The mediterranean town of Banyuls-sur-Mer lies just north of the border between France and Spain and can be reached by road in about 45-50mins. from our house, depending on the route taken. It would probably be worth combining a visit to it with a to Port Vendres and/or Collioure which lie a few kilometres further north, as all three towns are accessed from the coastal road the N114. The southern section of the N114 from Port Vendres onwards becomes more twisty as the road has not yet been upgraded to the same standard.

Banyuls-sur-Mer is probably best known in the region for the production of the Banyuls wine, a generally sweet wine, drunk as an apéritif or as a dessert wine. The wines are produced from the vines which cling to the hills around the town and form an impressive backdrop to the Mediterranean bay which fronts the town.

The Cellier des Templiers provides tours of its cellars, some dating back to the 13th century, during the months of June to September and is open all year round for free tasting and of course the opportunity to buy a bottle or two.

Also at Banyuls-sur-Mer is one of the oldest aquariums in France located at the Arago Laboratory, a centre for marine biology research. Admission is about 4 euros for adults, half price for children, and it is open all year round.

If you are interested in sculpture then there is also the Maillol Museum (Maillol was born in Banyuls in 1861 and did much of his work there) a few kilometres outside of Banyuls which can be visited, daily except Sundays and public holidays, entry about 3 euros for adults, children half price. In the museum you will be able to see many of the cast models which eventually became the full size statues.

If you are visiting the town around lunchtime then we can recommend the restaurant situated along the front of Chez Claude for excellent value and quality, specializing in fish dishes.