If you want a change of scenery and a different beach for each day of your stay, there are several beaches within a short drive including Serignan Plage, Valras Plage and Vias Plage.

All have soft sandy beaches and are clean and safe.

Valras Plage has a great children’s playground on the beach and it is a wonderful place to be at the end of the day as the sun sets and the children happy playing on the beach.

If you want some serious swimming, there is a good public pool in Bezier with two 25m pools and a 50m outdoor pool/lido in the summer.

There is another great pool with flumes, an indoor 25 metre pool and a huge 50m Olympic pool in Narbonne, just off the A9, about 25km away (less than 20 minutes away).

An added attraction is the restaurant which is house in the same building as the pool which has a fantastic buffet which is especially know for its huge range of desserts.

Please note all swimmers need a pair of proper swimming trunks/costume and in the Bezier pool, everyone needs a swimming cap, including the men and boys.

There are several places where you can hire a boat (for a half day, day or longer) and travel along the Canal du Midi and perhaps, traverse the multitude of locks on the Canal.

Even if you are not boating, you can watch the boats negotiate a lock at Portiragnes Village (just by the main road from Portiragnes Village to Portiragnes Plage).

One of the main boat hire companies has their southern France base between Portiragnes Plage and Portiragnes, but minimum hire period is in the region of 3 days.

There are several organised events during the summer months in Portiragnes Plage and the village, including fun runs, beach volleyball, live music in the square, monster truck displays, chariot racing, night time fairs featuring local craftsmen and sports events.

Several of these activities are free and details can be obtained at one of the tourist offices at the Plage or the village.

There are also fairs and ferrias organised throughout the year, especially in the summer months with some related to wine growing and local produce.

The ‘bullring’ at Portiragnes Plage does not stage bullfights but does have shows with cowboys and horsemanship on display in the evenings during the summer months.

There is also a large boules area near the ‘bullring’ where you can bring your own boules and play or just watch the locals engaging in some friendly competitive play.

The village of Portiragnes itself is located 2km inland from the villa/beach and is a typical French village with great boulangeries (bakers) for fresh baguettes, butchers, a post office, a cash point machine, a sports hall (organised activities in the summer), a church and 2 or 3 restaurants.

There is a tourist office next to the town hall and a little supermarket (Coccinelle) just beyond the church, on a side road.

We must mention the wine co-operative (La Campestre) located beyond the village sports hall where you can support the local wine growers and producers and purchase some very palatable wines (the Sauvignon and Vigneron are especially good).

You can also buy some vino for less than £1 per litre here!

The old Mediterranean town of Bezier is the nearest major town.

It has a magnificent cathedral, the old bull ring (still staging bullfights if that’s your thing), a beautiful flower market on Fridays and the very popular Annual Ferria in August. The ‘Nine Locks at Fonseranne’ (Neuf Ecluse a Fonseranne) on the Canal du Midi, is on the west side of Bezier and is an engineering marvel. It consists of a series of locks over a relatively short distance taking the Canal and its boats up a steep hill - it is world-renowned and well worth a visit.

Pezenas is another picturesque town with cobbled streets and ancient buildings just outside Bezier and to the North-East. A relaxing stroll through its narrow cobbled streets, which are filled with traditional arts and crafts, painting and sculptures, is recommended.

These towns are a short (30-45 min drive) away and are well worth a visit. Cap d’Agde has Aqualand (a water theme park with several hair raising rides) and can easily occupy a whole day.

Toonsland is a great little amusement park for the under 9s (although older children are allowed, this is probably a little ‘tame’ for them) with many rides and easily occupies a whole day.

Don’t forget the swim suits for the little ones as there is a great little pool where they can keep cool and have a splash!

The other good is thing is that, in general, the queues are in general very short compared to Disneyland and it is small enough (and informal enough) for you to easily pop to and from the car to get the picnic.

All adults need to do is relax, enjoy the sunshine and the cool sea breezes and watch the kids have a great time!

There is also an aquarium, boat trips, another amusement park for adults (located next to Toonsland) as well as a beach and shops but Agde and Cap d’Agde do become busy and crowded, so they are not like Portiragnes Plage.

Sete has a fantastic, world renowned sandy beach and great shopping but like Agde and Cap d’Agde, it can become very busy in the summer. It is, however, well worth a visit if you want a change of scenery.

Further inland, you are in wine growing country and the town of Roquebrun, often called ‘Petit Nice’ is perched steeply on one side of the river L’Orb.

It is definitely worth a visit. A whole day should be left for this excursion.

There is a well known tropical garden built into the hillside with steep steps leading you to the colourful plants and plants up the slopes.

There is also a signposted walk across the vineyards, which leads back to the picturesque bridge along the river, where you can hire canoes or enjoy a quick swim.

There is a great safari park at Sigean (Sigean African Reserve) and this is easily reached via Autoroute A9, when you travel towards Perpignan.

You can easily spend a day here and it is a great little safari for the kids (although not cheap).

There is a fabulous walk around the lake which has scenic views and a huge gathering of flamingos - you will also a large troop of chimpanzees in their own enclosure!

The medieval town of Carcassone with its fairytale looking castle is just one hour away to the West and has been the set for several major films.

The major town of Montpellier (with one of the oldest medical schools in Europe, tourist train and vast square) is one hour away to the East.

The Spanish border and Collier, a pretty but very busy seaside village (the summer retreat for Picasso and Matisse), are less than 90 minutes away.

It is heaving in the summer so be warned.

There is an information folder in the villa which contains leaflets for several of these destinations but we understand the Michelin Green Guide to the Languedoc is a highly recommended read for those wanting to visit the surrounding areas.

Our advice if you want to gain the most from your holiday is to try and visit a few places but leave plenty of time and avoid the temptation to rush around from one place to another.

The area and its people are laid back, easy going and friendly- enjoy it before you sink back into the rat race!

If you want to eat at the villa, there are a couple of supermarkets and grocers in Portiragnes Plage as well as a boulangerie providing fresh daily bread and croissants.

There are several other shops selling food including several pizza places and a great little ice cream parlour, which is the shop nearest to the water flumes.

There are several restaurants with outdoor seating within 2 separate parades - one is within a short walk of the villa and the other a little further away, but both are walkable and near the beach in Portiragnes Plage itself.

Provisions can also be purchased at the shops and supermarket in Portiragnes Village or from the large Champion supermarket on the N112 to Bezier (it is located just outside Cers), between Portiragnes and Bezier.

There are a couple of very friendly restaurants in Portiragnes Village including the ‘Mon Reve d’Enfant’ run by the friendly Peter and Roselinde, opposite the sports hall.

A fisherman sells fresh fish and seafood every Saturday morning in the centre of the village and regular markets are also held in the village.

The hypermarkets, ‘Geant’ and ‘Auchan‘, are located on the outskirts of Bezier and can be easily reached by car, just past the A9 toll gates as you travel in the direction of Bezier.

They have everything you want!

They contain good delicatessens and have large restaurants within the same shopping complex.

There are several other restaurants located near the hypermarkets in Bezier such as Fort Apache and The Buffalo Grill (American theme) and McDonalds (with an outdoor play area).

Of course, Bezier itself has a number of restaurants associated with a sizeable town.

There is a great pizzeria, La Cremade, at Villeneuve-les-Beziers which is by the Canal and outdoor seats are at a premium so booking in advance is advisable especially in the summer.

It is a great place to spend an evening with large, delicious pizzas cooked in their own clay ovens.

If you are hungry, although not gourmet food, the ‘Buffeteria’ provides a huge array of food at a fixed price of less than £10 per adult - there is plenty of seafood, fish, a choice of soups, a number of other hot dishes, nearly 20 different salads and cold meats and a large choice of desserts and cheese.

An added bonus is that children between the ages of 6 and 18 are half price and the under 6s eat free!

If you are hungry, this is the place to go!

The Buffeteria is located on the way to Vias from Bezier and Portiragnes, by the N112 and just past Bezier-Vias Airport.

If you do not want to go to a restaurant or cook, you can always get a pizza takeway outlets at Portitanges Plage or the pizza vans which appear every evening at different locations.

There is usually a van present at the roundabout in Portiragnes village, in Villeneuve-les-Bezier and the Champion supermarket.

The pizza van at the roundabout at Portiragnes Village, near the lock of the Canal du Midi, is particularly good!