This large villa rental in South France is located in the village of Montouliers in the Minervois wine region. The surrounding area offers a variety of things to do depending on your interests.

For a family with young children the Mediterranean beaches are a must. The beaches are kept clean and dogs are not permitted on them. Swimming is safe with plenty of lifeguards in season. A trip through the etangs (salt lakes) that run from Narbonne down to Peyriac de Mer is worth the visit just to see the pink flamingos. A little further south is the African wild life park Sigean.

An afternoon boat ride on the Canal du Midi is a must. The departure takes place in Homps, 5km from Olonzac. Returning to your port of call, one could have a late afternoon drink or an al fresco dinner at one of the many restaurants right on the edge of the canal .

Being a fantastic area for hiking and cycling, hire bikes that can be delivered to your door. You will have plenty of choices of routes including the canal towpaths and local roads through the vineyards.

The village of Minerve (seven kilometres from the houses) was a strategic place for the Cathars and an important stopover for the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostelle in Spain during the medieval times. It was also the home of Simon de Montfort. The Fontfroide Abbey, along with the abbeys Fontcaude and Lagrasse are all less than half an hour away. The ruined but still spectacular fortresses of Peyrepertuse, Montsegur and Queribus are the scenes of the last desperate struggles of the Cathar rebels.

Carcassonne and its famous medieval castle, which has been seen in a number of films, has a wonderful covered market and an 18-hole golf course. For Bastille day, 14th July, Carcassonne becomes one of the busiest places in France and hosts a spectacular fire-works display.

Pezenas is where the famous French playwright, Moliere, used to spend his summers away from Paris. His plays are now being performed there on a regular basis. Further along, you can visit the Pont du Gard a Roman Aqueduct, and the cities of Arles and Nimes, both graced with arenas dedicated to bullfighting also dating back to the Roman era.

There is a beautiful covered market in Narbonne, Les Halles where the quality of food is excellent from butchers through fishmongers. It operates from Monday to Saturday and is augmented every Thursday and Sunday by a huge market both sides of the Robine Canal, a tributary of the Canal du Midi. Narbonne dates back to pre-Roman times.

Many important wine cellars are scattered all around the region, and sampling is encouraged. On the way to Beziers (20 kilometres) stop in Bize-Minervois, a small village that has a well know olive cellar. There you can buy many different types of olive oils, olives (black or green), numerous types of jams, crafts, soaps, and much more.

More adventurous shopping can be done in Andorra, high in the Pyrenees, a tax-free haven about 3 hours south.

Montpellier is a beautiful university town and is one of the fastest growing city in France. Montpellier is about 1hr 15mins drive away. Spain and the Pyrenees are approximately an hour away.