Collioure is one of the very special places in France. This historic port has a wonderful natural setting overlooking two bays and set within an amphitheatre where the vine clad hills of the Albères range plunge into the sparkling Mediterranean.

This is the deep south of France, the department of the Pyrenees Orientales (PO66 as it is affectionately known) in the region of Languedoc Roussillon. A part of France, but with strong ties and connections to Catalunya. The Spanish border is only 26 kms to the south and easily reached down the dramatic coast road of the Cote Vermeille in a little over 30 minutes.

The strategic importance of the setting was quickly recognised by visiting ancient Greeks and Phoenicians who set up a port here and from then on the town has always attracted visitors, be they merchants or invaders and today the 21st century holiday maker. Over the centuries Collioure has been fought over more than a dozen times and each of the conquerors has left their mark in impressive fortifications to protect the strategic important of the setting.

However, in the early 1900’s it was invaders of a different type who really put Collioure on the map and established it as a major art centre. Attracted by the setting and the wonderful clear light a group of painters – including Matisse and Derain – the Fauvists, made Collioure their summer base.

The combination of a wonderful natural setting, the imposing fortifications, colourful houses and strong cultural and artistic traditions combine to make Collioure a wonderfully romantic place for a holiday and a fascinating and rewarding place to live.