Family
Holiday Sites in Aquitaine,
south west France
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FHS015
Le Parc d'Arradoy,
St Jean Pied de Port
Mountain retreat in walking distance
of the medieval
town centre
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Three
Reasons to Le Parc d'Arradoy... |
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Located
in a pretty, medieval town |
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Heart
of the Basque County - gateway to Spain & Pyrénées |
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Heated
swimming pool |
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| Links for Le Parc d'Arradoy ref:FHS015 |
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First
opened in 2006, Le Parc d'Arradoy is enviably situated in the western
Pyrénées
in the medieval and picturesque 'frontier' town, St Jean Pied de
Port.
In summer, the Pyrénées
is a superb location for active,
'outdoors' types of families. The scenery is of course spectacular
and there's a host of activities to enjoy. The bonus of the western
Pyrénées
is the proximity of the ocean - and the delights of northern Spain
too of course!
Outside of the main summer season, couples will appreciate the tranquility
and the opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, horse-riding, cultural
visits and excursions.
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| Location : |
The 'frontier town' of St
Jean Pied de Port - 5 mins on foot. Fortified town with a
citadel surrounded by ramparts. Just 8kms from the border and 60kms
from Biarritz, this is the gateway to Spain and on the pilgrim route to St-Jacques-de-Compostelle (Santiago) |
| Type
of location : |
Classic
Basque Country - rolling foothills of the Pyrénées.
Le Parc d'Arradoy is located in the landscaped park of a 19th century
estate, just off the centre of the town. |
| Accommodation : |
Modern
apartments constructed in Neo-Basque architecture. Consists
of 4 small buildings enjoying views of the old citadel and
Irouléguy vineyards. 81 apartments in total. We offer 1
bedroom apartments catering for party
sizes from 1 to 6 |
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| Price
per week : |
| Price
Band for this venue: |
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» Check the notes on prices to see what the price includes
» Don't forget to check the Special Offers
» Modest tourist tax payable locally - €0.65 per
day per person
» Optional supplements are available |
| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrival
- from 5pm; Departure - by 10am
NB Between 26
July and 23 August, the period reserved must
be Saturday to Saturday (although you can arrive/depart most
days of the week). Outside these dates, you can reserve midweek
periods. |
Facilities
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• Swiming pool, heated
• Children's paddling pool
• Deckchairs and parasols (subject to availability)
• Reception
office
• Children's play area
• Laundry room
• Bicycle racks
• Bike rental
• Table tennis
• Free outdoor
car park |
Children's Club for 3-12 year olds from 05.07.08 to 30.08.08. Mon/Wed/Fri from 9am to Noon and 1.30-4.30pm. Booking on-site subject to availability. Example activities - Basque games & culture, aquatic games in the pool, treasure hunts, badminton |
| Nearest
beach : |
Biarritz
60kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Mini-market
200m distance and boulangerie 300m. All shops are 5 mins'
walk from the park. Weekly market in the town |
| Getting there: |
Road - 1hr from the A63 aoutroute
Air -
Biarritz
(1hr); Bilbao or Vitoria (Spain) & Pau (1hr 45 mins)
approx
Ferry - Bilbao
(1hr 45mins); Santander (3hr 45mins); St Malo 10hr approx
Train - station in the town, connect from Biarritz |
| Things
to see & do : |
Superb
walking country. Mountain pursuits and whitewater
sports nearby - rafting, canyoning, kayaking, climbing, etc.
Fishing and horse-trekking
too. Cycling and mountain biking are very
popular here. Plenty of excursions - Pamplona, San Sebastien
and Bilbao in Spain; tour the Basque
Country and the Parc National des Pyrénées;
visit the coastal gems of St Jean de Luz
and Biarritz |
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Location
Map
reference: B6
See
Area Map
The town of St Jean Pied de Port lies at the head of the
beautiful River Nive valley just 6kms from the Spanish border. The
coastline is 60kms north west - Biarritz is the
nearest resort.
When you get this far south west, you might as well think of this
as a Spanish holiday, not just a French one! That said, the Basque
Country is a glorious mix of the two in any case.
Le Parc d'Arradoy enjoys views of the park, citadel and Irouléguy
vineyards, and lies 5 minutes walk from the town centre. There is a little road noise audible from some parts of the park but it is not intrusive.
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81
apartments in total, designed in Neo-Basque architecture. The park consists of 4 small buildings,
all enjoying views of the old citadel and Irouléguy vineyards.
In
all apartments you will find:
• Fully-equipped kitchen area (4 ceramic hotplates, fridge,
microwave/oven, dishwasher, electric coffee-machine)
• Bathroom with basin and bath
• Separate toilet
• TV (French channels)
• Terrace or balcony with garden furniture
FHS015-2R4
- 1 bedroom apartment • Sleeps 4 • 27m2
Living area with sofa-bed; 1 bedroom with twin beds
CHECK
PRICES & AVAILABILITY »
GO
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FHS015-2R5
- 1 bedroom apartment • Sleeps 5 • 32m2
Living area with 2 single sofa-beds + 1 pull-out bed; 1 bedroom with double bed
CHECK
PRICES & AVAILABILITY »
GO |
FHS015-3R6
- 1-2 bedroom apartment • Sleeps 6 • 37m2
Living area with sofa-bed; 1 bedroom with double bed; cabin area with
bunk beds
CHECK
PRICES & AVAILABILITY »
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About
St Jean Pied de Port
Tourist
Office for St Jean Pied de Port and St Etienne de Baigorry
Although principally a tourist base for the mountains, this medieval
frontier town is rich in history and offers plenty of cultural attractions
to the visitor. It has been an important cross-roads for centuries
("Pied de Port" literally means "foot of the pass"
by the way).
The back street are picturesque and offer great strolling. The streets
around the Vieux Pont over the Rive Nive are some of the
most photogenic of Aquitaine - old houses with wooden balconies
hang over the river as they have done for centuries (the oldest
is inscribed with a date of 1510!). Continue up the hill until you
reach the La Citadelle.
The citadel overlooks a green valley dotted with villages of white-washed
houses and coloured timbers.The citadel, built on the site of the
former fortified castle of the Kings of Navarre, towers about the
town. The Bishops' Prison at St James' Gate - Prison des Evêques
- is one of the town's fortified portals and is classified as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its name refers to the bishops who walked
the pilgrims' route, passing through the gate on their way to St-Jacques-de-Compostelle
(Santiago).
Notre Dame du Bout du Pont church, built into the ramparts,
has foundations dating back to the 13th century and is one of the
largest Gothic buildings in the Basque Country.
Today, St Jean Pied de Port is probably better known as the main
centre for mountain tourism in south west France.
Bars, restaurants and gift shops pack the centre and there's a constant
buzz of activity. The active guest can enjoy a variety of pursuits
in this area:
St Jean Pied de Port is an excellent place to start a hike
or cycle ride into the Pyrénées.
The famous GR10 and GR65 hiking routes pass through the town. Plus,you can try:
• Fishing - over 150km of rivers
filled with salmon and trout
• Rock climbing and canyoning
plus a host of other whitewater sports
• Horse-riding and trekking
in the Pyrénées
• Hot-air balooning
And here are some events occurring in the town:
• Folk Dances in July and August - held at
the municipal fronton (pelota court)
• Basque pelota each Monday in the trinquet,
chistera every Friday & Cesta Punta on Saturday!
• Course landaise show (bull-jumping, not
bull-fighting) takes place every Monday night in summer.
• Force Basque - the locals' version of the
Highland Games (this is the closest analogy we can think of!)
• Food & Craft fairs in the covered market.
Market day is Monday (Place Charles de Gaulle) and it's the biggest
in the Pays Basque. It's an ideal occasion to stock-up
on some of the region's products - Irouléguy
wine, Gâteaux Basques, Basque lace, brebis cheese and Basque
furniture.
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Discover
the Pyrénées
and
Côte Basque
regions
of Aquitaine
See Alternative Aquitaine's Tourism
Guide to Biarritz
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 ways
to soak up the culture are to visit one of the many fêtes
that take place throughout the year, or, even better, to watch
a game of pelota. The fastest ball game in the world, this is
perhaps the most vivid image of the Basque Country.
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. Iraty forest in the Parc National
des Pyrénées
is worth visiting for walks and picnics. Eagles,
vultures, wild horses and the occasional brown bear make this
one of Europe’s most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers
in particular 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 fines in the Haut-Béarn
region. Horse-riding, mountain-biking and fishing
are also popular.
Biarritz and St Jean
de Luz are on your doorstep and whether its beaches,
boutique shops, restaurants or festivals you are looking for,
both of these towns are hard to beat. Stylish but without the
pretence of the Riviera, these are as colourful and vibrant seaside
towns as you will find in France. 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, in particular, for its seafood (it is one
of Rick Stein’s favourite places). St Jean has a twice weekly
market - Tuesday and Friday morning.
Sitting at the foot of the Pyrénées
bordering Spain and the Atlantic ocean, Hendaye
boasts an enviable and spectacular location. What really makes
Hendaye a great holiday location is the 3kms of beach that crosses
two countries, broken only by the mouth of the Bidassoa river.
The ocean location means there are all sorts of watersports to
be sampled here...surfing, kite-surfing, wind-surfing,
sailing, kayaking as well as diving in
some of the quieter coves along the coast.
Other suggestions for day-trips:
• A tour of Basque country villages: Ainhoa,
Sare, Espelette and St Etienne de Baigorry
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A
visit to Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’
of the Pays Basque
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Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Irouleguy
• 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.
•
Crossing the border into Spain - San
Sebastian, Pamplona & the Guggenheim
museum at Bilbao
For further information try the links below. Please note that
we are not responsible for the content of third party sites.
Pyrénées
National Park Tourist Office
Pyrénées
Tourism Guide
Tourist Guide
to Pyrénées-Atlantique
Departement
Biarritz
Tourist Office
St
Jean de Luz Tourist Office
Guide
to the Wines of SW France
UK Tourist
Office for France
Learn About the
Basque Country
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Links for Le Parc d'Arradoy ref:FHS015 |
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| updated
23.10.08 ja |
