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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Hossegor
3kms; Seignosse Les Estagnots (a few shops) 500m |
| Type
of location : |
Quiet residential location in the pine forests close to the beach |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
4
: 2x doubles & 2x twins
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| Sleeping
capacity : |
8 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
2x en-suites (one for each double bedroom)
1x shower room shared by the two twins
1x additional independent WC |
| Style
of property : |
Modern Beach House design, 'chic' and 'laid-back' ambience |
| Quality
guide : |
|
Prices : |
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» Check availability & prices for this property GO
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» Rental
price includes bed linen (beds made for arrival), bathroom towels, pool towels, heating, electricity, gas, water.
» A supplement of 100 EUR/wk for heating applies to rentals October-April.
» The house-keepers are sometimes available for cleaning, house-keeping, cooking and baby-sitting - you can check this with them prior to arrival or during your holiday.
» Security deposit is held by Alternative Aquitaine on the owner's behalf and returned to you within 14 days
of departure assuming no breakages, damages or extra cleaning
required.
» Read important information
about security
deposits and insurance |
| Linen
Arrangements : |
Bed
linen and bathroom towels provided with the rental. Beds are
made on arrival. |
| Cleaning
Arrangements : |
Exit cleaning and mid-stay cleaning can be
arranged for a local charge if required
» Read important information about cleaning
|
| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrive 5pm Saturday. Depart by 10am Saturday. Flexible
changeover in mid and low season.
»
Read important information about arrivals
& departures |
| Nearest
beach : |
Hossegor
ocean 200m; Hossegor lagoon 400m |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Mini-market 500m; Hossegor town centre 3km |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
40 mins; Bilbao, Bordeaux & Pau 2 hrs (approx) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
2 hrs; Santander 4 hrs; St Malo 8 hrs (approx) |
| Swimming
pool : |
No |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
Satellite TV with UK free-to-air channels, plus plasma screen TVs in the lower living room and one of the twin bedrooms. DVD player and CD player. BBQ and plancha. |
| Suitability
for children : |
With it's cool, surf vibe, it's a perfect house for teenagers. Plus, Hossegor is an active resort with lots of sports
available and surf shops to visit |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Less suited to toddlers as the terracing is not bordered in all places and there's a few steps and slopes to cope with. But the grounds are enclosed and the lagoon offers calm waters for young ones.
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| Things
to see & do : |
Do: Beaches,
surfing, tennis, lakes, golf, cycling, horse-riding.
See: Bayonne, Biarritz, Basque Country, Pyrénées,
Spain |
| House
'rules' : |
No
pets and no smoking please |
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Location
: Map
Ref B5
Hossegor (pronounced "oz-gor")
is in the Sud Landes area of south west France, not far from Biarritz.
The area is dominated by its landscape of ocean, lakes and pine
forests, creating one big outdoor playground!
The house
is located in Les Estagnots district which lies at the border of Hossegor and Seignosse. The house is on a quiet residential road, Impasse du Parc.
-less than 5 mins walk to the ocean across the road to Les Estagnots beach, a famous surf break in the area. The beach continues south for 3km to the marina and continues north all the way to Arcachon, unbroken save for a few rivermouths!
-approx 10 mins walk to the lagoon Lac d'Hossegor. There's sandy coves here, picnic spots and watersports. This is an excellent, safe bathing area, ideal for younger kids when the ocean surf is looking formidable.
-3kms to Hossegor town centre shops where you'll find some very tasteful shops, good cafés, lots of restaurants and a good sprinkling of surf boutiques too.
Hossegor benefits from good transport links - the autoroute is 8
kms and this provides easy access north to Bordeaux and south to
Biarritz and Spain. There is a good choice of regional airports
with Biarritz (35 kms) being the closest.
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Accommodation
:
The Beach House is owned by an Anglo-Australian family who live in London. They have worked in the surfing industry for many years and have been visiting Hossegor for business and pleasure for many years too - they are one of the band of Hossegor pioneers and well-known in the community!
Previously, they owned a lovely farmhouse just inland from the coast which we rented for holiday lets on their behalf. That has now been sold on, and they've made a new base on the beach. We're very glad about that.
Hossegor Beach House is certainly a stylish rental - the owners have a real eye for contemporary design and with a tasteful surf theme evident throughout, this is a very 'un-French' holiday rental. We believe this is a major benefit. Throughout the property, there are examples of contemporary artwork, photographic prints and surfing artefacts, all adding to that beach house feel. The garden-level accommodation is particularly fresh and creative.
In our view, this house is best for adult groups of surfers or golfers or families with older kids who are keen to surf. It's less suited to toddlers as there are numerous steps & slopes to be wary of.
The accommodation is arranged over two levels: the main living room, kitchens and one of the bedrooms are at ground level. An internal staircase leads down to the garden level accommodation where there is another spacious living room plus three more bedrooms. From the outside, the house does not look especially large but once inside it's deceptively cavernous.
Accommodation Detail - Ground Level
- Entrance hallway with black & white photos depicting various surfing scenes
- Separate WC full on surfing pictures
- Bedroom 1: Master bedroom with 180cm double bed and a spacious, quality en-suite bathroom (bath, separate shower, WC)
- Breakfast bar. The original kitchen has been redecorated but retains its '1980's feel' - the owners want it that way for the time being! It's really more of a breakfast bar than anything else - meals are taken either in the summer kitchen or outside on the terrace. The washing machine is kept in this kitchen too.
- Summer kitchen with plancha, hob, dishwasher, two fridges, plus a large dining table to accommodate all guests.
- Living room - 'L-shaped' room incorporating plenty of sofas, separate TV area. Terrace access and west-facing.
Accommodation Detail - Garden Level
From the ground floor hallway there is a staircase leading to the garden level.
- Bedroom 2: 150cm double bed and en-suite shower room
- Bedroom 3: twin beds or join to make a 180cm double. Plasma screen TV
- Bedroom 4: twin beds or join to make a 180cm double
- Shower room shared by bedrooms 3 & 4
- Superb, spacious lounge with plasma screen TV, CD stereo, leather sofa, modern art canvasses and a couple of surfboards too (not for use).
Outside
At the front of the house, a large decked terrace has been created. This west-facing terrace is accessed directly from the summer kitchen. Please take care as there is an unprotected drop at various places from the terrace into the garden - please check the Photo Gallery to take a look.
Around the back of the house is an external wooden staircase leading to the main door.
The gardens are bordered by fence and shrubs. The grass seed planted in 2007 has taken so there is no a decent bit of lawn now too.
There is parking for a couple of cars in the driveway and the main entrance to the property has stout wooden gates.
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Guide
:
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.
Like most of the south west coast, Hossegor 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 area.
There is a cracking 1930s-built golf course (with lovely, traditional clubhouse) in Hossegor itself - expect to pay 60 EUR for a round. There's an even better course just a couple of kms up the road - Golf de Seignosse. The green fee is similar and it's a wonderful course - a 'must' for golf-lovers staying in this area. Please take a look at our Aquitaine Golf page for more info. 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.
We wouldn’t blame you for refusing to step foot out of Hossegor
for your entire holiday. However, the area 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.
Hossegor
Tourist Office
Les
Landes Tourist Office
Learn
About the Basque Country
UK
Tourist Office for France
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| Last
updated : 26.11.08 ja |
