Family-run gîte complex in the Pyrénées near Carcassonne and Mirepoix
Please click on a picture to explore our gîtes :
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Languedoc
Loire
Sorry, our video will not play in your browser.
Tap or click on each title to view the page.
We've been here in France running our gites since 2002, and from 2005 we have had paper 'gite diaries' in the gites for our guests to record their stay and give comments and advice to other guests.
This worked very well for ten years, but with the inexorable rise of social media it is now more and more common to have those comments posted online for good reasons.
Since 2013 we have asked our guests to post a review of our gites on the site where they found us and made their booking and we have many comments scattered across the internet, but this is not very practical as no one wants to look up reviews spread across 20 different advertising sites.
So, to stop this happening we've now set up this guest book and we hope you find the comments here useful if you're thinking of staying with us!
We don't publish here anyone's email address because we all know that spam senders would just use them if we did, but we hope that all of our clients posting here would be happy to swap emails with anyone wanting more information about our gites, so if you would like to speak with the writers of any message please contact us and we'll try to put you in touch.
Select a gite here : All gites Bordeaux Burgundy Languedoc Loire
- Amazing hosts that go over and above to ensure your perfect stay. We can not speak highly enough of their support and guidance. They are genuinely lovely, caring people.
- Home-from-home accommodation equipped to meet your every need. The gite was cosy, warm and welcoming for our winter/spring 5-month stay.
- A spacious gite set within an extensive plot with magnificent landscapes, views of the beautiful Pyrenees mountains, a large pool and grassed areas to relax.
- Experience everyday life in authentic rural France; its people, lifestyles; history, castles and churches all in one day!
- Circular, and signposted, walks and extensive hikes on your doorstep. Serious hiking and skiing in the Ariege region. Extensive bird watching.
- An abundance of local markets and pretty villages. Some shabby and some chic!
- Plenty of cellar-door wine tasting from the largest, highly acclaimed regions in France.
- Be alongside the happiest, most helpful and friendly local people.
- Explore Carcassonne and Toulouse within an hour, Narbonne, Bezier, Montpellier and Perpignan within 2 or take a stunning car journey to Barcelona.
We enjoyed all of the above and much more, giving us a truly memorable travel experience. Thank you, Dave and Kath.
Ian and Joy Thacker Perth, Western Australia January - May 2023
It was a great choice, totally spotless and we loved the verandah, which we ate all our meals on. There was also an excellent pool, which was just as well as the weather was very hot !
What we hadn't anticipated was how much was going on round about... Perhaps we were lucky, but there was an excellent Friday evening food-market in Leran, close by, a concert in Limbrassac itself on the Saturday evening, a wonderful market selling brilliant examples of 'vannerie' (basket-making) in the village on the Sunday and a great market in Mirepoix (15 mins. drive) on the Monday morning.
Highly recommended - and our hosts were very knowledgeable without being 'in your face'...
Dave and Kath were perfect hosts. We had a really lovely stay - very peaceful, lovely views and just the tonic we needed. The gite was really well equipped and had everything we needed. The location is excellent and Dave and Kath gave us lots of recommendations on places to visit. We highly recommend.
The property was the cleanest and best equipped gite we have stayed in in France. Even the barbecue was spotless!
The hosts were welcoming, friendly and helpful. Our security deposit was refunded promptly - absolutely no complaints! Thank you Dave and Kath.
Nos hôtes sont charmants et nous ont très bien accueilli et le logement est très agréable. La propriété est située dans un petit village très tranquille. Un merveilleux séjour.
Hôte très accueillant, chaleureux et disponible, site calme, au milieu de la nature, deux espaces exterieurs, petit jardin côté nature avec barbecue, terrasse repas côté piscine, logement spacieux.
Nous avons passé deux semaines formidables, Dave et Kath sont des hôtes accueillants qui sauront vous conseiller sur les activités à ne pas manquer.De nombreux équipements sont à disposition (piscine, barbecue, table de ping-pong, babyfoot, terrain et set de badminton, pétanque, échiquier et puissance 4 géants...).Il y a de belles randonnées aux alentours, des grottes, villages animés, chateaux, marché gourmand... je recommande.
What a wonderful relaxing week we had. The Gite was great for a young family and perfectly located next to the pool, and Dave and Kath were welcoming, friendly and very helpful. The whole site is situated in a beautiful village and well maintained with stunning vegetation and equally stunning views.Definitely gets our recommendation and we'd love to return.
So far, 5 stars. Awesome host, awesome accommodation, awesome locationAt the end of the week, I stand by 5 stars and initial comments.Dave and Kath were happy to help with any questions and queries, dealt with any problems immediately but also let us have privacy and the freedom of the complex. Sometimes, when staying on the same site as the owner it can feel intrusive - not so at l'enclos. I only hope that no one is put off by a rogue review with no context.We will be booking for next yearThank you Dave and Kath.
My favourite day was spent visiting the caves at Niaux which involved a tour of the prehistoric paintings, painted over 13,000 years ago, followed by an enjoyable and picturesque hike up towards the Pic des trois Seigneurs. We ate out a few times in the week and the food was amazing, with delicious 3 course meals for under 20 euros per person.
The accommodation at gite Languedoc was pleasant and provided everything we needed. It was nice to come back and go for a late afternoon swim in the pool or relax on the terrace in the evening watching the sunset. We would highly recommend L’Enclos if you are thinking of holidaying in this region of France.
France has surprised us all with its cleanliness, great road network and FREE parking.
Mirepoix is a pretty medeival town with an extensive Monday market showcasing local produce, however beware the chickens and nougat!!!!, as in most places tourists can be easy game.
Montsegur castle was fascinating as was the village and museum.
Canoeing down the Aude was a challenge and the jousting in Sete was an experience.
Many more sites and experiences during two week stay at L'Enclos suffice to say all within easy distance, host Dave approachable and accessible throughout stay, nothing to small and to top it all weather was great.
Thanks Dave & Kath, have already recommended and happy to do so again
With table tennis, boules, badminton, table football as well as a lovely pool it was ideal for our teenagers (13 and 15 - boy and girl) (and wifi good too - not always the case in French gites - but essential for teenagers!).
Dave and Kath are lovely hosts with lots of really handy advice for whatever you are interested in.
While it was off the beaten track, Limbrassac was wonderfully positioned to get quickly out to explore places nearby - the lake was very close by and also great for our teenagers with canoeing, slide pedalos and paddleboarding. Further afield there is canoeing on rivers from the mountains, while we also did day trips to Toulouse and Carcassonne. Plenty more we haven't done yet both cultural and sporting - But we didn't want to do too much as it was very relaxing being in Limbrassac too.
Thank you!
Favourite highlights were relaxing by the pool, enjoying the beautiful scenery, visits to Mirepoix & Carcassonne. A fabulous girls night out at No. 8 Tapas Bar in Mirepoix. Lac Montbel & acrobranche at the lake near Carcassonne were the highlights for the kids (age 9 & 11).
A huge thank you to Dave & Kath for their helpful advice and for being such great hosts. We would love to come back again one day.
Best Wishes
The Farrs
The gite itself was well equipped, BBQ, pool, comfortable and charming.
We had a great time, and I think you'd struggle to find a more lovely place to base yourself in the Ariege region.
Things we did:- climbed Montsegur for fab views and powerful evocation of Cathar history; gorge walks delivered nature in abundance; visited the phenomenon of the hourly flash-flooding Fontaine de Fontestorbes, near Lavelanet; Mirepoix itself of course (lovely) and the nearby church in the rock, at Vals; the castle at Foix, and also white water rafting, river surfing, and kayaking; Carcassonne is beautiful, albeit very commercial; horse riding near the gite, and swimming in the lake. Some of our party majored on hiking in the Pyrenees, easily accessible for a day trip.
The top spot though, for me, were the the Niaux caves with their 13,000 year old wall paintings.
The market in Mirepoix on Monday is always a highlight. For those interested in Cathar history Chateaux de Monsegur and Rocquefixade are nearby. This year some of the highlights were our visits to Grotte de Niaux and Parc de la Préhistoire. The Friday night marché gourmand in Léron is always enjoyable. Carcassonne, Camon and Foix are also worth a visit.
Gite Loire is most comfortable, well equipped with everything required to make ones stay relaxing. Our daughter loves the fact that there is wifi access. The pool is a super facility always extremely well maintained.
We would like to thank Dave and Kath for always being such wonderful hosts. They are always there to help,offer suggestions and are friendly and courteous at all times. Hence our many return visits to their beautiful gite! À bientôt, Dave and Kath et merci!
Highlights---------- - Go Karting on track down the road - family got super competitive trying to pass each other on the bends
- Visit to subterranean river in Labouiche - really interesting and great fun in the boats
- Visit to chateau Foix with Pyrenees in the background a beautiful vista
- Friday night food market in Leran - great atmosphere food and music. Lovely experience
- Cooling down in the lovely pool during hot days
[Copy of handwritten entry in paper 'gite diary']
Parcour - We tried 2 venues both excellent for kiids (aged 5 and 7).1. Le Vernet - D'Art en arbres followed by canoeing La belle vert2. Parc acrobatique forestiere at Carcassonne. This is situated by Lac de Cavayere where there are lots of different activites to do
We also recommend Lac de Puivert. A little further away than Montbel but a nicer lake. They have a night market on a Wednesday which is worth a visit to see the different food stalls.
We have thoroughly enjoyed the 2 weeks here, L'Enclos is in a great location and Kath and Dave have been fantastic hosts. Very knowledgeable about the local attractions and a great friendly couple.
Thank you and au revoir until next time.
.... and the kids loved the dogs too!
Carasonne - we started here on the way to Limbrassac. Beautiful castle, choice of restaurants, crafts etc.
Kayaking - We do class 2/3 white water. Alet au vive in ALet les Bains is gr 1/2 on river Aude. Guide Eloi is a national standard canoeist and coach who loves to teach - excellent value. They also do 'hot dogs' also known as Kayak gonflable.
Climbing - We climb 4-6 grades. Enjoyed Roquefixade very much. Choice of climb, good views, some shade. Enjoyed piscine at Ax les Thermes short walk in, choice of grade. Went to Calames at Bedheilhac nr Tarascon. Long walk in and found site map hard to follow. Dreuilhe nearest climb is railway cutting near Lavelanet. Easy access. Good for quick climb but limited.
Mountain bikes / Road cycling. ROAD Lots of cols to climb, Montsegur, Mont D'Olmes. Plenty towards Ax les Thermes. Flatter local roads.MB Used Montbel lake route. For downhill mountain bikers Ax Les Thermes lifts are good but grades were tough.
SailingNo windsurfers at Montbel this year but had quiet sail in Catamaran and saw Egrets.
Trail runningGreat opportunities and plenty of hills. Use serie bleu maps.
Lake swimmingMontbel is clean and not too cold.
WildlifeHave seen:-Mink - whilst KayakingPine Marten - Nr MontsegurEagleEgretAdderSquirrel - Red squirrelInteresting spidersLots of butterfliersBats
Walks guides in folder are a good basis.Enjoyed Gorge de Pereille
Food Mirepoix Delicious
Have had another great week.
Did Montbel lake again which was good, went to the lake near Carcassonne which was really good. Did the inflatables in the water with the boys (8+12) and we all had great fun, also tree climbing there with zip wires across the lake + pedaloes. Carcassonne was lovely and definitely worth a visit.
Did the canoeing at Couiza again. I think it was a different bit to when we came last time. It was very good fun with lots of rapids - got stuck a lot, also very pretty.
Thanks Cath and Dave you have been so helpful and friendly once again from booking canoes for us to showing us our route to the Spanish Pyrenees.
- A visit to the market at Mirepoix - Lagrasse - v pretty village with swimming in the river and an interesting abbaye. - Lac de Cavayere - for water activities. - Carcassonne - very busy but worth a look. - Dave and Kath's local walks. - The pool
We had another highly enjoyable week. This time, as well as multiple bike rides and walks, we spent time at the lake, visited the underground river at de Labouiche, climbed up to Montsegur (highly recommended) and visited the evening food market in Leran. We find new things to do here every time!
We enjoyed horse-riding at the lac - 10 minutes drive. and conoeing also.
Lovely walks from the door. Great facilities. Thanks for having us.
The kids enjoyed it too, even considering the weather not being great due to the ghastly hurricane 'Bertha'!! We've had maybe 7 days out of the 14 that were beautiful sunny days and we made the most of it by spending time around and in the pool and we spent a lovely day at Montbel lake, the kids went in the lake and they now have a variety of bouncy castles for the kids to enjoy too.
Mirepoix market on a Monday morning is a must, so much so that we went on both Mondays, sizing everything up the first week and going back to purchase some bargains in the second week.
Monday market at Mirepoix is excellent (every Monday) and Thursday market is good as well (every two weeks). Beaches are nice. Lastours castle is excellent, worth the walk (that isn't that bad) up to it.
We did very little exploring this time and spent lots of time by the pool. Favourite places:1. LERAN FOOD FESTIVAL. Every Friday night.2. MIREPOIX MARKET. Every Monday morning.3. MONTSEGUR CASTLE
All in all, a great stay. Thanks again Dave and Kath.
We booked the gite after finding it online and yes booked for a month! Dave and Kath turn a beautiful place into a very special one. Their kindness and patience make them exceptional hosts. They are very well-informed and are so helpful. Blue and Cassie were an added bonus! We are a family of four (kids 12+9) and our dog. There was something for everyone, with the beautiful fresh pool being an all-round winner. My husband availed of the great cycling routes, I availed of the sun-beds and read loads. Table tennis, badminton and boules challenges were great for family challenges. We have net many lovely people here. Mirepoix is a lovely town. We found a unique place for dinner - Auberge de Mirepoix. Staff were dressed in medieval dress and traditional bread (like pitta) were the order of the day. Unanimously, canoeing in the Aude (45 mins drive) was the highlight of the holiday.
When you read through the diary you see so many people on repeated visits. Now at the end of our stay it is very clear why so many people come back time after time. I hope we will too.
The first was Andorra - what a beautiful country - well worth the drive!We stopped off in Soldeu and walked up the valley - Vall d'Incles - a challenging scramble up over rocks and boulders - between 500-600m climb - depending who you asked. Stunning scenery - the higher we climb we walked through glacier ice. From Soldeu you can take a "train/tram" to the start point of the main walk; however we chose to walk the complete journey. The journey itself from here took us through some gorgeous scenery, some great hairpin bends - the temperatures dropped by 10C by the time we got to Port d'Envalira but then steadily rose back again. Good walking shoes / boots required.
The second place on the list to do was the Millau bridge - that was a very long journey but the bridge is an amazing piece of engineering. There are two good stoppiong points - one at the top and the other at the bottom - at each are free (!) information centres.One the way back we stopped off at Roquefort and did an interesting tour of the caves - interesting though a little messy.
We have visited Carcassonne - the walled city which was a good day out, plenty to do and see - a larger version of Concarneau.
The castle of Montsegur - well worth the 200m climb; the path, after years of walkers, has become slippery so beware. Sensible shoes required! At the top breathtaking views.
A final walk - local near Lavelanet to Pereille sould have been a circular walk however too many yellow markers pointing in too many directions mean't we got lost however, we still enjoyed the walk through the woodland and valley.
The last place to visit (which we should have done on the Monday for market) will be Mirepoix on our way home - looking forward to seeing the medieval architecture.
L'Enclos has been the ideal base - the swimming pool and patios a haven to relax and unwind in.
Dave and Kath have been great hosts, there when you need some local knowledge or the rules for petanque!
Mirepoix remains our favourite place for relaxing coffees + eating + of course the Monday market.
Lovely trip as per suggestion in folder up to Revel + St Ferriol.
Trip over Col de Pailheres thwarted by road closure, but the scenery is stunning wherever!
As usual equine and canine company was most enjoyable and lovely to meet Blue. Our love and thanks.
Having a 7 month old has changed our usual holiday activities and slowed us down a bit.We enjoyed several dips in the swimming pool, a trip to Carcassonne and Foix both excellent.We also enjoyed a walk around lake Meribel.Mirepoix is a beautiful place to walk around and we visited a few times. We did a tour of Coteaux d'Engravies vinyard in Vira (15 mins away) which is worth a visit as the couple who run it are very interesting and knowledgeable about wine and the history of the local area. Lots more to do next time we come.
We spent some very enjoyable days here looking at the donkeys, playing in the sandpit and having a few very chilly dips in the pool!
We particularly liked Mirepoix, especially the Monday market and the craft market on Sunday. We also had enjoyable visits to Montsegur (although we didn't make it all the way up to the chateaux due to a protesting 2 year old)! where we had a lovely sheep's milk ice cream at 'Le sicret lou'.
Also Carcassonne where our two-year old thoroughly enjoyed looking for the queen at the castle and wandering the old town streets. The Lac de Montbel was very quiet as the cafe etc had all closed down but we did make some great sandcastles!
We also went to Foix - a charming town with a lovely Chateau. We were fortunate enough to go during a medieval fete weekend where there were actors, musicians and 'real knights'.
The animal park in St Michael was greatly enjoyed by our two-year old. They have some interesting animals spread out over a very large site. They don't accept cards in the pay booth, so as we were the only ones there the man let us in for the small amount of cash we did have!
So much to see and do - we've only scratched the surface!
Thanks very much to Kath and Dave for your hospitality especially when it came to finding entertainment on wet days. You have also been very accommodating with all of our baby needs!
As my husband is a wheelchair user, Loire gite proved ideal. We very much appreciated the wet room, wide doors and easy access to the garden area.
We had several visits to Mirepoix enjoying good meals there. The Monday market is great. What a lovely and interesting town.
We spent two days at Lac Montbel, a beautiful spot. My husband is a keen bird-watcher and he has been delighted to see species such as Hobby, Short-toed Eagle and Spotted Fly-catcher. One evening, while returning from Mirepoix we were surprised to see a little Scops owl sitting in the middle of the road, caught in the headlights. We stopped and waited till he eventually decided to fly away
The countryside and villages in this area have great charm.
The gite with its grand views and lovely pool makes an ideal holiday home.
Thank you very much Dave and Kath for your welcome and advice and for providing us with a super holiday.
We visited some of the Cathar castles. Montsegur looked more daunting than it actually was and the views were amazing with Eagles flying beneath the castle - take a picnic and go out the 'back door'.
After Montsegur, Queribus and Peyrepertuse are easy climbs - even on a hot day the wind at the top of Queribus means the rope is not merely for decoration.
Limoux is not much of a town, but we thoroughly recommend the wine tasting, especially at Sieur d'Arques where there is a little museum and the staff are very friendly and encourage everyone to try lots.
Went canoeing from Couiza on the Aude which included quite a lot of white water and an unexpected swim - the managers speak excellent english there so a full safety brief is given.
Loved Mirepoix - the square has a great atmosphere all times of the day + especially at the Celtic fesat. The pizzas at Super U were the best - also had a bad experience elsewhere.
The gite itself was excellent - great swimming, walking and playing games. Dave and Kath were perfect hosts, always around but not in your face. Lastly, Cassie, puss and the rest of the village cats who came to visit - we'll miss you.
Days out included canoeing which was a great experience kids loved it. I was a little anxious with the rapids.
Montsegur - Loved the climb and the village.
Carcassonne - Really enjoyed although busy and lake nearby with water inflatables kids loved.
Camon - Village pretty nice for short visit sat and had coffee with the locals as a boules comp going on.
Foix - Lovely had fab crepes here and walked up the castle.
Mirepoix - Loved the town markets had two fab meals here and nice relaxing coffees.
Andorra - The drive fab scenery la Vella too modern, not what expected but if you have kids drive on a short distance to Naturlandia and do worlds longest Alpine toboggan trip worth the journey to experience it. Other activites to do here too.
Mountain lake walk and driving tour - Beautiful walk took 1 hour 5 mins walking time we are fairly quick walkers. Beautiful views take lots of water and picnic go early so not too hot. Then drove to top of pass again stunning scenery. Walk recommended by Dave and Kath definitely do.
Chair lift Monts d'Olmes - Beautiful views at top of the mountains on a clear day.
Cave at Labouiche - Not a lover of caves usually boring but this is in a boat along an underground river. There were 8 of us and we all loved it a brilliant morning. Could do if raining as underground.
The gournet evening markets great fun
Two weeks not enough to see area so much we didn't get to do.
Dave and Kath lovely people and so helpful. Loved the pool and animals. Two big storms while here kids have never seen so much forked lightning.
Pool and location beautiful hope to return one day
Thank you for a fab holiday don't want to go home.
A very comfortable and well-located gite, in beautiful surroundings.
We enjoyed the Monday market at Mirepoix (Finished at 12 - 12:30) especially the musical instruments stall.
Lake Montbel is fun for families and the nearby village of Camon is very picturesque.
Thank you Dave and Kath for sharing L'Enclos with us.
Lovely to see all the usual suspects and meet up with old friends.
Weather a decidedly mixed bag this year - very atmospheric - but also lovely sun and swimming in the pool.
Scaled the heights of Foix castle - at last - lots and lots of up!
Also discovered delights of Blanquette de Limoux - What had I been missing?
Can't think that we won;t be back.
And we know one of the reasons or should I say two - we keep coming is the kindness, hospitality, knowledge + tolerance of Kath and Dave.
Many thanks.
Call +33 561 011 718 or email DaveAndKathV@gmail.com