Hotels in Perpignan - French Destinations
Pyrenees: Introduction > Walking in the Pyrenees > Basque Country > Bayonne > Biarritz > Céret > Lourdes > Perpignan > Perpignan Hotels > PauPerpignan has a lively street life with numerous festivals throughout the year, as you might expect from a town so close to the Spanish border. Tio Tio is a pre-Lent celebration where, strange as it may seem, people dressed in white robes drag bathtubs full of flour through the streets, covering everyone with a layer of the white powder. On Good Friday there is the Procession de la Sanch when penitents wear black or red traditional robes with hoods called caperutxa and parade through the old part of town in silence.
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Then at midsummer a so-called sacred flame descends from Mont Canigou and there is much merriment in town during a festival called the Fete de la St-Jean. The Marché Médiéval runs simultaneously so expect to see people in strange garb. The fiestas continue into the autumn when, on the third Thursday of the month, a barrel of the new wine is carted to the Cathédrale St-Jean to be blessed. There is also a two-week jazz festival at around the same time.
These festivals are mentioned because, with all these activities in town, Perpignan promises to be a lively place to stay. Perpignan hotels may fill up during the above-mentioned fiestas, so you may want to book ahead just to be on the safe side. The Hôtel Poste et Perdrix at 6 rue Fabriques-Nabot (04 68 34 42 53) has comfortable accommodation from €40-55 and Le Maillol off rue St-Jean on Impasse des Cardeurs (04 68 34 63 32) also has good rooms for slightly less money at €30-40. Cheaper options are available near the station, including the Paris-Barcelone (04 68 34 42 60) directly opposite the station at €40-55 and Le Berry at 6 avenue de Gaulle (04 68 34 59 02) with rooms for under €30.
Eateries worth their tapas in Perpignan include the Perroquet at 1 avenue de Gaulle near the station, serving up Catalan dishes on menus from €9, or the more upmarket Cote de Théatre at 7 rue du Théatre (04 68 34 60 00) where they serve local fine cuisine on €24 and upwards menus. For seafood try Les Trois Soeurs at 2 rue Fontfroide (04 68 51 22 33) with menus from €12.50. If all you want is a drink, place Arago has some good cafés or the Grand Café de la Poste on place de Verdun is a good people-watching spot. You may even see some more festivities in the form of local dance the sardana being performed by whoever cares to join in.
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