The city of Perpignan is the Southern-most city in France and is located 10km inland from the coast and 25km from the Spanish border. The centre of Perpignan is surprisingly small, but you can easily spend a very pleasant day here wandering around the narrow streets of the old town. The Majorcan Palace is well-worth a visit and the Castillet, the former fortified gate to Perpignan, is a striking looking building. Around the Castillet you will find a good range of pavement cafes to grab some lunch. 

The train station in Perpignan was famously depicted by Salvidor Dali in his painting Le mystique de la Gare de Perpignan. Dali was born in Figures in Northern Spain and regularly visited Perpignan during his life. He claimed to have seen a vision of the constellation of the universe whilst he was waiting for a train in Perpignan and he celebrated this apparition in his painting.

Perpignan is also home to an impressive art gallery, Museum Hyacinthe-Rigaud, which displays works of art by Raoul Dufy, Pablo Picasso and Aristide Maillol. 

In recent years, the traditional indoor market in Perpignan, Les Halles Vauban, has been transformed into a trendy place for food and drinks. There are sill the tradition market stalls, but these now mingle with wine bars and pop up tapas bars.

The beaches around Perpignan (on the Cote Vermeille coast) are some of the best in Southern France. The Cote Vermeille is a beautiful stretch of coastline and it ranges from flat open sandy beaches, like Argeles-sur-Mer and St Cyprien Plage, to sheltered coves closer to the Spanish border (around Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer).

If you head North of Perpignan, you will also find some interesting sandy beaches at Le Franqui and Torreilles Plage.

Perpignan has a fantastic climate with long hot summers, warm sunny days in the Spring and Autumn and very mild winters. The temperature during the day over the winter period (November to February) rarely drops below 9-10°C (48-50°F). You can certainly still walk around in shirt sleeves even in December and more often than not, you can enjoy cloudless skies and a warm sun. During May and June and also from September to October, you can expect highs of 20-23°C (70-75°F).

Family holidays near Perpignan France 

If you are planning a family holiday to Perpignan, with your children or grand children, then there are plenty of activities to keep them occupied. You have your usual water parks and theme parks in Argeles sur Mer and St Cyprien, but 2 activities that my kids really enjoyed near Perpignan, were the Canyon Park and the Teleski & Wake-boarding centre.

Paradise Adventures

The Paradise Activity centre near Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean coast, is really 6 adventure parks in one. The Canyon Park is situated in a disused quarry where you can jump off cliffs into 14 different clear water plunge pools. The jumps vary from 3 meters to 7 meters in height. The park also provides for an Abseiling route under the waterfalls, a Climbing net and Rope Ladder, a 100 meter zipline ends with you plunging into a water pool and a guided tour through an Underground river

There is also an Extreme Sports centre which features, among other things, a 30 metre high tower which you can abseil down (or jump using a specially designed Flight Line), 150m Tyrolene zip wire which drops you into another plunge pool, an Air Bag jump - which basically involves you launching yourself off the tower 8 metres up and you land on a cushioned air bag. This is mainly aimed at older kids.

There is a Tree-Climbing centre featuring 19 different courses to cater for all ages and levels. The highlight of the centre is a 100 meter fast zip line.

The Golf Centre features two 18 hole crazy golf courses, set within a large Mediterranean park. It sounds a bit tame, but if you think of your usual crazy-golf course on steroids, then that is what you will experience here. It is primarily aimed at younger kids.

The Water Jump park is as it is is described. Think of a 6 storey high Ski Jump which is designed as a water slide into a lake and you have the Water Jump Park. Plus if you add into the mix your usual band of teenage nutters in safety hats, all egging each other on, you can imagine the sort of experience. 

Finally, there is an Adventure course aimed at 5 to 9 years old. It is basically an obstacle course containing climbing nets, suspended rope courses, climbing walls and ball pits. The children are timed to complete the course.
For more information about all the parks, please visit Paradise Adventure Parks. 

The daily ticket prices vary according to which park you visit. The Canyon Park is the most expensive

Adult (12 years +) : 33 €
Child (8 to 11 years) : 29 € 
Family (1 adult and 1 child) : 58 €

 Teleski

Teleski - is a water sports centre located near to Perpignan at St Jean Pla de Courts. It offers 4 different activities including wake-boarding on a zip wire, water skiing, water skating (I suppose the nearest equivalent is snowboarding on water) and Water jumping. There is an excellent website for the centre (in multiple languages) at Teleski.

The centre offers a Discovery introductory package at 27 € (29 € July and August) where you can try out individual activities. The prices for individual activities range from €30 - €42 for a half day pass.

Cheap flights to Perpignan airport France during 2024

Perpignan airport is the Southern most airport in mainland France. Although it has some regular flights to Paris and other cities in France (Nantes, Lille and Bastia), Perpignan airport is mainly a seasonal airport, with a summer schedule of flights from Birmingham and Stansted airports with Ryanair and Southampton airport with Flybe (June-August only).

Although, with the recently reported financial troubles of Flybe, there is some doubt that this route will continue to run. At nearly €590 return, it is doubtful that many passengers really regard this route as a low cost alternative to Ryanair.

During the summer months (May to mid-September), Aer Lingus runs 4 flights per week from Dublin airport to Perpignan airport. The flight prices are currently quite reasonable, at around €200 each way.

Ryanair are currently advertising flights to Perpignan airport from London Stansted for just €40 return - which is an incredible price. The prices do pick up quite a lot for weekend flights, especially on a Saturday. So if you are looking to fly to Perpignan for a family holiday this summer, you might be advised to look for a villa to rent with flexible changeover dates. In fact, when you weigh up the costs, it may be worth paying slightly more for the villa (if you can arrive on a different day than Saturday), because you will then save quite a bit money on the flights.

Check the latest Ryanair flight costs and availability: FLIGHTS TO PERPIGNAN AIRPORT

Perpignan has its own airport with flights to the following destinations:

• Marrakech, Morocco (Ryanair)
• Agadir, Morocco (Ryanair)
• Paris Orly (Transavia)
• Nantes, France (Volotea)
• Lille, France (Volotea)
• Brussels-Charleroi, Belgium (with Ryanair)
• London Stansted, UK (with Ryanair) 
• Birmingham, UK (with Ryanair) 
• Leeds-Bradford, UK (Ryanair)
• Dublin, Ireland (Aer Lingus)

You can catch flights to Perpignan airport from a number of European countries (all flights with Ryanair, unless otherwise stated):

Perpignan also has a TGV train station with fast services up to Paris (5 hours 50 mins) and down to Barcelona (2 hours 35 mins). The A9 autoroute also passes close to Perpignan. So if you are looking for a convenient base for a long stay in France, then Perpignan is a great spot to choose.

5 cheap villas to rent near Perpignan airport in 2024

Collioure - coastal town near Perpignan [Image courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/mas.dels.esquirols/]

 There are a number of really nice towns and villages close to Perpignan that are an ideal base for a family holiday in Southern France:

• The coastal town of Collioure is for me the real highlight along this stretch of coast. This former Anchovy fishing village has over the years become a haven for famous artists, such as Derain, Miro, Picasso and Matisse. The setting is superb. The stunning castle and famous church in Collioure look out over a sheltered bay, with the hills in the background framing the town.

Other places I would recommend to stay in around Perpignan, include

• Argeles-sur-Mer is the perfect place for a beach holiday near Perpignan. The town is 3km inland from the coast, but there is a regular shuttle bus down to Argeles Plage (where you will find 3 beaches, as well as numerous attractions for the kids). Argeles also has its own train station with services up to Perpignan and down the coast.
• Laroque-des-Alberes is a very pretty village just south of Perpignan and 10 km from the coast. The village provides easy access to the beaches at Argeles-sur-Mer and Collioure. Laroque is a village of 2,000 people, but it has a good range of bars, restaurants and shops.
• the collection of villages nestled below Perpignan and close to the coast (such as Brouilla, Ortaffa, Elne, Villelongue-dels-Monts and Saint-Andre).
• Thuir - is a small market town to the west of Perpignan. It is located close to the stunning medieval village of Castelnou, which is listed as one of the Most beautiful villages in France
• Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque to the North-East of the Perpignan, is very close to the beaches and it is very well equipped with shops, restaurants and a weekly market. 
• Ceret - this is a lovely market town with a long association with famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Raoul Dufy and Marc Chagall. There is a Modern Art Museum in the centre of Ceret. The town is also famous for its production of cherries. Ceret is located south-west of Perpignan, very close to the Spanish border.
• Port Vendres - is a former fishing village located on the coast close to the Spanish Border 
• Villelongue-del-Monts - is a pleasant village located between the foothills of the Albères mountains and the Mediterranean coast.
• Sorede - is a small town located south of Perpignan and a short 5 mins drive to the Mediterranean coast

Here is a selection of 6 holiday villas on Go Languedoc, that are available for rent within 30 minutes drive of Perpignan airport during 2024:

1. Villa Vell-Roure, South of France holiday home, sleeps 10 (Ref: 225)

Villa Vell-Roure is a spacious 5 bedroom holiday villa in South of France. The villa is located on the edge of the small village of Villelongue-dels-Monts, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, just 15 km from the Mediterranean coast.

The villa enjoys splendid views over the nearby village and on towards the Mediterranean coastline in the distance. The villa features 5 double bedrooms, all of which come with their own bathroom and air conditioning. The villa sleeps 10 guests in comfort and comes with a large private pool (with a security fence). The villa is located up a private lane in a quiet residential area. The villa is situated on a substantial plot and there is ample parking for a number of vehicles. 

This South of France holiday villa is the perfect retreat for a large family group or crowd of friends looking for a very special property in a rural location. 

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2. Argeles sur Mer villa for South of France beach holidays, pool (Ref: 1327)

If you are looking for a nice villa for South of France beach holidays with the family, then this property in Argeles-sur-Mer is ideal. This villa comes with a private pool and is situated close to the beach in Argeles sur Mer.

The house has been updated to a very high standard and provides very comfortable accommodation. There are 3 double bedrooms, a spacious living room, WiFi and lovely views over the town and to the hills behind. The house benefits from modern appliances and refurbished bathrooms. This villa is perfect for South of France beach holidays with the family.  The villa has a garden and provides comfortable accommodation for up to 6 people. 

Argeles-sur-mer has 7km of beach, a marina and a host of restaurants and shops. Perpignan is 20kms to the North and the Spanish border is 25 kms to the South.

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3. Casa Baléares - 5 bed coastal holiday villa private pool South France (Ref: 2029)

Casa Baléares is a lovely 5 bedroom villa with private pool in Southern France that can sleep 12 people. The villa is set in the foothills of the Pyrenees, just 15 minutes drive to the Mediterranean coast and the beaches at Argeles-sur-Mer, Saint Cyprien and Collioure. A short walk takes you into the centre of the sought-after village of Laroque des Alberes, with all the shops and restaurants that you will need. Perpignan is just 20kms to the North and the Spanish border is just 15 mins away.

The villa is located in a quiet residential on a large plot of 2,800m2 plot. This holiday rental villa comes with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, spacious lounge, games room and lovely views. This large holiday rental villa in Laroque-des-Alberes is the perfect accommodation for a large family or a couple of families holidaying together.

Laroque is a great village to be based in, providing easy access to the Mediterranean beaches and the sites of the Languedoc and Northern Spain. The village comes with a popular bar and a couple of restaurants. A great location for a family holiday in Southern France.

Available for weekly rentals in July and August from €3500.

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4. Le Vallespir holiday apartment with pool Pyrenees France (Ref: 964)

Le Vallespir holiday apartment is the perfect place for a relaxing break in the South of France. The apartment is just 20 mins from Perpignan airport and the Mediterranean beaches are a short drive away.

The apartment is located within a 15th Century farmhouse, just 3 kms from the popular market town of Ceret. Ceret, was frequented by famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Georges Braque and Marc Chagall and there is a Modern Art Museum in the centre of the town. The local village of Reynes is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the South of France and provides easy access for walks and mountain biking.

The apartment is located on the top floor of the farmhouse and comes with 2 bedrooms, air conditioning and a private terrace with lovely views.

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5. Thuir 2 bed holiday rental with pool in French Pyrenees (Ref: 1795)

If you are looking for peace & quiet for a relaxing break, surrounded by lush vineyards and lovely views of the French Pyrenees, then this property near Thuir in Southern France is an excellent choice. This holiday cottage is a lovely quiet and relaxed 2 bed property with pool for holiday rentals in Southern France. The cottage is located on the outskirts of a typical Catalan village, surrounded by vineyards and with views of the Mount Canigou in the background.

The cottage comes with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a spacious living room, patio, pool and garden.

The property is located on the edge of the small village of Fourques, close to Thuir and 15 mins from Perpignan. You can walk to the local boulangerie and shop in 5 mins.

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6. Tracy Island 4 bed holiday rental with pool in French Pyrenees (Ref: 2175)

If you are looking for peaceful & relaxing break in the South of France for your family holiday this summer, then Tracy Island is the perfect place. Surrounded by lush vineyards and with lovely views of the French Pyrenees, then this property near Thuir in Southern France is an excellent choice. This holiday rental is set in a quiet spot on the edge of the small village of Fourques, yet is just 5 mins walk to the local shops (boulangerie, supermarket, pharmacy, pizzeria, etc). It is 10 minutes drive from the lively market town of Thuir, 20 minutes to the Spanish Border and 30 minutes to the sandy beaches on the Mediterranean coast.

The holiday rental comes with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, a spacious living room, two terraces, a private pool and garden. The outside space around the pool is the perfect area to stretch out and relax in the sun.

Available between 24 July to 31 August 2024 from €2,565 per week.

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Perpignan tourist information

Discover more tourism information about Perpignan and the Pyrenees:

Looking for a great holiday deal to Perpignan, France in 2024 . . . ?

I am Tara Haacke and I manage all the holiday reservations on Go Languedoc. I live in the South of France all year around and I have worked in the vacation rentals sector in France for the last 10 years. Perpignan is an excellent base for a holiday in the South of France. The Perpignan coast has some of the best beaches in France. The countryside around Perpignan is gorgeous, with views of the snow capped Pyrenees wherever you go. The historical centre of Perpignan is a beautiful place to spend time in and the local towns and villages are full of character.

If you have a particular requirement for a holiday rental property this summer, then please get in touch and I will send you a shortlist of suitable holiday villas and apartments to rent around Perpignan

Contact Tara by Email or by phone +33 7 89 44 15 14