Banyuls-Dels Aspres are at the crossroads of exceptional natural, historical and tourist sites! Less than an hour away, we can already find beautiful villages high perched (including Castelnou and Eus), fortresses rebuilt by the famous military architect Vauban (Fort of Elme, Villefranche de Conflent, Fortress of the Salses,), ruins of Spanish and French castles and large palace of the kings of Mallorca in Perpignan and many churches and other monuments (Priory of Serrabone, Abbey of St Martin du Canigou, Cloister of Elne), beautiful port cities with their long sandy beaches and 5 seaside resorts (Port Barcarès, Canet en Roussillon, St Cyprien, Collioure, Banyuls-sur-Mer with its exceptional wines and Port Vendres), 5 spas including Le Boulou and Amélie-Les-Bains and even 2 hours drive several ski resorts in the area Pyrenean Mountains (Fort Romeu, Les Angles, Formiguères) or even Cathar castles in Aude (Peyrepertuse, Quéribus or Rennes le Château).
And obviously the big cities like Carcassonne (1h30), Narbonne and Béziers (1h-1h20), Montpellier or Toulouse (2h) or the Spanish Catalan villages and towns of Figueras and Girona (1h) in Barcelona (2h) and all its cathedrals (Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia) and numerous monuments.
Tourism in the POs in 2022 is : 7.6 million visitors per year with nearly 3.6 million tourists and 4 million day trippers. The Pyrénées-Orientales is therefore still in 7th place among the tourist departments of France.
Permanent population of 482,368
7.6 million visitors per year : 3.6 million tourists and 4 million day trippers, 93% of whom are French, 7% foreigners
96% come by car, 3% come by train, 1% come by plane
7th French tourist department, the 2nd if we reduce it to its permanent population
10 seaside resorts / 9 mountain resorts / 5 spa resorts
An average length of stay of 8 days
1.3 billion tourist consumption generated in 2022
10,600 tourist jobs, i.e. 10.7% of salaried employment
30.3 million overnight stays including 87% French overnight stays and 13% foreign overnight stays
€42.30 of average expenditure per night and per tourist (data not updated since 2020)
Local, organic and eco-friendly commerce
Because we are ecologically committed and consistent between our words and actions, we are also committed to promoting the local & artisanal economy as well as the innovative environmental approaches of our beautiful region. So we have already selected for you a long list of gourmet, semi-gastronomic restaurants or other interesting addresses in each tourist town of the PO, based on previous customer reviews that we will provide you with on site.
Likewise, we publish below some wine growers, agricultural producers, artisans and local traders, sometimes ecological or in any case ethical, always “made in France”… better “made in Catalan”!
See also other useful addresses
Mode Materneco Fashion Shop
OUR ONLINE STORE : MATERNECO FASHION
https://www.mode-materneco.com/5-boutique-bio
Come and discover on the spot (showroom, workshop of manufacture and storage) or on the Internet, our own articles mother-baby made in France, original creations of baby carriers and childcare in organic cotton and fashion woman and child ecological, ethical and equitable, of the pregnancy at birth and beyond.
If you wish to invite you even take a course of child Portage, on birth and physiological breastfeeding, baby massage or natural hygiene infant… In short, everything related or useful to the proximale mothering !
Address : 31 rue des Vendanges 66300 BANYULS DELS ASPRES +33 (0)6 26 50 30 61
Castle Montana wine estate
CASTLE MONTANA
Luxury wine estate created in the 19th century and taken over since 2022 by Jean Jonquères d’Oriola from a family of farmers established in the Eastern Pyrenees for more than 5 centuries, where they are now engaged in winemaking practices respectful of the environment and festive activities (weddings, evenings and other events) or cultural with their small “Museum of Wine, Vine and Traditions”
Address : Route de St-Jean-Lasseille, D40B MAS VIDALOU, 66300 Banyuls- dels-Aspres
Tel : 04 68 37 54 84 – https://chateaumontana.com
Open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed on weekends
Domaine of White Tree
LOCAL MARKET GREENER “THE WHITE TREE”
Market gardener & reseller of Catalan artisanal products
(fruits, vegetables, olive oil, groceries, meats & cheeses, etc.)
Sale at the property : 66670 Bages (at the entrance to the village for the market gardening part)
Tel : +33 (0)6 32 34 22 30
Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sale in store : Oil mill & delicatessen at Domaine de l’Arbre Blanc
ZAE de la Tuilerie, rue Saint Exupéry, 66740 Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines
tel: +33 (0)4 68 95 91 06
Market garden Doutres
BANYULS DELS ASPRES MARKET GARDEN
Mrs DOUTRES in front of the Pharmacy : large wooden gate
Address : 8 rue de la Marinade in Banyuls dels Aspres
Telephone : 06 77 74 40 44 or 06 72 12 47 97
Direct sales all year round on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and sometimes other summer hours in addition
(on site or call to buy the best olive oil in the area 🙂)
Hop Hop Hop Pizza !
HOP HOP HOP PIZZA !
Homemade pizzas and takeaway drinks (300 m from Mas Natura in the residence at the bottom of the roundabout) at Mathieu and Gwen CHASSERIAU’s
Address : 10 rue de la Sardane – 66300 Banyuls-dels-Aspres
Telephone for advance orders : +33 (0)7 83 36 78 37
Opening hours: every day except Monday (depending on season and holidays) from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
https://hophophoppizzabanyulsdelsaspres.eatbu.com
The Eastern Pyrenees preserved thanks to the tenacity of its inhabitants !
If French or foreign tourists continue to favor the PO, it is undoubtedly first and foremost for its sunshine and milder climate in summer than elsewhere, as well as for its quality of life close to nature; despite the current political, economic, ecological or health situation due to the ambient media “catastrophism”, largely exaggerated in fact !
In this still quite “wild” part of France, which resists as best it can against invading real estate developers & co, there are still a lot of beautiful natural sites hidden or not, a relatively well preserved coastline like in Corsica, ancient monuments renovated with taste and above all thanks to a strength of soul which reflects the tenacious character of the Catalans, their great combativeness and resistance during previous centuries. Like all these old formerly Franco-Spanish forts and these picturesque villages perched and scattered everywhere in the middle of the mountains. Like little nuggets seemingly forgotten but in reality skillfully saved by the elders in order to tell the following generations the epic and romantic story of one of the most beautiful regions of France.
Remember to inform yourself before your arrival :
As the region is quite large and the visits and activities are quite numerous (especially in summer), before or as soon as you arrive, remember to call or better go to the main Tourist Offices in the region to get as much information as possible on all possible visits and news as tourist, festive and sporting activities :
The THUIR Tourist Office (ours) :
http://www.aspres-thuir.com/fr/
The BOULOU Tourist Office (the nearest) :
http://www.tourisme-leboulou.fr/
The PERPIGNAN Tourist Office (the best known) :
http://www.perpignantourisme.com/
The ARGELES-SUR-MER Tourist Office (the most dynamic) :
https://www.argeles-sur-mer.com
Here are also some photos of the main monuments and interesting sites to visit in our opinion, to choose according to the weather, opening days and seasons. Slide on the photos or ask us for more information on site.
So have a good visit to the POs: Pyrénées Orientales !
