 The Midi-Pyrenees is a large region located to the south-west of France. It extends from the central French Pyrenees up to the western part of the Massif Central, and is bound to the west by Aquitaine and to the east by the Languedoc-Roussillon. The Midi-Pyrenees takes in a vast array of landscapes, from snowy peaks in the Pyrenees along the Spanish border to rolling hills and valleys in Lot and Tarn et Garonne. As you might very well expect from such a diverse landscape, there is an equally diverse range of French property to be found in the Midi-Pyrenees - from farmhouses on wide open plains to ski chalets and grand city apartments.
Eight French departments are included under the Midi-Pyrenees banner. In the north of the region, Lot and Tarn et Garonne are traditionally popular with overseas property buyers. Consequently, the price of property in these areas has risen over the years, especially in Tarn et Garonne and the area around Montauban. It is through this department that the Garonne River flows. The river is navigable by boat for long stretches, and has over the years tempted a few Midi-Pyrenees property buyers to opt for buying something a little more unusual, like watermills and even houseboats.
Airports at Agen, Toulouse and Albi provide easy international access to the eastern half of the Midi-Pyrenees, whilst airports in Caracassonne and Perpignan offer easy access to the department of Ariege in the extreme south-east of the Midi-Pyrenees region. Ariege possesses some of the most stunning scenery that you are likely to see in the region, rising as it does from the flat plains in the north of the area to some of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees mountain range. Ariege is also recognised for its abundance of inexpensive properties. There are many barn type properties and run-down farmhouses in the north of Ariege that are just ripe for conversion/renovation projects and for the development of gite complexes. A partly converted stone barn near St Giron for instance was recently on the market for just 112,000 euros.
Aveyron in the extreme east of the region is another department that has become very popular with French property buyers in recent years. Aveyron is dominated by lakes, valleys and forested hills, located as it is in the south-west of the Massif Central. The air is fresh here and the land is wild and green - it really is an adventurers paradise. Conques in Aveyron - a UNESCO world heritage site - is an absolute gem, although very popular with tourists during the summer months.
If you want utter peace and quiet you should consider Gers in the west of the Midi-Pyrenees region. Gers is the least populated department in France, and offers many opportunities to buy secluded Midi-Pyrenees property far away from the tourist crowds. Prices are reasonable too - an 8-bed secluded villa in France in Gers could be yours for less than 300,000 euros.
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