Le Petit Gite - Lovely Two Bedroom Gite with Indoor Pool, Gym and Games Room in Desertines, Mayenne

Local Attractions

Le Petit Gite is in the little village of Désertines, in the town of Gorron, the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire. For those who like to explore, it is an ideal base from which to travel to other places of interest. There are weekly markets in the surrounding towns; the one in Gorron is on a Wednesday morning - get there early!

You will find plenty of public parks with floral displays, boating lakes, countryside walks, Centres de Loisirs, where you can hire bicycles, go hiking along adventure trails or, for the more intrepid, try kayaking or the high wire walks through the treetops!

For those with a penchant for all things nature based, the area has a plethora of flora and fauna, from the rollings fields of maize in the summer months to the banks of apple and pear trees, chestnut trees and wild flowers.

The red squirrel - one of many protected mammals in France - is one creature that has sought refuge here and can sometimes be spotted going about its daily routine...

We provide all our guests with a comprehensive Welcome Pack and there are a selection of leaflets detailing local sights and attractions.

Note:
For the benefit of all our guests, we operate a No Smoking policy on our site.
For the benefit of all our guests, we operate a No Pets policy on site. There will be a charge of 250€ levied for any unauthorised animal on the property/site.

On a general note:

Parc de Loisirs de la Colmont, en route to Gorron - for bicycle hire, adventure trails, high wire

Le Royer Josselin, Musée du Cidre, Lassay-les-Chateaux - a must-see visit to this cider museum, a lovely family-run business where cider, poire (pear), pommeau and calvados is made

For fishing, try 'Lac Clement' for some of the best carp fishing in Normandy

Ange Michel parc d’attractions - amusement park with water slides and an assortment of rides (open mid-April to September) - en route to Le Mont St Michel

EATING OUT
Cafes
There are great, cosy cafes within a short drive from where we are based in Desertines - Le Patis tea room in Landivy; a great crêperie, Le Petit Monde in Fontaine Daniel, right by a lovely lake; . Explore the many cafes in Mayenne, Ernée, Fougères and surrounding areas. (Always check on line for opening days/times before you set out).

Restaurants
Locally, I would suggest Papillon in Gorron, a little further afield, La Forge in Fontaine Daniel; on one of its good days, Le Bretagne in Fougères; L'Eveil des Sens in Mayenne; lovely seafood at the Salty Dog Bar & Bistro in St Aubin; gorgeous eats at A l'Ardoise in St Hilaire du Harcouet and my latest find, L'Essentiel in Laval, excellent food and great service. By all means, check out the surrounding areas too. (Always contact your choice of eaterie before you head out!)

With its abundance of roaming cattle, the restaurants (and, indeed, the supermarkets) in Pays de Loire are stocked with a stunning array of meat with which to create dishes – mouthwatering steaks, veal, local saucisse and the Normandy speciality, tripe, if you choose to do some experimenting in our wonderful kitchens.

Vegetarians can also choose from a vast selection of creamy cheeses and risottos, omelettes and tarts, freshly picked mushrooms and wonderful seafood – oysters, coquilles St Jacques, lobster and langoustines.

Vegans will delight in sampling seasonal produce cooked with the connoisseur in mind - mushroom bourguignon, crêpes, ratatouille...

SWIMMING

Although we tend to use the pool here at Le Moulin de la Quentinière, over the years before our pool was built, I travelled from our base at Le Moulin with my two children, checking out all the local pools and aquabulles. An aquabulle is great fun, with indoor/outdoor pools, slides, jets and some with diving pools
public swimming baths - Gorron, Mayenne, Fougères
aquabulle (slides, water jets) – Gorron, Fougères, Bagnoles de L’Orne, Laval

SHOPPING

Provisions
Fougerolles du Plessis, Gorron, Ernée, Flers, Caen, surrounding areas

Fashion and Clothing
Mayenne, Laval, Alençon, Rennes