Saint-Cyprien, the leading yacht harbour on the Gulf of Lion

One of the seven seaside resorts in “département 66” to have been built in the 1960’s, south-east of Perpignan, not far from the lake of Canet-en-Roussillon, Saint-Cyprien is today the third largest yacht harbour in Europe. Year-round residents and holiday-makers enjoy six kilometres of sandy beaches, an international golf-course, the Grand Stadium of Les Capellans and the riding centre.

Home to 10,300 inhabitants in the off-season, this town focussing strongly on tourism accommodates 100,000 people in summer. Sheltered by two breakwaters, the marina provides moorings for 2,200 boats. The marine reserve of Cerbère-Banyuls is 7 miles out at sea, the train stations of Perpignan, Argelès and Elme are 18, 11 and 5 km away respectively. Ryanair runs flights to the airport of the capital of the Eastern Pyrenees and that of Gérone. Saint-Cyprien collects labels : two flowers in the “Concours des Villes et Villages Fleuris”, “Pavillon Bleu”, “Qualité Tourisme” and “Famille Plus”. 40 and 50 year-olds account for over 23 % of the population.

“The town is made up of three main areas : the golf-course neighbourhood characterized by its beautiful villas, the town centre popular with buyers from outside the “département”, and the south with its beaches and marina, acclaimed by families looking for peace and quiet,” says Muriel Vidal of the agency bearing her name. “The clientele of Saint-Cyprien, located a 35-minute drive from the Spanish border and 1 hr 15 minutes from the first ski resorts, is probably more middle-class and family-oriented than that of neighbouring towns,” adds Colette Casanovas of the Agence du Port. 40 % of buyers, French seniors in search of the sun and, to a lesser extent, people working locally, are looking for main homes. Bringing a “pavillon” of 70-95 m2 with a garden of 300 m2 but no sea view, their budgets generally range from 200,000 to 300,000 €. The starting-price for a villa facing the Mediterranean is 500,000 €. Which is also the starting-point of the so-called top end of the market, which has remained fairly constant despite the crisis. One seller is currently asking 785,000 € for a house of 200 m2 in grounds of 2,000 m2 with a pool near the greens. A penthouse of 200 m2 with a terrace of 300 m2, facing the Med, is close on one million euros. A restored farmhouse of 400 m2, split into several luxury apartments, attains 1,030,000 €. An ultra-modern house of 300 m2 on the golf-course bears a price-tag of 1,280,000 €. Those looking for holiday homes pay from 65,000 to 400,000 € for the address, though most of them stop at 200,000 €. Demand for new properties or building land comes up against a severe shortage.

“The market is doing well,” comments Muriel Vidal. A lot of people are looking to invest in property, determined to benefit from guaranteed rental income and long-term prospects of capital gains. Lower prices, observed everywhere except in immediate proximity to the beach, have led to a return to coherent levels. Correctly estimated, a property sells within three months. Convinced of the potential of Saint-Cyprien and its infrastructures such as the golf-course, 4-star hotels and the yacht harbour, this estate agent looks to the future with serenity.