117 - Iduski Mendi  St Jean de Luz

In our opinion

What makes Iduski Mendi a great holiday rental

As well as a fabulous curve of beach, St Jean has a vibrant fishing harbour, colourful & bustling market, an array of boutiques and a plentiful choice of restaurants. And you can walk to all of these within five minutes of the apartment.

The apartment itself offers charming accommodation, is well-equipped and is more spacious than most French apartments.

The apartment is named after "sun mountain" La Rhune, which can be seen from the master bedroom.

Best for:
Works equally well for couples in the mid & low seasons, as well as families during the school holidays, particularly those children who will enjoy the safe beach, as well as older kids who will appreciate the ability to walk freely to so many amenities.

Also, it's worth highlighting that this property works well if you don't want to use a car on holiday. You can arrive by train and spend the rest of your holiday either in the resort or take a day-trip or two by train (eg Biarritz and San Sebastian).

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - very welcome and excellent, safe beach but note: no outdoor space, 2 short flights of stairs, no cot available and no storage area at ground level
  
• Teenagers - shops, cafes & beach a short walk away
• Reduced mobility - not suitable due to stairs

Anything to watch out for?

• There is no lift in the building
• It's a busy town so some 'town noise' is to be expected

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

Charming 2 bedroom townhouse apartment in the heart of St Jean de Luz

Iduski Mendi offers charming and authentic accommodation, cosy with a 'French antique' style, particularly in the living room and master bedroom.

The flat is owned by an American family who also have rental homes in the Caribbean, South Africa and south of France.

Inside:

The accommodation is spacious at around 55m2 and comprises the following rooms:

Living room - divided into a sitting area, a dining area and integrated kitchen. The kitchen, whilst relatively small in area, is very well-equipped to include all the major appliances such as dishwasher, washing machine, fridge, oven and microwave. There is a dining table for 4 persons. In the sitting area guests is a 2-seater couch, armchair and TV.

Master bedroom - good size bedroom with Queen-size double 160cm, chair and antique dresser, original hard wook floor, plus flat screen TV.

Salon bedroom - includes day bed (two singles or join together to make 180cm double), armchair ample storage space and French doors with a south-easterly aspect towards the Pyrenees (including "sun mountain", La Rhune). This room also features a larger plasma screen TV + DVD player.

Shower room - shower cubicle with twin sinks. Separate WC.

The flat is accessed from the road via a communal front door. There are 2 short flights of stairs to the 2nd floor.

There is no outdoor space or balconies to sit outside; the master bedroom features a 'juliet' balcony.

There is parking available just outside the building through use of a parking permit (which can be arranged for you for a supplementary charge) which we recommend during peak months.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.38676335, -1.659644991)

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

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Windsurfing · Sailing · Water-skiing · Jet-skiing · Kayaking · Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Hiking · Mountain biking · Mountain sports ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Tour Basque Country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette
• Visit Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
• Cross the border into Spain - San Sebastian, Pamplona & the Guggenheim
• Explore the Pyreneees National Park for its wildlife, walks & scenery
• Taste the glitz & glamour of 'Belle-Epoque' Biarritz

Our Personal Highlights

• Strolling St Jean de Luz's bustling streets, before drinks & supper!
• Sampling the pintxos - Basque tapas - in St Jean de Luz or Ciboure old town
• Catching a game of Basque pelote at one of the village frontons
• A visit to Ainhoa & Sare - both 'picture perfect' Basque Country villages
• The coast-path walk to Guethary
• Experiencing an assault on the senses at St Jean's daily market

The Local Area: St Jean de Luz

St Jean de Luz
Whether its beaches, boutiques, culture, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, this town is hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, St Jean is an authentic and colourful seaside town and working fishing port. It has plenty to offer discerning visitors of all ages. In particular, this is a great place to eat out - 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).

To the French, St Jean de Luz is one of the nation’s coastal jewels. Beyond France however, this delightful holiday resort and fishing port is known by surprisingly few people – but it is adored by those that do.

With the more famous resort of Biarritz just a few kms up the coast, St Jean de Luz has lived – contentedly – in the shadows of its more illustrious neighbour. To the Basques of St Jean de Luz, Biarritz is practically a foreign land!

In fact, arriving in St Jean de Luz you might well wonder if you are in France at all. This is where France meets Spain and the mix on this side of the Pyrénées creates a distinctly different ambience. This is French Basque Country.

The relative secrecy of this far south western corner of France has served St Jean de Luz well. Whilst it is an ever-popular French holiday destination, the town is also a working port and bustling shopping centre and consequently it is alive and vibrant all year round.

St Jean de Luz suits the discerning traveller: whilst the sandy beaches are excellent for families, this is not a “bucket and spade” resort - the Basques and the fishermen would never allow this! It’s for those who want to experience active and varied days and relax in the evening and enjoy a meal in one of the many brasseries and bistrots which line the town’s enchanting back streets.

The location is enviable, set in a horse-shoe bay with a beautiful sandy beach and a backdrop of the western Pyrénées, peaked by La Rhune, the mythical Basque mountain. This combination of ocean and mountain landscapes is a unique draw and also helps to keep St Jean de Luz surprisingly mild in winter.

More than that, the landscape and vibrant Basque architecture produce a combination of light and colour that gives St Jean de Luz a special, intangible, quality that is matched in only a few other places in France. Little wonder it’s one of our favourite resorts.

Customer Reviews

“Superb property. Glad I spoke to you before going - you recommended it as being more suited to a honeymoon - and it was super.”

Mr M Scotchmer, stayed in 2010

Mrs S Conlon, stayed in 2010