Pretty French coastal town has sandy beaches and family-friendly villas – as well as Ryanair flights for £15

“THE sea is spitting at me! It’s very naughty,” cried five-year-old Eva as we bounced around in a boat, hoping to spot some dolphins.

We were in Saint-Cyprien, a small town in southern France, for the opening of Pierre & Vacances’ new self-catering complex, Residence Domaine du Golfe du Lion.

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Safe to say Eva was already having a whale of a time here on the boat tour, even with the dolphins being a no-show.

She especially loved it when the captain floored it so that we barrelled into oncoming waves at quite the pace.

I am not sure what was trickier — dealing with the water splashing in our faces or the shrieks as a gaggle of excited kids pretended they were going to fall in.

Fortunately, we had a lovely outdoor decking area back at our villa where we could dry off in the sun.

Our home for the next few days felt very much like a UK country lodge with two bedrooms, a huge living and kitchen area as well as two bathrooms — much to the excitement of Eva, who now only wants to go on holiday “if I get my very own shower”.

As well as 71 villas, Pierre & Vacances’ latest opening has 79 apartments, which all sleep between four and eight people — each one decorated in ­neutral tones with crisp new linens.

Where Golfe du Lion really differs from most bog-standard self-catering holidays is not just in the shiny new living spaces, but the extras.

There are a host of things for families to do around the complex, including mini golf, climbing frames, volleyball, table football or giant chess — all of which are free for guests.

Guests can also hire bikes, and scooters for little ones, from reception, plus there is a kids’ club which runs for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon to give knackered parents a break.

Water babies can wander to the Lagune Plongee, just over one kilometre away, for a scuba diving excursion or venture to l’Etang de Canet where they can get stuck into kitesurfing.

Barbecue feast

For families with older kids, or who want to make it a multi-generational trip, there is a spa with a steam room, sauna and chic cabins for massages, among other treatments.

And you can’t forget about the swimming pool, which went down a treat with Eva — who claims to be half mermaid.

Her holiday friend Connie was the same, and spent the whole time we were there threatening to push my partner Dan in . . .  kids!

We were on holiday in March but were really lucky with the weather, so Eva still got to do flying leaps into the solar-heated outdoor pool with massive shouts of “cannon ball”.

Meanwhile I shivered on the sidelines as Dan prayed Connie wouldn’t make good on her promise.

There is a snack bar on site but no shop, so we had to venture out to get provisions.

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Luckily there is a store about a ten-minute walk away, plus a small ­market area which is even closer.

The complex is 900m from the port and the beach, both of which are well worth a visit, because what makes Saint-Cyprien stand out is its location.

Dan and I love travelling, but neither of us have been to a beach which has both sun-kissed sand and a clear view of snowy mountains before.

The area is so near the Pyrenees you can even go skiing if you want, it takes 1.5 hours to get to Andorra — so you really get the best of both worlds.

Or maybe you want a day trip to Spain?

The area is so near the Pyrenees you can even go skiing if you want

That is more than doable if you hire a car that will get you there in about 40 minutes.

Saint-Cyprien itself is everything you want from a pretty French port town.

It is teeming with bars and restaurants, has great ice cream parlours and lots of activities on offer.

We picked a boat tour but others at our resort had been horse-riding or tried one of the 23 hiking trails or 20 cycling routes in the area.

Holidaymakers can also try their hand at kite-surfing or stop by the tennis courts.

Dan and I would also highly recommend the Catalan breakfast which is put on by locals at the harbour, near the Tourist Office, every Saturday morning.

It is an all-you-can-eat barbecue meat feast for a bargain six euros — though we weren’t too thrilled by the blood sausage which was presented to us.

Best of all, though, this is a holiday which really doesn’t have to break the bank.

In June 2024, a four-person apartment will set you back just over £750, while a villa for the same number of people is £900.

In the summer, there are also direct flights from the UK to Perpignan, which is only a 20-minute drive from the site.

The only thing missing from all the fun is the French dolphins.

We are holding out hope for next time!

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