| |
Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
St
Jean de Marsacq 1km; St Vincent de Tyrosse 7kms;
Hossegor 17kms; Biarritz 40kms |
| Type
of location : |
Countryside
but close to beaches & resorts of Hossegor & Biarritz
|
| No.
of bedrooms : |
4
(2x doubles and 2x twins) |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
8 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
2:
1x bathroom and 1x shower room |
| Style
of property : |
Modern
Landais farmhouse; exposed beams and tiled floors |
| Quality
guide : |
|
| Price
per week : |
Available July & August only, minimum fortnight stay
»
Check availability and prices for this property
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|
| Extras
: |
None
- rental includes bed linen & bathroom towels. Optional
extras are available for a local charge and should be booked
in advance
- cleaning 15 EUR per hour
- exit clean 100 EUR
- babysitter 15 EUR per hour |
| Security
Deposit : |
A
security deposit cheque of £300 (or EURO equivalent)
is required before arrival and is paid directly to the owner.
It is returned on departure assuming no breakages or extra
cleaning required.
» Read important information about security
deposits and insurance |
| Linen
Arrangements : |
Bed
linen & bathroom towels provided. Spare linen is provided
for guests to change over mid-stay. |
| Cleaning
Arrangements : |
Mid-stay
and final cleaning can be arranged locally if required.
» Read important information
about cleaning
|
| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrive
between 4-7 pm and depart by 10am. Changeover day is Saturday
» Read important information
about
arrivals
& departures |
| Nearest
beach : |
Hossegor
17 kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Basic
boulangerie at the mini-market in the village (1km) &
lots more choice at St Vincent de Tyrosse 7 kms |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
40 kms; Pau 1 hr 30 mins; Bordeaux & Bilbao 2 hrs (all
approx) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
(2 hrs); Santander (4.5 hrs); St Malo (8 hrs)
- all approx |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
8x5 m. Depth 1.4m throughout with Roman steps. Protected
by fence and pool alarm. Saltwater pool which is exposed
to the sun all day and evening |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
Washing
machine; microwave; small dishwasher; colour TV with Freeview;
DVD player; CD player; BBQ; table tennis. |
|
Suitability
for children : |
Good
facilities, large garden and pool |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Cot & linen and high chair available. There is no gate
at the front of the driveway but the property is well back
from the road and the grounds are a good size.
|
| Things
to see & do : |
Beaches,
surfing, horse-riding (in
the village), lakes, golf,
spa, cycling. Visit Bayonne,
Biarritz, Basque Country,
Pyrénées, Spain -
Bilbao, San Sebastian & Pamplona |
| House
'rules' : |
Pets
are permitted - if they are well-behaved! No smoking please |
|
Location
: Map
Ref B5
Maison
Marsacq occupies a tranquil location bordering one of the many
cornfields that dominate the countryside here in the Sud Landes.
There is a small cluster of houses here and the village centre
is 1km.
Maison Marsacq
is located on the outskirts of St Jean de Marsacq,
a small but delightful French village with attractive church,
excellent restaurant (reasonably priced, great atmosphere and
very popular with the locals) and a mini-market. There is basic
boulangerie in the mini-market.
The village is 20-25 minutes to walk. It is possible to walk along
the lanes, so avoiding the main road into the village. After dark
it would be difficult as there are no street lights.
For a range of shops and amenities, St Vincent de Tyrosse
is 5 minutes by car. There is a supermarket, boucherie and weekly
market on Friday mornings.
St Jean de Marsacq is a short distance from Hossegor
and the Pays Basque towns of Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz and Bayonne.
The Pyrénées and Spanish border is less than an
hour away.
There are excellent transport links:
> by air - Biarritz airport is less than 45
mins drive; Pau 1hr 30; Bordeaux & Bilbao 2 hrs
> by train - TGV to Bayonne or SNCF to Dax
> by road - the Bayonne-Bordeaux auto-route
is less than 10 minutes drive
|
Accommodation
:
When
we first visited Maison Marsacq, early in 2005, it was easy to
see its potential appeal for holiday lets. Now, with the addition
of a swimming pool and some internal improvements completed, Maison
Marsacq is ready for rentals.
The house is of a traditional Landais design - timber beams are
a feature inside and out; the low, chalet-style roof; the cool,
tiled floors and thick walls; the covered terrace accessed via
French doors; and an imposing fireplace in the séjour.
This is a charming property.
The accommodation is well-balanced for two families to share -
there's two bedrooms and a bathroom or shower room on each floor.
Accommodation - Ground Floor
Living
Room - a lovely room, running the length of the house.
Open-plan with lounge area at one end and dining area at the other.
There are patio doors accessing the front terrace and pool.
Kitchen - country-style kitchen looking out over
the cornfields. Equipped with all modern appliances (small dishwasher
is kept in thw utility area).
Utility Room - leading from the kitchen and with
an external door to the pool
Bedroom 1 - double bed, built-in wardrobes
and shelving, separate chest of drawers & wardrobe. Double
doors leading onto patio.
Bedroom 2 - twin beds, built-in wardrobes and
shelving. Overlooks cornfields
Bathroom - shared by the two downstairs bedrooms.
Overhead shower, wash basin and separate WC. Unfortunately, wheelchair
access is not possible
Accommodation - First Floor
The nature of Landais houses means that the first floor accommodation
has lower ceiling height where the roof slopes down to over-hang
the sides of the house. Still, there's plenty of room up here.
Bedroom 3 - double
bed, built-in wardrobes and shelving, pine chest of drawers & wardrobe, balcony overlooking front garden
Bedroom 4 - twin beds, built-in wardrobes &
shelving. Overlooks
cornfields
Shower Room - with WC and basin
Outside
It's a generous plot - around 1750m2 in total, so there's plenty
of space to enjoy. It's also very peaceful and private.
A long driveway opens out to the front garden
which has lawn and trees - a good size area for children to play.
Four cars can easily be accommodated.
At
the front of the house is a lovely, covered terrace which accesses the
living room. For eating outside, there's a table for 8 people.
The swimming pool is positioned on the west-side
of the house. 4
sun-loungers are available.
There
is a fence and two gates to enclose the pool area from the house.
|
Local
Guide:
Nearby
Hossegor is one of those seaside towns whose population
swells exponentially in the high season. It is a town that has
a lot to offer: boutique shopping, great bars and restaurants,
world-famous surfing beaches, a lovely golf course ranked in
the Top 50 in France and a beautiful lake for safe bathing.
It’s little wonder, therefore, that the town is busy.
The remarkable thing is that it's something of a French (and
Spanish) secret; unless you're a dedicated surfer, the chances
are you won't have heard of Hossegor.
In the 1930s, Hossegor attracted an avant-garde fraternity and
the area around the lake became something of an artists’
community. Plush villas and grand houses were built on the lakeside
and in the forests. Today, Hossegor is best-known for its legendary
waves, good enough to warrant the hosting of World Pro surf
tournament each year, in August. In actual fact, the best time
to surf here is in the Autumn.
Hossegor lies about 15 minutes' drive south, whilst a similar
distance north is Moliets-Plage. This is another
great beach location and activity centre with golf and surf
a speciality. In fact, the south west coast is something of
an outdoor playground. Take your pick from surfing,
canoeing, sailing, cycling, tennis, horse-riding and
golf to name a few. Golfers will enjoy the
local courses at Moliets, Seignosse and Hossegor. There are
other great courses within 45 minutes drive including Moliets
and Biarritz le Phare.
Cyclists can enjoy the many safe forest tracks that connect
between the towns along the coast. Sailing enthusiasts should
head for the Capbreton Marina - 5 kms south of Hossegor. Being
so close to the Pays Basque border, sporting life also includes
the legendary game of pelota. You can watch
a game at the fronton in Hossegor.
This area of Aquitaine is rich in attractions so here are just
a few suggestions for day-trips:
• Biarritz and St Jean de
Luz. Less than an hour’s drive south are the
sophisticated resorts of Biarritz and St Jean de
Luz, the south Atlantic’s competition to the Côte
d’Azur. Both provide excellent beaches, cuisine
and up-market shopping as well as a good introduction to the
Spanish-influenced Pays Basque. If you have time,
drop into the regional capital, Bayonne. Famed
for its ham and its chocolates, Bayonne was under
English rule for 300 years. It is much under-rated and worth
a trip to see its cathedral and walk its ancient
streets.
• Spa and thalassotherapy.
In France, the south west is known for its rejuvenating waters,
both salt and fresh varieties. Dax
is the official spa capital of France and is a 40 minute drive
from Hossegor Lac. The Côte Basque –
Hendaye, St Jean de Luz and Biarritz
- is home to numerous thalassotherapy centres.
• Lakes. The freshwater lakes that
punctuate the forest provide a great alternative to the ocean
and safer bathing for children. Rather like the
Lake District in England, each lake, or étang,
has its own atmosphere. Apart from the local Lac
d’Hossegor, there are others nearby to try: étangs
Blanc, Soutsons
and Léon; at the latter you can canoe
from the lake along the serene Courant d’Huchet to the
ocean’s edge.
• Chalosse Country. To the south
of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan you start to enter rural Gascony,
which means several things: foie gras, floc de Gascogne
(sherry) and a pleasantly slow pace of life. The food is
marvellous, the towns are half asleep except for market days,
and the countryside is entirely relaxing. Montfort-en-Chalosse,
Mugron and St. Sever are good
stopping points.
• Basque Country. The delightful
rolling green hills and picture-perfect villages of the Pays
Basque are a must. Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette
and Ascain all perfectly demonstrate Basque
village life. A little further south and you can
hike in the mountain air of the Pyrénées.
• Spain. It’s about 75 minutes
to the border and only a short distance further to the majestic
seaside city of San Sebastian,
the Spanish Basque country’s equivalent of Biarritz. The
more adventurous could drive another hour or
so further along the northern coast to Bilbao
to see the Guggenheim.
For further information try the links below. There is an excellent
tourist office in Hossegor too. Please note that we cannot be
held responsible for the content of third party sites.
Capbreton
Tourist Office
Hossegor
Tourist Office
Les
Landes Tourist Office
Learn About
the Basque Country
UK Tourist
Office for France
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