Affordable French seaside town you can walk to from Spain – it’s loved by locals and has an award-winning beach
A FRENCH seaside town has been compared to Santorini, but is mostly only visited by locals rather than foreigners.
It has award-winning beaches and picturesque walking routes nearby, including to Spain which is just a short stroll away along the coast.
Cerbere is actually the last French town before reaching Spain along, with just 2.4 miles between the town and the border.
It sits in the Catalan region of the Vermilion Coast and has more of a Catalan past, rather than a French one, with Catalan spoken by many of its residents and Catalan food served in its restaurants.
What’s more, the sardana (Catalonia’s national dance) is regularly performed in the town, particularly during festivals and national hoildays.
One of the reasons Cebere is such an attractive holiday option is how affordable it is, with Barcelona Metropolitan labelling it the “Cote d’Azur without the hefty price tag”.
Like the Cote d’Azur, it has plenty of beaches worth visiting too, including a near shingle beach next to its town centre.
Elsewhere, plenty of sandier stretches of shoreline can be found including some blue flag award-winning beaches that might be better for sunbathing.
French beach website Plages said: “There are several beaches in Cerbere as well as small coves.
“The main beach is awarded the blue flag every year for the quality of its bathing waters.”
They also recommend the nearby Del Saurels beach, as well as Banyuls-sur-Mer, Peyrefite.and the cove of Bon Pomé, which they claim are “very pretty and not known by many holiday makers”.
Adding to that natural beauty are the towering hills and mountains that sit behind the beaches, drawing comparisons to some of the most popular holiday spots in Greece.
France Voyage wrote: “Between sea and mountains this village offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea comparable to Santorini.”
All of these reasons, and more, contributed to i listing it among their seven French holiday destinations that locals won’t want tourists to know about.
They wrote: “The Catalan stretch of the French Mediterranean is the playground of French holidaymakers and even in the height of summer you will probably find few other British tourists.
“Towns further east are rather resort-like, with pleasure ports and unappealing apartment blocks, but Cerbere, a sheltered little cove town where the buildings cling to the rising foothills of the Pyrenees, is gorgeous.
Everything you need to know about visiting France
- Brits need to have a passport with at least three months left on it.
- No visas are needed for anyone staying up to 90 days within an 180-day period but you need to make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- You may also need to show proof of accommodation and funds, around €120 a day.
- The country uses the euro with with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- France is one hour ahead of the UK
- Direct flights to France from the UK take between 1-4 hours depending on the destination
- Or you can travel by train with Eurostar, with destinations including Paris or Lille.
“From here cross the border on foot into Spain (or hire a boat) to pop over for lunch. Walking virtually untrodden trails of the Reserve Naturelle Nationale de Cerbère-Banyuls is a delight and makes a welcome change from beach-hopping.”
Away from its natural allure, a unique architectural landmark can also be found in the town, in the shape of the Belvedere hotel.
The art deco monument first opened in 1932 and was inspired by cruise liners from the time.
It can still be booked for holidays, although it offers apartments for people to stay in, rather than simple hotel rooms.
A night for two in an apartment can be booked from around £110.
For that, guests will have access to air conditioning, an equipped kitchen, a refrigerator, coffee maker, private bathroom and a lounge area with sofa.
Less historically interesting accommodation options can be booked from around £40 per night, for two.
To get to Cebere, it’s easiest to fly to Girona in Spain, and then to travel from there across the border.
Meanwhile, this Greek paradise island is also only visited by local tourists.
And here are some of The Sun travel team’s favourite UK seaside destinations.