140 - Appartements Elianthe  St Jean de Luz

In our opinion

What makes Appartements Elianthe a great holiday rental

These are two modern, well-equipped apartments a minute or two's walk from all the things which make St Jean de Luz a great holiday destination: restaurants, cafés, boutiques, fishing port and lovely town beach. A great place for a relaxing and, if you want it, car-free holiday

Best for:
Families & couples wanting good quality, independent accommodation in a lovely sea-side town location, with plenty to explore in & around.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - no stairs or other hazards to worry about.
  
• Teenagers - central location is ideal for teenagers wanting to go out independently
  
• Reduced mobility - apartments are located on the first & second floors of a townhouse, without a lift.
  

Anything to watch out for?
The apartments do have outside space however it is at ground-floor level and shared.

Why St Jean de Luz?
One of our favourites. A colourful and proudly Basque fishing port and holiday resort. A superb & safe town beach, excellent for the 'little ones'.

Accommodation

Contemporary, well-equipped and characterful apartment:

The apartments are located on the first & second floors of an impressive townhouse, or 'hotel particulier', set back from the boulevard Thiers, half-way between the beach end and the pedestrianised districts of St Jean de Luz town centre. The entrance leads round the back to a decked terrace (shared between the apartments) and entrance door, into a hall-way with wide wooden staircase. The apartments are very similar in layout (described below). The small differences are highlighted further below.

Overall, these are modern, stylish, good-sized apartments (70m2). They were fully renovated with style, taste and good-quality materials and furnishings in 2005. Plain off-white washed walls, modern paintings, light fabrics with touches of colour combine to give a feel that is both modern, individual and homely.

Inside:

The entrance from the staircase passes through a small hallway and leads into light, spacious living area with seating for four people and French doors which open to overlook the front. This room is also equipped with plasma TV, ADSL and air-conditioning. A dining table and chairs for four on one end make a pleasant eating area.

The two bedrooms (both doubles, but also separable into twins) lie of either side of the living room. Each has dressing chairs and wardrobe. There is a shower room or bathroom next to each bedroom, each newly-installed and with high quality fixtures/fittings.

A separate, small, modern kitchen is also accessed from the living area - it is well-equipped with oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, washer-dryer.

The main difference between the apartments is that the first floor apartment has higher ceilings than the second floor one, allowing room for a characterful arched French window in the lounge. Being higher above street level, the second floor apartment is slightly more removed from street noise. The apartments are otherwise identical in floor-space (approx. 70m2), quality and furnishings.

Outside:

Outside, at ground level at the rear of the building, is a small decked town-house garden with two sets of hardwood tables and chairs shared between the apartments.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.39221613, -1.659235954)

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 · Golf · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Hiking · Mountain biking ·

Day-trip Ideas

* A tour of Basque country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, La Bastide Clairance Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. On the coast, take in Bidart & Guéthary.
* A visit to Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
* Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Irouleguy
* A visit to the city of Pau for sight-seeing, boutique shopping and café-crawling
* Crossing the border into Spain for a visit to San Sebastian, Pamplona or the Guggenheim museum at Bilbao

Our Personal Highlights

The Local Area: St Jean de Luz

 Because of its mild climate, popular towns and abundance of all-year-round activities to pursue, the Pays Basque attracts visitors throughout the year. In fact, Spring and Autumn can be wonderful times to visit - warm and quiet.

The Basque Country is a little world all of its own. The regional cuisine and architecture provide character enough but more than that, this ‘country’ also has its own language. For a ‘formal’ introduction to Basque culture, try the Musée Basque at Bayonne. However, the best way to soak up the culture is to visit one of the many fêtes or ‘festivals of strength’ that take place in the high season, or, even better, watch a game of pelota. The fastest ball game in the world, this is perhaps the most vivid image of Basque country.

Biarritz and St Jean de Luz are on your doorstep and whether its beaches, shops, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, both of these towns are hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, both are colourful and vibrant seaside towns with plenty of family evening entertainment. They are the sorts of places where you will see whole families sitting down to start dinner at 10.30pm! St Jean de Luz is recognised as the capital of Basque cuisine and is noted for its seafood (it is one of Rick Stein’s favourite places) and use of the spicy Basque staple pimento, .

A few kms inland is the local mountain pass into Spain, the Col d’Ibardin. This was formerly a smuggling route and today is still a place to buy cheap wine and spirits. These mountain pass towns exist all along the Pyrénées.

A great trip for the kids is a ride on Le Petit Train de la Rhune. Standing over 900m high, La Rhune is the distinct and symbolic peak of the western Pyrénées. It can be reached by foot – a lovely day’s walking – or by funicular train. The 360 degree views from the summit are spectacular.

There are great beaches all along the coast from the Spanish border at Hendaye, north into the Landes and Gironde départements. Because the Côte d’Argent is so vast, the beaches are less crowded than on the Mediterranean.

The area is totally under-visited for its golf despite the game’s rich history in this region and the presence of some wonderful courses: Chantaco, Nivelle, Biarritz Le Phare, Arcangues, Makila, Chiberta, Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets are all within an hour’s drive. José-Maria Olazabal’s course, Fuenterrabia, is just across the border into Spain. Horse-riding, mountain-biking and fishing are also popular. Surfers will already be familiar with the Côte Basque, and there are plenty of surf schools for beginners.

Thalassotherapy and thermal spa are big attractions in this area – people come from all over France for sea and freshwater therapies; there are venues across the region including Hendaye, St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Dax.

The countryside is a delight; the rolling green hills are popular with the few British visitors that the region receives. The foothills rise to the mountains of the Pyrénées which are home to dozens of hiking trails including the famous coast-to-coast GR10 track. Eagles and wild horses roam the mountains and, if you're unlucky, you might bump into a brown bear (only 6 individual bears are known to exist and they live much further east in the high Pyrénées) - this is one of Europe’s most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers will be kept busy twitching. The Pyrénées also provide thrill-seekers with a range of extreme sports from white-water rafting to paragliding. The mountain landscapes are at their finest in the Haut-Béarn region.

Customer Reviews

“The flat is wonderful, highest level of comfort and decoration - it is a real home from home.”

Mr Kinsell, stayed in 2009