Narbonne-Plage, an affordable resort on the Aude coast
By Laetitia Rossi - 28 April 2010
Founded in 1950, this holiday resort lies 15 km east of Narbonne, between the communes of Gruissan and Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, in the “Pays Cathar” and the regional nature park. It is apparently not only of interest to holiday-makers, but also to local workers and retirees in search of the sun.
Narbonne-Plage boasts 5 km of fine sand and a yacht harbour that can accommodate 600 boats. It became very popular in the 1960’s, and won the European Blue Flag in 1988. The Massif de la Clape separates the resort from the town to which it belongs and the SNCF train station, while the airport of Béziers is 40 km away. Of the 30,000 summertime residents, only 2,600 live there all year round. “They benefit from many on-site facilities, kindergarten and primary schools, a post-office, bank, convenience stores, tobacconist and newsagent, bakery, town-hall, fitness centre, bars and restaurants, doctors and nurses,” says Christoph Fütterer of Fütterer Property. He explains that the resort has four main zones. The shoreline offers accommodation built from 1950 to 1970, individual houses and some apartment buildings. The former rarely appear in estate-agents’ files ; the latter, 1-bedroom apartments with or without mezzanines, from 25 to 32 m2, range from 60,000 to 80,000 €. Towards the Massif de la Clape, small holiday homes on estates, built between 1980 and 2000, offer 35 to 40 m2 and cost from 105,000 to 140,000 €. On the hills, the most sought-after zone is comprised of villas and apartments facing the Med, often occupied year-round. A furnished house of 64 m2, with annexes, has just found a buyer at 200,000 €. Just 200 metres away, a new development consists of single storey homes of 57 m2 priced at 164,900 €. At the entrance to the resort, the sector launched in 2003 already has 700 homes, most of which are houses as opposed to apartments. Their standards and surface areas are ideal for permanent residents. A detached house of 75 m2 with a garage sells for 220,000 €. Completion time is relatively long, with both parties apparently not in any particular hurry, though activity in general seems to be somewhat brisker following a drop in prices of around 10 %.
“Retirees are not the only ones looking for apartments on the Aude coast. Their enthusiasm is indicative of a general trend,” observes Isabelle Moutot of the Agence du Soleil, affiliated to the FNAIM network. The affordability of the address is, of course, a contributing factor. Comparable to Leucate, Narbonne-Plage posts prices 15 % lower than those of Gruissan, for equivalent properties. The planned renovation of the seafront should ultimately enhance tourist amenities and improve the image of the beach already very popular among families from Narbonne, Carcassonne, Castelnaudary or even Toulouse. Frequently serving as the first step towards acquisition, seasonal rentals are doing well. Year-round occupancy is growing at the same rate as purchases of main residences. But for now, 80 % of clients are still looking for holiday homes or investments.