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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Seignosse
Bourg - village centre 200m; Hossegor 5 kms |
| Type
of location : |
Quiet
village, secluded situation close to coast |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
4
: 3x doubles & 1x twin |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
8 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
3
including 2x en-suites |
| Style
of property : |
Traditional
Landais house, modernised throughout
Wheelcair-friendly ground floor bedroom & bathroom
|
| Quality
guide : |
|
| Prices : |
|
| » Check availability & prices for this property GO |
Rental price includes: Linen & bathroom towels & change of linen each Saturday
Compulsory extras: None
Optional extras: Extra cleaning, baby-sitting and cook are available for a local charge. The optional exit clean is €100 and must be pre-booked
Refundable security deposit: cheque of £300 is required prior to arrival and payable directly to the accommodation provider. It is not deposited and returned within 14 days of departure.
» 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 : |
Seignosse
4 kms; Hossegor 5 kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Village
centre - 200m |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
40 kms; Bordeaux & Pau 1 hr 45 mins; Bilbao 2 hrs
(approx) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
2 hrs; Santander 4 hrs; St Malo 8.5 hrs
(approx) |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
8x4m. Depth approx 1.75 -1.0m. Roman steps. Protected by
fence with locking gate |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
UK
satellite TV; ASDL internet; DVD player; CD player |
|
Suitability
for children : |
Excellent;
large, enclosed gardens. Bikes & boules available |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Excellent;
large, enclosed gardens. Pool protected in accordance with
regulations. Some care needed with toddlers on the staircase.
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
Seignosse-Bourg is in the Sud
Landes area of south west France, not far from Biarritz. The nearest
main town is the surfing and golfing mecca of Hossegor
(5 kms). This is an area dominated by its landscape of ocean,
lakes and pine forests, creating one big outdoor playground!
Maison Apaiser is in easy walking distance of the village centre
- perfect for the daily croissant run!
The village benefits from easy transport links - the autoroute
is 5 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 (45 mins) being the closest.
|
Accommodation
:
Maison
Apaiser has been rescued from a descent into despair at the hands
of its previous owners and has become a lovely family house once
again. Formerly owned by a French family who had done little to
exploit its excellent location and spacious plot, Maison Apaiser
was bought by an English couple who have done just the opposite.
Louie & Amy use Maison Apaiser as their main home when its
not being rented. Consequently, the house has been renovated,
furnished and equipped to be lived in all-year-round. Gone are
the terrible French 'gîte-style' bathrooms (the main bathroom
had floor-to-ceiling deep purple tiles), the overgrown gardens
and dark rooms. Now, the beamwork is exposed, the rooms opened
out and the gardens a pleasant place to relax. The stonework and
tiled floors not only add to the character of the property, but
ensure it remains cool when the sun is hot outside.
Ground
Floor
There are two entrances, front and back. The rear entrance from
the terrace leads into the main living area, or séjour.
This room is dominated at one end by an imposing stone fireplace.
At the other end of the room is a dining area with table for 8
persons. There is plenty of comfortable seating too with two large
sofas. Technophiles - and TV lovers - will be pleased with the
wall-mounted flat-screen TV. It's actually very discreet. A dvd
player and hi-fi system are also available - very handy for the
kids.
The kitchen-breakfast room is fully-equipped
and looks out on to the front garden. Equipment includes dishwasher,
stainless steel cooker plus microwave. A washing machine and dryer
are provided in the adjoining utility room.
Two of the four bedrooms are downstairs. Both have French door
access to the gardens. The master bedroom has
an en-suite shower room and wc and has direct access to the garden
terrace and pool. The second downstairs bedroom is a double room.
There is also a family bathroom with wc.
The owners have a private room to the side of the house (new extension
for 2008) which will be locked off when the house is let.
First
Floor
The staircase leads from the séjour to the first floor
where there are two further bedrooms. The staircase
is open-tread so parents might want to take care with toddlers.
The composition of the bedrooms is:
• 1x double with en-suite shower room & wc and south-facing
balcony overlooking the back gardens and swimming pool. The
shower room/WC is not fully enclosed and there is reduced headroom
in the shower.
• 1x twin bedroom overlooking the front gardens
Outside
The
house lies a few metres back from the (quiet) road and is accessed
by a wide driveway. Gardens surround the house on four sides;
the plot is roughly 1 acre.
The gardens are mature and of a generous size,
surrounding the house to all sides. The back garden will undoubtedly
be the most used. The sun is received nearly all day and shade
is provided by the balcony above.
In the back garden you will find a 40m2 terrace, BBQ
and 8x4m swimming pool protected by fence. There
are four mountain bikes available for guests, plus boules. For
those really laid-back moments, a hammock is provided.
There is ample parking in the driveway next to the house.
|
Guide
:
Seignosse-Bourg
A
small Landais village just inland from the Atlantic coast. There's
a boulangerie in the village centre and a couple of restaurants
to choose from. It's great bonus is a big tennis centre which
is only a 5 minute walk from the house. There won't be much
to keep you in the village night after night, but that's not
the point. It's perfectly situated to enjoy the coast and Hossegor
but without being in the centre of the action.
Local
Area
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.
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
local course, the 1930s-built Golf d’Hossegor. The traditional
club house is also a delight. A short drive up the road is Seignosse,
a water and forest monster of a course ranked in Continental
Europe’s Top 50. 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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