041 - la Pavillon Été  Soulac-sur-Mer

In our opinion

What makes La Pavillon Ete a great holiday rental

Over the years it has consistently been a 'best seller'. La Pavillon Été is perfectly located to enjoy the resort and local attractions; lying just behind the sand dunes and in walking distance to Soulac centre, this is a wonderful venue for an easy family holiday by the sea. Soulac remains something of a French secret; it's a lovely seaside resort and this being our only rental property in the town, it's little wonder it's always snapped-up early

Best for:
Families with young kids who will love the tidal pools on the beaches, the dunes and the Petit Train. Also, older kids will appreciate the surf and being able to walk into the town for cafes, discos, etc.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - limited outdoor space at the house but beach very close. Bed guard & stair gate available
• Teenagers - good resort for surfing, cafes, shops plus a disco or two
• Reduced mobility - not suitable as kitchen & lounge upstairs

Anything to watch out for?

• Soulac is a very seasonal resort with limited amenities outside June - Sep. 
• The floors of the house are wooden and care should be taken in bare feet.
• The dune system and trees that border the house to the rear, are a protected environment - please take care.

Why Soulac?

An informal seaside town popular with families, Soulac offers an easy beach-based holiday with a few local excursions. In addition to excellent beaches, the resort has a good range of shops including all the staples of French life.

Not may people know about Soulac and the surrounding area but those that do describe it as the perfect seaside family holiday destination. With its great beaches, safe cycle trails, quiet lakes and a host of sports to try, it's a surprise that villas & cottages are so hard to come by. The truth is that Soulac has long since been something of a French secret; there's always a few Dutch and German campers, but hardly a Brit in sight! This adds to its appeal!

Accommodation

Summer clapborad beach house with large decked balcony

La Pavillon Été is a new-build summer house which would not be out of place in Martha's Vineyard on America's Eastern Seaboard. The house is timber-constructed and blends in perfectly with the pine forest and sand-dune landscape.

The property is owned by an English couple who, having spent many years touring coastal Aquitaine, finally chose Soulac-sur-Mer as their place to rest. The idea of buying some land to self-build a wooden beach house is a rather inspiring one too! Linda and Richard use the house frequently throughout the year often spending low season breaks here.

The property is designed for f its environment and adopts the beach house protocol of placing the living area on the first floor and by having a spacious and naturally lit open-plan living area.

Inside:

Ground Floor
Two of the bedrooms - 1 double bedroom and 1 twin bedroom - are on the ground floor. Both with French door access to the garden.

Bathroom with fitted shower over bath, plus separate toilet.

First Floor
The living space is open-plan in nature, in the summer house tradition.

The kitchen area is obviously modern and well-equipped. Facilities include oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, electric coffee mill and blender, kettle, fridge freezer and washing machine.

The living room is spacious and well-lit and has stripped wooden flooring. Two large French doors open to a huge decked balcony where there is garden furniture for sitting outside.

The balcony is spacious and partially shaded and has a staircase leading to the gardens. Outdoor furniture for the balcony is provided - white wooden table seating 6, plus 6x directors chairs and 2x folding canvas chairs.

The living room includes sofa, easy chairs and dining area with limed pine table seating 6.

The master bedroom has king-size bed and en-suite shower room with double sink and separate wc.

Outside:

There is an integrated garage, ideal for secure storage of bikes, surfboards, etc.

The back garden is 20mx22m with small decked area with 2 sun-loungers and 2 deckchairs. The back garden is kept naturally wooded with hedge & shrubs. The trees beyond the fence are in part of the dune system and are very dense.

The remaining garden at the front is grass but relatively small in area - it's very difficult to grow grass on this coastline because of the impact of the sandy dunes.

There is a track to the dunes only 20m past the house. Or you can walk to the beach via the car park at the end of the road.

La Pavillon Été is available for rental all year round. It is centrally heated, insulated and double-glazed, therefore winter lets are possible. Autumn and Winter are the best surfing seasons and the walks along the beach are fantastic.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (45.52375843, -1.115477085)

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

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Kitesurfing · Windsurfing · Sailing · Water-skiing · Jet-skiing · Kayaking · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Wine-tasting · Degustation ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Cross the Gironde for a day in Royan & La Palmyre
• A day at the lake - Hourtin Port is a good base
• Chateau visiting and wine tasting in the Medoc - lunch in Pauillac
• City culture in Bordeaux - the old town is a treat

Our Personal Highlights

• Family days at the beach, enjoying the warm tidal pools
• Taking the bike trails south through the fragrant pine forests
• Market day (Wednesday) at St Vivien de Medoc
• Long lazy lunches in sleepy Medocain villages - Pauillac is a favourite
• Boat trips along the Gironde and to the Phare de Courdouan

The Local Area: Soulac-sur-Mer

Soulac Sur Mer
Today a popular and informal seaside resort, sheltered by pine-covered sand dunes, Soulac is actually rich in history. The good thing is that even though the town is busy in summer, it is the natural landscape that dominates this northern-most point of Aquitaine's Silver Coast.

The town has been swallowed by sand and sea on more than one occasion; until the 16thC, it had a large natural harbour which was subsequently overrun by marshes. At least it made a change from sand and sea.

Going back several centuries, Soulac became the site of an ambitious Romanesque abbey: the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres orginates from the 12thC. Some of its Romanesque architecture remains and this accounts for its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's actually quite a surreal image seeing something of such profound antuiquity in the heart of seaside town. That said, there's also a good sprinkling of turn of the century bourgeoise chalets, similar to those found in Arcachon. Each has it's own colours, name and character.

During the second world war, the Gironde estuary was, geographically, of great strategic importance in the Nazi occupation of France. The waterway was a major route in and out of France and the Pointe de Grave itself was the scene of one of the fiercest battles fought in the war. The Pointe de Grave was not recaptured until weeks before the April 1945 armistice. The coastline is still home to a trail of pillboxes; a poignant reminder of how different this coast must have looked 60 years or so ago.

Soulac is a fun place to spend a summer holiday. The beaches of white sand are clean and provide excellent surf and windsurf for novices and body-boarders (in Autumn and Winter it's a little more dramatic). More modern derivatives of surfing are also now popular here - sand-yachting, skim-boarding and kite-surfing, for example. The town's four main beaches are all supervised in the high season. There's also a selection of beaches (including some for naturists) further south at Montalivet and l'Amélie. It is these southern beaches where naturists tend to hang out (as it were), so you should choose your spot carefully depending on whether you want to go sans vêtements or not.

The Petit Train runs at regular intervals up the coastline to the Pointe de Grave. It stops on demand at forest and beach spots along the way and is an ideal way to journey to the beach for the day with the kids.

There's also numerous possibilities for safe cycling and mountain bike trails in the forests, kayaking and windsurfing on the lakes and sailing at le Verdon marina. The town also has an equestrian centre and at the seafront has a 'Cap 33' centre, a permanent activity base featuring tennis, volleyball, rollerblading and diving for over-15s. There's also a swimming pool and casino in Soulac. For something more adventurous, try Cordouan Air Club for scenic flights across this amazing landscape. Also based at the aerodrome is the local parachuting club!

The Soulac 1900 fete is held on the first weekend of June and provides entertainments of all kinds. There's a steam train from Bordeaux and lots of street entertainers in costumes.

If the adults want a break from the beach and sports, Soulac has a good Musée d'Art et Archéologie displaying items from Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The Moulin de Vensac is now working again. Erected in 1858, it's one of the oldest windmills in the country. Market days are, of course, always a treat in France. St Vivien (Wednesday) and Lesparre are good options for traditional markets. In the summer, Soulac and Montalivet hold daily markets.

Pointe de Grave
From the top of the dunes are panoramic views of the Gironde mouth, the resort of Royan on the opposite bank, le Verdon and, 5 miles out into the Atlantic, the lighthouse Phare de Cordouan. There's another lighthouse on the Pointe itself, and which has a small museum.

Phare de Cordouan
The lighthouse is said to be the world's oldest still standing. It's stone structure dates back to the 16thC. It was updated in neo-classical style in the 18thC and once contained a royal apartment and chapel.

The company that offers trips to the Phare de Cordouan is now offering river trips to the Maison du Douanier restaurant (a local favourite) http://www.maisondudouanier.com.

Le Verdon
The surf doesn't reach the beach at le Verdon-sur-Mer, a calmer alternative to the Atlantic as it is situated on the lee side of the peninsula. Verdon is a popular sailing spot - there's a marina here where boats can be hired. The Gironde river mouth is near its widest at this point - it's the best part of 6 kms to the norther banks at Royan. Verdon was one of the last places in France occupied by the Germans.

Customer Reviews

“Lovely place, first rate accommodation. The house was great and the setting just what we wanted. Soulac is a perfect location for a relaxing holiday.”

Mrs C Lloyd, stayed in 2010

“Great holiday, house and very impressed with the local handling agency in Soulac.”

Mr B Osborn, stayed in 2008

“Lovely property and fantastic region of France.”

Mr D Sparkes, stayed in 2010

“I wanted to say how much we enjoyed staying in your fantastic beach house in Soulac. The villa itself was an absolute joy. I will remember the vibrant summer buzz in Soulac, the interesting shops, the tidal pools on the beach and listening to the rumbling sea on the decking. Thank you again for a truly memorable holiday.”

Hall family, stayed in 2008