Photos: See France’s new ‘favourite village’ - have you visited?

The village of Collioure in Pyrénées-Orientales has been crowned France’s favourite village in the 2024 edition of the TV competition - partly thanks to its “paradise-like crystalline waters”.

The village was chosen by viewers and online voters in the competition’s final on France 3, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, presented by Stéphane Bern.

Read also: PHOTOS: Villages selected for new ‘favourite in France’ title 

This is the third time that a village in Occitanie has been voted the country’s favourite, after Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (which won in 2012) and Cordes-sur-Ciel (winner in 2014).

Collioure was this year’s Occitanie representative in the competition. It has 2,517 residents and is just 28 km away from the Spanish border. The nearest city is Perpignan, 26 km away.

‘A paradise’ for swimmers, hikers, kayakers, history buffs, foodies…

The village won for its beautiful landscape, with “creeks, cliffs, and little beaches of crystalline water”, which are a “paradise for swimmers and hikers”, reports France Bleu. 

The area is also a major wine region, with centuries-old vines, and is home to many wild animals, scoring it highly for biodiversity and nature.

The village was also immortalised by the great French painter Henri Matisse, who called Collioure his “heart’s home from the summer of 1905 onwards”.

Though relatively small, the village has many attractions, including: 

• The coastal Château Royal, which offers guided visits in five languages, and once hosted several kings of France 

• The Notre Dame des Anges church, with its distinctive 30m-high bell tower, which was once a lighthouse

• The traditional, family-run tinned fish shop Anchois Roque, which dates back to 1870, and has become a culinary institution for locals and tourists alike (the Collioure anchovy even has its own prestigious PGI quality label and its sea salt canning method dates back centuries)

• The Musée d’Art moderne with exhibitions and workshops for children

• The Cloitre des Dominicains (Dominican Cloister), constructed in the 14th century

• Guided walks to nearby vineyards with stunning views of the landscape

• Artisan night market on selected dates in July and August, and traditional morning market twice a week

• A windmill (the oldest in the department), dating back to 1337

• Kayaking tours around the pristine bays

• Several mountaintop forts, including Fort Saint Elme and Fort Miradou

• A range of fish restaurants and many popular bars and cafes

Read also: Why this little French fish has its own quality label 

The village is popular with tourists, and has its own tourism website - collioure.com - to help people reserve and organise their stay. It also offers an interactive map, with all of its attractions and recommended must-see places shown by location.

Read also: Which village in France has been crowned the country’s favourite? 

This year’s ‘favourite village’ winner is quite different to that of 2023, when the village of Esquelbecq, in Nord, took home the title.