001 - Maison Xapela  Bidart (1 km)

In our opinion

What makes Maison Xapela a great holiday rental

Simplicity & value: a comfortable, modern holiday home which won't 'break the bank'. The accommodation is simple and bright and there's a handy shaded terrace for sitting out. If you don't want to use the car each day you can walk to the village and the beach, plus there's a large shared pool for guests too.

Best for:
Families wanting inexpensive accommodation with a pool near the beach.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - limited outdoor space & care needed on stairs. No cot or high chair
• Teenagers - can be independent and walk to beach; great surfing
• Reduced mobility - less suitable due to slopes

Anything to watch out for?
Staircase is polished pine, open tread and requires care - not one to take on if you're wearing socks (not that we would recommend you wear socks on holiday!).

Why Bidart?
A very pretty Basque village with town hall, fronton & restaurants. Take a walk to the coast path to see the little chapel and take in the views of the beaches and Pyrenees. The beach offers excellent surfing and body-boarding too.

Accommodation

A simple, modern house with shared pool, close to a pretty Basque village

Maison Xapela (it's a Basque word, pronounced "Shapella") is one of approximately 12 houses in a residential development close to Bidart village. There is also approximately 30 apartments in the development. The houses are semi-detached by their garages - the accommodation is therefore not adjoining.

Xapela is owned by an English couple who use the property as often as possible. The style reflects the traditional Basque architecture of coloured timbers on whitewashed walls.

Inside:

On the ground floor, the front door opens into a spacious séjour which combines lounge and dining area. Facilities in the lounge include TV and dvd player and there is seating for 6 around the dining table. From the dining area is a set of French doors leading to the small front garden with covered terrace. There are plenty of books to choose from if you fancy a holiday read.

The kitchen is a good size and has open views across open field. Equipment includes breakfast table (seating 4), dishwasher, oven and 4-ring hob, microwave, fridge freezer, coffee maker and some additional 'English touches' such as kettle and toaster!

There is a very handy downstairs WC.

The washing machine-dryer can be found in the garage - BBQ and patio chairs are also stored here.

On the first floor are three bedrooms:-
Bedroom 1 - single bed with additional pull-out bed. Chest of drawers but no wardrobe.
Bedroom 2 - single bed with additional pull-out bed. Wardrobe and chest of drawers.
Bedroom 3 - double bed with wardrobe and chest of drawers. Lovely views of La Rhune mountain peak - worth getting up for at sunrise!

The family bathroom includes bath, hand-held shower plus WC and wash-hand basin.

Outside:

The house has small garden space to the front, side and rear. The front and back garden are terraced. A few steps to the large swimming pool shared by the whole lotissement.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.43529098, -1.584692001)

We endeavour to be as accurate as possible using Google maps but some error is possible.

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Windsurfing · Golf · Horse-riding · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Hiking ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Tour Basque Country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette
• Visit Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
• St Jean de Luz - fishing port & resort with fine shops, beach, restaurants
• Cross the border into Spain - San Sebastian, Pamplona & the Guggenheim
• Explore the Pyreneees National Park for its wildlife, walks & scenery

Our Personal Highlights

• Learning to surf at Plage Centrale
• Supper in the village square then watch the sunset at the tiny chapel
• Stroll the headland coast path between Bidart and Guethary
• Watching a game of pelote Basque at the village fronton
• Lunch in Guethary

The Local Area: Bidart (1 km)

Bidart is situated in between La Côte Basque's two jewels, Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, in the far South West of France. That said, Bidart is pretty special itself. This stretch of the Côte d'Argent is more rugged and coved than in Les Landes and Gironde. This has much to do with the Pyrénées, which meet the Atlantic Ocean here in the Basque Country.

Bidart is a typically Basque affair - a church, a fronton (an outdoor court for playing ‘Pelote’ – similar to squash), a little sleepy but pretty and charming. Bidart village sits on the hill above the Atlantic, on the edge of a cliff, at the highest point on the Basque coastline. There is a little supermarket, bakery, cafés, newsagents, gift shops and a couple of bars and restaurants. Bidart is a perfect spot for whiling away summer evenings at one of its bars on the fronton. Or, for a more energetic exploration, walk out to the cliff-top chapel Ste-Madeleine - you won't see many smaller churches anywhere in the world. The views from the coast path are fantastic - there aren't many places where you see mountains meet the ocean.

Neighbouring Guéthary is a similar treasure, a traditional fishing port on a small inlet on the Basque coast. Large villas and small houses with white chalked walls and green, blue, brown or especially red woodwork (typical Basque red), rise in tiers from the seafront. From here, whales, tuna, and more recently sardines have all been fished. Great views are available from the headland where you can see as far as Biarritz. You can enjoy discovering the town’s charms on foot, the av General de Gaulle acting as a great example of the evolution of Basque architecture. Don’t be surprised to find old codgers in floppy berets sunning themselves on benches around the Fronton courts in Guéthary, it’s that kind of place, and that’s what makes it so charming and relaxing.

Beach
There are plenty of life-guarded beaches to choose between - almost all offering surf equipment hire and tuition on the excellent waves. Bidart is often a venue for surf competitions. Plage du Centre, from central Bidart has volleyball and pétanque courts. South of Bidart, Plage de l’Uhabia offers summer activities and games for children. Plage de Parlementia offers access to the Phare de Koskenia (lighthouse) from Guétharny port. North of Bidart, Ilbarritz is a lovely beach, overlooked by the spectacular nine-hole golf course. Surfers be advised that the surf breaks over rocks, not sand.

Activities
There are plenty of good golfing options from Bidart and Guéthary. We recommend buying a Biarritz golf pass, which entitles you to play at Arcangues, Bayonne, Biarritz, Ilbarritz, Moliets or Seignosse. Nearby Ilbarritz provides spectacular ocean-side golf (9 holes, par 32). In 1998 it was chosen as the ‘most beautiful nine holes in France’. Beautiful coastal walks link the coves from Bidart through Guéthary and St-Jean-de-Luz, all the way to Hendaye on the edge of Spain. Nearby there is horse-riding available through forests, or along the beach.

Bidart and Guéthary are ideal locations for watching the sport of Pelote Basque. Similar to squash, the most dramatic variation of the game is played on giant courts - opponents fire a hard ball at a high wall using a huge hooked glove, causing the ball to travel at incredible speeds. Other variations of the game include bare hand, which is played throughout the Basque country. Bidart has three courts, or ‘Frontons’. Le fronton de la place Atchoarena is the oldest (and smallest), built in 1869, and is generally reserved for the ‘bare hand’ version of the sport. Le grand fronton (built in 1958) is regarded as one of the best in France, and is often chosen by the National Federation for the final stages of tournaments in the ‘Grand Chistera’ discipline. Guéthary has a fronton next to the Town Hall.

Guéthary has good regular activities planned throughout the year, including choral concerts, markets, Basque dancing, and petanque tournaments – see the excellent town website for details (under ‘animations’).

Customer Reviews

“Maison Xapela was perfect for us and exceeded our expectations. It was in a great location and Bidart was a delight and within easy reach by car or on foot”

Mr. P. Totterdell, stayed in 2010

Mr. S. Marten, stayed in 2010

Mrs S Courtney, stayed in 2009

Mrs C Dyer, stayed in 2008

Mrs M Anderson, stayed in 2008

“the property was FANTASTIC its a long time since I stayed somewhere so perfect for a family. Thanks for a SUPERB holiday house! Clean, easy to get to, simple to use, great bbq and outside area, super to have for a family! We loved it and our time in this great region. The house was really great - top location - loved St Jean de Luz, Biarritz, Geuthary (best restaurant locations: Cenitz, Plage de cenitz, Guethary, www.cenitz.fr & restaurant les Alcyons at the port was also great www.lesalcyons.fr. Glad we went to Pays Basque - lots of great beaches, villages and towns - Bidart is half way between Biarritz and St Jean de Luz which was perfect as this gave the best of both worlds. Easy to visit Bilbao and San Sebastian - loved both of these as well, the cool Gugenheim building and we had the best tapas ever in the old Placa Neuvona.”

Mrs W Rees, stayed in 2011

“Close to Biarritz, Guethary (which has wonderful beaches) and also the mountains, the place was ideal for a family that likes beaches, water sports and mountains.”

Denise Davis, stayed in 2011