If you like a holiday that has a good mix of lazy days on the beach and interesting towns with art galleries to visit, then the area around Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of Languedoc Roussillon is the place to be.

The father of Fauvism, Henri Matisse, arrived in Collioure in the summer of 1905 and later wrote "Working before a soul-stirring landscape, all I thought of was making my colours sing without paying any heed to rules and regulations" The Fauves, translated as "wild animals", used bold colour and brush strokes and although the movement was short-lived, it had a profound influence on the world of art. Matisse was joined later that summer by Andre Derain, and Collioure with its unique quality of light and colour of the sea became a mecca for artists. Later Picasso and Braque both painted in Collioure.

The Chemin du Fauvisme is a sign-posted trail around the town which takes the visitor past 20 reproductions of works by the Fauvists. The tourist office sells the official guide-book for the trail. The Musee d'Art Moderne in Collioure was unfortunately closed for renovation when I visited in June 2007 but was due to open on July 1st. It has a good collection of 20th century art and is beautifully situated in a villa in the Pams Gardens.

The small town of Ceret at the foot of the Pyrenees has a very interesting Museum of Modern Art with works not only by the Fauvists but also Miro, Dali and Picasso. Many of the works were donated by the artists themselves who stayed in Ceret.

The even smaller town of St Cyprien has two art galleries. The Musée Desnoyer has an excellent collection including works by Dufy, another of the Fauves, Chagall, Miro and Picasso whilst the Centre d'Art Contemporain exhibits some rather more challenging work. One ticket admits you to both galleries although this is not advertised as far as I could see.

The small citadel town of Elne is most famous for its cathedral and cloisters but the Musée Terrus is also worth a visit. The artist Terrus was a friend of Matisse and Derain and many of his works, showing a clear Fauvist influence, are displayed here. Your ticket to the cloisters gives you free admission to the collection.

Rentals France has details of all the properties in the area.