Buying Hotspots: Thuir

First published: 20th January 2020 by Vanezza Avinante

Pyrénées-Orientales, Occitanie

Thuir is many things: a proud part of Catalan country; home of the famous Caves Byrrh; and an altogether attractive southern town, tinged with the dusty red hues of the sun-kissed Pyrénées-Orientales.

For prospective homeowners, it offers up a tantalising mix of traditional mas farmhouses, stone townhouses and swanky modern villas. The cheapest of these are the townhouses. They start at around €100,000 and stretch to around €300,000, depending on what you’re looking for. To give you a flavour, there’s currently a five-bedroom townhouse for sale slap-bang in the centre of Thuir, with four roof terraces, two bathrooms and a garage (hard to come by in the bustling centre ville) – and it’s a real snip at just €175,000.

There are also oodles of gîte properties in the area, so if you’re sniffing out B&B or rental possibilities, we’d recommend scouting around Thuir and its neighbouring towns, such as Montauriol and Castelnou.

Of course, buying prospects are all well and good, but they don’t mean anything if the neighbourhood is as dull as dishwater! Luckily, that’s not a problem in Thuir, whose geography in Northern Catalonia places you directly in a melting pot of cultures.

In summer, traditional Catalan music floods the streets, and winter sees an animated Christmas festival light up the town. The Caves Byrrh are wildly popular for fans of the wine-based apéritif, whilst history lovers can get their fill of Cathar castles and crumbling medieval ramparts. Or, if outdoor sport is more your cup of tea, you’re spoilt for choice: canyoning, rafting, caving and paragliding are all common pastimes, and the sea is only a short drive to the east.

Perpignan is also close (20 minutes by car) and well connected. It’s linked with Paris via the TGV and there are Ryanair flights between Perpignan and Birmingham or London Stansted. Of course, Thuir is also a stone’s throw from the Spanish border. Figueres, Salvador Dalí’s birthplace and home to the wonderfully weird Dalí Theatre-Museum, is less than an hour’s drive away, or a 23-minute journey on the train from Perpignan. In short, you’ll never be bored.

With thanks to our partner agencies in Thuir