14 February 2021 | Holidays
It looks like the South... Occitanie my love
It looks like the South
Time is long
And life surely
Over a million years
And always in summer
It sounds like the South, this song smacks of summer, nostalgia, vacations. This imaginary South could take its place in Occitanie.
Occitanie was born in 2016 from the merger of the Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions. Consequently, it becomes one of the largest regions in France. It is also one of the sunniest regions with more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.
Occitanie: between wild beauty and urban dynamism
40% of the territory of Occitanie consists of remarkable and protected natural areas. It features 7 regional natural parks and 2 national parks, 29 nature reserves, 249 Natura 2000 sites. 25% of its Mediterranean side is owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral. In addition, Occitanie is also the 1st region for the number of beaches and ports labeled 'Blue Flag'. (source: Occitanie Sud de France website). WE love:
The cliffs of Leucate - They connect the villages of Leucate and La Franqui. Don't forget to hike the lookout trail. It's a path along the cliffs. The panorama is magical: the sea as far as the eye can see, the olive trees, the scrubland, the vines. A postcard from the south.
The Giant Chasm of Cabrespine - The Gouffre Géant de Cabrespine is one of the 10 most impressive caves in Europe. Its 250 meters deep with a volume of 1,600,000 m³. The originality of the visit lies in its 3 modes: on foot, with an acro cave course or on water through the underground river.
More info: Gouffre de Cabrespine.
In addition, Occitanie is steeped in history where you will find a wide range of dynamic cultural life, theater, opera, cinema and museums. The largest cities to visit are Toulouse and Montpellier. And also, further south, smaller but no less beautiful are Narbonne and Perpignan.
Celebrities and Occitanie
Several celebrities are from Occitanie such as singer Julien Doré, painter Pierre Soulages, rappers Bigflo & Oli or biathlete Martin Fourcade. Many artists have cherished this region and have spent part of their lives there, such as Geoges Brassens, Jérôme Savary, Paul Valéry, Françoise Sagan or even Claude Nougaro.
