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Summary
Finding
high quality houses near St Jean de Luz is extra special for us
because we know how infrequently they come up - and how popular
they are with enquirers. It is our pleasure therefore to offer
Borde Dorrea, a fine example of a traditional Basque country house,
located just a short hop from the beaches and style of St Jean
de Luz. Sleeping up to 12 people, Borde Dorrea is ideal for a
larger group or two families sharing; everyone will love the swimming
pool, tennis court, huge gardens, games facilities and the fronton
court for playing the famous local sport, Basque pelota. Handover day is flexible throughout the
year.
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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
St
Jean de Luz 4 kms |
| Type
of location : |
Edge
of hamlet in rural area, also near beach and mountains too! |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
6
: 2x doubles, 2x twins, 1x triple (bunks + single), 1 x single |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
12 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
3x
bathrooms, 5x wc's |
| Style
of property : |
Basque
country house with extensive grounds |
| Quality
guide : |
|
| Prices : |
| Price
Band for this venue: |
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» To check availability and prices for this property GO
Due to a late cancellation, Dorrea is now available again for the peak fortnight of the season, 2-16 August. |
Notes:
»
Maid cleaning is included in the cost; the maid visits to
clean 2 hours a day, three days a week and cleans the house
and all the bed linen and towels at the end of each stay.
Bed linen and towels (except for beach and pool towels), electricity,
water and gas are also included .
»
Housekeeper available for baby-sitting (payable locally)
»
Fire wood, if used, is charged extra (no more than a few Euros,
and payable locally).
»
Security deposit
800 EUR (or sterling equivalent) per week of stay payable
by cheque on arrival; additional 1000 EUR required for use
of billiard table. The cheque is returned within 14 days of
departure (assuming no breakages or damages).
»
Borde Dorrea
only rents to family groups
»
Read important information about security
deposits and insurance |
| Linen
Arrangements : |
Bed
linen and bathroom towels provided with the rental. |
| Cleaning
Arrangements : |
An
exit clean is included in the rental price. (However you will
be expected to perform certain cleaning duties yourself before
leaving.)
» Read important information about cleaning
|
| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrive
between 4-6 pm and depart by 10am. Changeover day is Saturday
in the high season
» Read important information about
arrivals
& departures
|
| Nearest
beach : |
St
Jean de Luz 4kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Ascain
1.5 kms |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
30 mins drive; Bilbao 1 hr 30 mins |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 8.5 hrs (approx), Bilbao 1hr 30 mins |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes
- open end May-September, unheated
Dimensions: 13m x 5m, depth 1.1 m to 2.1 m
Protected by alarm and fence |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
TV
+ videa; summer BBQ area (covered); washing machine &
dryer; dishwasher; microwave; iron; table-tennis; pool table;
table football |
| Suitability
for children : |
Very
good - pool, proximity of beach |
| Suitability
for infants : |
High
chair and travel cot available (linen provided). Grounds are
safe and enclosed. Swimming pool well-protected and away from
house |
| Things
to see & do : |
Surfing,
golf, cycling, watersports, culture. Visit: Basque Country
villages, Bayonne, Biarritz, Pyrénées, Bordeaux,
Spain - Pamplona, San Sebastian & Bilbao |
| House
'rules' : |
Sorry,
no pets. |
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Location: Map
Ref B5
Borde
Dorrea is located just outside of the pretty Basque village
of Ascain. The River Nivelle flows nearby on its route to the
sea at St Jean de Luz. Ascain is short drive from St Jean.
In this part of south west France you will find yourself near
to the Spanish border (a
half hour drive), nestling in the
green foothills of the Pyrénées. The Basques are
rightly proud of their beautiful homeland.
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Accommodation :
Borde
Dorrea is very well-furnished Basque country house.
It is regularly used by its Parisian owners and so is equipped
as to feel homely and relaxing.
The house and area of land are entirely independent; in fact,
with the right scale of map, the plot is large enough to be
marked. There is approximately one acre of gardens, lined at
the front with mature trees, above which can be seen the Pyrénéan
foothills rising to the peak of la Rhune -
a highly symbolic place for Basques.
A long driveway leads from entrance gates to the front of the
house where, nestling behind the parking area is the house's
very own tennis court, resurfaced in 2006,
and fronton. You will see frontons in every village square in
Pays Basque - it is the Basque sport.
The accommodation is on two floors and comprises 6 bedrooms,
3 bathrooms and 5 wcs. The bedrooms are arranged thus:
• Ground floor: 1x twin & 1x double
• First floor: 1x twin; 1x double; 1x children's room
with bunks and single bed; 1x single with additional sofa-bed
Therefore, 12 persons can be accommodated without use of the
sofa-bed. One of the bathrooms is on the ground floor.
The solid wood front door opens into an entrance hall
ideal for storing coats and shoes. In turn, the hall leads into
the large, double-height sitting and dining room;
natural light floods into the room and the views of the gardens,
woods and hills are tremendous. The two areas of the room are
separated by a few steps and the salon area is extremely cosy
with its rugs, sofa and enormous fireplace. The dining area
has a solid wood table seating 13 people.
Home entertainment is catered for by stereo,
video and TV. There is also table football, table tennis
and, best of all, a rather plush billiards
table which clients are welcome to use - responsibly
(see security deposit note below in the Prices section).
The kitchen is a very good size; there is a
breakfast table plus all the appliances needed for cooking lovely
French (and Basque!) dishes - and to wash up afterwards!. A
washing machine and dryer are also available.
For dining alfresco, there is a terraced area
(with shaded part) adjacent to the kitchen for barbequeing.
This is a great way to enjoy the sheer tranquility of the gardens
and to savour the views south. Garden furniture is provided.
The
13m x 5m swimming pool is constructed in a
quiet area of the garden away from the house. It is protected
by fence and alarm. There are steps at teh shallow end; depth
ranges from 1.1m to 2.1m.
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How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check availability. NB Website availability is refreshed
daily but not "live" so please contact us to confirm availability.
Call 0870 6092845 or email us
Once we have confirmed availability we can normally hold a property
for up to 48 hours if you need to confer with friends or family).
STEP 2.
Call or email us
if you want to go ahead and make a provisional booking.
STEP 3.
To confirm a provisional booking we need, within 5 working days,
your completed Booking Form and your deposit payment of 35%.
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Local
Guide:
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, .
Dorrea is a few kms from 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, wild horses and the occasional
brown bear make this 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.
Other suggestions for day-trips from Dorrea:
• A tour of Basque country villages: Ascain,
Ainhoa, Sare, La Bastide Clairance Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette and
St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
• 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
For further information try the links below. Please note that we
cannot be held responsible for the content of third party sites.
Tourism Information
for the Pyrénées-Atlantique
Discover
Wines of SW France
Learn About the
Basque Country
UK Official
Tourist Office for France
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| updated
19.06.08 as |
