This building was formerly the Caserne Taillefer, a barrack building built in 1885 to support the gun battery above it. It was built of stone in a sheltered spot nearly 1500 feet above sea level with superb views of the Mediterranean coast. (Find Batterie de Taillefer on Google Maps for the location. The house is just below the fort.)
In 2012 we can offer accommodation for groups of up to twelve, in five bedrooms, on a self catering basis. We can also arrange bedding and towels, and basic provisions, as well as more elaborate meals. Come by train and we can arrange transport for you and your luggage from Collioure or Port Vendres. There is a direct overnight train from Paris to Port Vendres, and TGV to Perpignan. We can also arrange safe parking for your car.
The house is completely off grid, generating its own electricity, with woodburners for heating and recycling waste water ecologically. Access is by a track leading up to terrace carved into the hillside at 460 metres and protected from the prevailing winds. There are seven footpaths which converge at the col nearby offering varied daywalking to the historic towers at Madeloc and Tour de la Massane, the nature reserve of the Massane, the GR10 long distance path and routes in to Spain and the high Pyrennees, or down to the beaches and historic villages of Collioure, Port Vendres and Banyuls.
The footpaths are well signed and maintained, and provide good walking for those of average fitness and more challenging routes for the experienced. However, this is a mountain environment, and walkers need to be properly equipped. The house and area would not be suitable for very young children. Amazingly there is good mobile access and 3G reception.
The house is great for birdwatching, particularly in times of migration, for flowers in March-May and for butterflies.You can watch the sun rise from the sea in the morning, and set behind the Corbières in the evening, walk or hire a mountain bike, or just sit on the terrace and read, listening to the silence! The house has a wide variety of maps, nature guides, games, and other reading. Our blog gives you much more detail about the wildlife.
Although remote, the house is only an hour's walk from Collioure for an evening out, and a taxi can drop you back to a track only 20 minutes from the house. Or if you want to combine a mountain week with a week nearer to the beaches and restaurants you could rent our fisherman's house right on the port in Port Vendres.
Refuge Madeloc offers an unforgettable week in an astonishing setting. We are working hard to provide what our visitors need, and will be on hand to make things run smoothly. We are happy to answer your questions and give advice. Feel free to contact us by email and we will see how we can help.
The pricing of the rental depends on the numbers of people using the property. We charge a minimum of €500 a week off season, and €20 per person per night in July and August with a minimum of 5 people. We can offer discounts for children and can be flexible about starting dates, so please do get in touch to discuss the details.
