| |
Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Saubrigues
2 kms; Hossegor 12 kms |
| Type
of location : |
Countryside
but close to beaches & resorts of Hossegor (12 kms)
& Biarritz (35 kms) - approx |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
5
(all bedroom have beds which can be doubles or twins) |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
10 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
3x
shower rooms, one is en-suite to the downstairs master bedroom |
| Style
of property : |
Modern
Landais farmhouse; exposed beams and tiled floors |
| Quality
guide : |
|
| Prices : |
|
| » Check availability and prices for this property GO |
NOTES:
» The
normal rental period for this property is May through October.
In the low season, long lets are welcome. Reduced
rates are available outside June to September for smaller
parties and off season rates are always negotiable.
» No extras apply
- rental includes bed linen, bathroom towels and weekly
change of linen. Optional extras include cleaning, baby-sitting and cook are
available for a local charge. The optional exit
clean is €100 and must be pre-booked
» A
security deposit cheque of £300 is required with the
balance and is paid directly to the owner. It is deposited
and returned within 14 days of departure by cheque.
» Read important information about security
deposits and insurance |
| Linen
Arrangements : |
Bed
linen & bathroom towels provided. Linen changed each
Saturday as part of the rental |
| 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 : |
Capbreton/Hossegor
12 kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
St
Vincent de Tyrosse 5 kms; also one restaurant in Saubrigues
village plus several others within 5 kms |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
35 kms; Bordeaux & Pau 1 hr 45 mins; Bilbao 2 hrs
(approx) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
(2.5 hrs); Santander (4.5 hrs); St Malo (8 hrs)
- all approx. |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
8x4 m. Depth 1.0 - 1.75m. Protected by fence |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
DVD
player; CD player; 4x bikes; BBQ; boules; table tennis.
|
|
Suitability
for children : |
Excellent
facilities - large, enclosed gardens; pool; games; dvd |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Excellent;
large, enclosed gardens. Pool protected in accordance with
regulations. Cot & linen and high chair available
|
| Things
to see & do : |
Beaches,
surfing, tennis centre
in the village, lakes, golf, spa,
cycling, horse-riding.
Visit Bayonne, Biarritz,
Basque Country, Pyrénées,
Spain - Bilbao, San Sebastian &
Pamplona |
| House
'rules' : |
No
pets & no smoking please |
|
Location
: Map
Ref B5
"Coumets"
is located just outside Saubrigues, a typically peaceful and friendly
village of south west France. Local facilities include boulangerie,
good restaurant and bar, post office and small village shop. The
pizzeria restaurant is well used by locals and guests alike and
is just 150 metres walk - very handy!
Saubrigues 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.
|
Accommodation
:
When
we first visited Maison Coumets in May 2004, we didn't expect
to be taking it on. The owners were facing a major challenge in
converting the main farmhouse into something
that could attract holidaymakers. We said we'd come back in a
few months to check progress. We're glad that we did and we're
delighted to now be representing this property which has been
transformed inside and out.
Full marks to Amy & Louie for their persevarance. You can
see their other Holiday house in Seignosse
on our website too - it's also been renovated to a similarly high
standard.
Coumets is a white-washed
Landais farmhouse, still quite traditional in some respects (such
as the beamed ceilings) but totally renovated and modernised
for self-catering holidays. The floors are tiled throughout which
combine with the farmhouse's thick stone walls to keep the summer
heat outside.
The property lies in peaceful grounds of over 1 acre, offering
plenty of space to enjoy the games facilities on offer - or just
sit out and relax.
The accommodation comprises:
Master bedroom (downstairs) with en-suite
shower room
4 further bedrooms - each has twin beds which can be
joined to form doubles. 2x bedrooms on the ground floor, 2x upstairs.
2 shower rooms - one on each floor
Open-plan séjour - comprising lounge with
TV, dvd player and stereo. The dining area has a table for 8
Kitchen - newly fitted
Additional sitting room opening
directly on to the courtyard
Outside is a sunny courtyard with BBQ and this
is the place where most meals are taken - there is seating for
10 people. Great news for families is the undercover games room
- table tennis, boules and 4 bikes are available for guests' use.
The swimming pool is 8x4m and is protected by
fence.
The grounds are extensive - there's plenty of space for ball games
and for kids to play safely.
|
Guide
:
Saubrigues
is a typically French country village offering a few essential
shops and an insight into rural life in south west France. There is a new shop in the village which provides all the basic goods - groceries, bread, fresh produce, papers, birthday cards etc. There is also a new bakery - cakes (yummy), quiches, bread etc. It also has an area where you can have tea, coffee, chocolate and, of course, a cake. Next door there is a new restaurant and bar called the Basc (O) Landais which looks good - the person running it comes from the Basque Country so the menu will be good. Life is changing in Saubrigues!
Coumets
also benefits from the presence of a lovely Auberge restaurant just
150 metres distance. St Vincent-de-Tyrosse is the nearest town
and hear you will find a supermarket, shops and bars, restaurants,
a cinema and a weekly market (Fridays). There are also weekly
markets at Capbreton and Saubrigues.
Local
Area
Most of the south west of France is something of an outdoor
playground and this southern area of Les Landes is certainly
no exception. Take your pick from surfing, watersports,
sailing, cycling, tennis, horse-riding and golf
to name a few.
Golfers are spolit for choice with the range
of excellent standard courses locally: the two nearest courses
are the 1930s-built Golf d’Hossegor and Seignosse, a water
and forest monster of a course ranked in Continental Europe’s
Top 50. Also in 30 minutes drive are Moliets (also in the Top
50), Biarritz le Phare, Makila, Arcangues and Chiberta.
Surfers will now all about the Côte d'Argent
and can enjoy the pick of waves at Hossegor and
Capbreton - some of Europes's best waves.
Cyclists can enjoy the many safe forest tracks
that connect between the villages inland and coastal towns.
Particularly enjoyable is to take bikes (and picnic) along the
minor roads which hug both the southern and northern banks of
the Adour. It’s a scene straight out of Wind In The Willows!
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 many a village fronton or watch the professionals
in action at Bayonne. Another great spectator sport of th the
region is course landaise. This is
south west France's more human version of bull-fighting where
the bull leaves the arena still breathing. In fact, it's more
circus than bull-fighting.
A short distance south - and easily reachable by bike - is the
Adour river and an area known as Les
Barthes. The Adour is a vast river fed by the melting
snows of the Pyrénées and "Les Barthes"
is the name given to the floodplain on the north bank which,
each year without fail, fills up with the river’s surplus
water. This swampy prairie is home to a secret ingredient used
to feed the famous thermal spas of nearby Dax
which are so craved for their therapeutic powers.
The ecology of Les Barthes makes it something of a special environment
for bird-watching (Marais d'Orx
is another prime location), nature studies
and spotting the small but friendly poneys barthais.
Of course, the Adour itself is fertile territory for fishing
enthusiasts; eels, pike and salmon are just a few of the varieties
to be found and obtaining a licence to catch them is refreshingly
straightforward – and inexpensive.
The Pays Basque and this southern stretch of Les Landes are
rich in attractions; 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 & 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 25 minute drive from les Barthes.
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 etang has its own atmosphere. Try etangs
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
(a sherry-like aperitif) and a pleasantly slow pace of life.
The food is marvellous, the towns are half asleep except for
market days, and the countryside is highly 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. la Bastide-Clairence, Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette
and Ascain all perfectly demonstrate Basque
village life. A visit to Cambo-les-Bains is
recommended not least to visit the magnificent Villa Arnaga,
home of the late Edmund Rostand, author of Cyrano de Bergerac.
• Parc National des Pyrénées.
A little further south and you can hike in the mountain air,
walk or mountain bike through the Forêt d’Iraty
or des Arbailles and try your hand at a variety of life-threatening
pursuits such as rock-climbing, parascending or white-water
rafting.
• Spain. It’s an hour to the border
and only a short distance further to the majestic 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
Biarritz
Tourist Office
Landes
Regional Tourist Office
Learn
About Basque Country
UK
Tourist Office for France
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