues soit magnifique prenez garde : elles sont particulièrement dangereuses en ce moment des barrières ont été installées le long des digues en raison des grosses vagues qui atteignent la zone." Un accès interdit jusqu’à nouvel ordre Perpignan Kennedy F3 avec terrasse et parking sécurisé[...] Efficac'immo vous présente en exclusivité Cette charmante villa 2 faces d'[...] PERPIGNAN - VERTEFEUILLE - Villa plein pieds - 3 faces - Année 2001 - terra[...] Vous souhaitez suivre ce fil de discussion Souhaitez-vous recevoir une notification lors de la réponse d’un(e) internaute à votre commentaire Apr 25, 2023 | , The French Air & Space Force has released details of the 2023 season for the Patrouille de France 2023 marks the team’s 70th Anniversary and for the most part the team will remain in France However there are overseas appearance in Italy (Updated 26/04/2023 – additional flypasts)