Summary :
As
Cap Ferret's popularity has grown in recent years so, at last,
has the supply of modern accommodation there, and the Appartements
du Phare are a very welcome addition.
There
are 12 modern apartments in this chalet-style apartment building,
200m from the area's emblematic lighthouse and 300m-500m from
beaches, shops, restaurants and market. You can abandon the
car and enjoy the 'island-feel' of this unique part of France
by bike or on foot, we're confident you'll want to return.
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Key
Facts :
| Location
: |
Cap
Ferret |
| Type
of location : |
Residential
area close to the lighthouse, market and beaches (500m max) |
No.
of bedrooms : |
T2:
1x double T3: 1x double
+ 1 x twin |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
T2:
2-4 T3: 4-6
(Upper figure includes use of double sofa-bed in the lounge) |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
T2:
shower room + WC
T3: bathroom or shower room+ WC |
| Style
of property : |
Good
quality, contemporary apartment |
Quality
guide : |
SIMPLE-GOOD
QUALITY - what
does this mean? |
|
Prices
: |
|
T2
(1 bedroom): »
Check availability & prices for T2 GO
T3 (2 bedrooms):
»
Check availability & prices for T3 GO
|
The
price includes linen & bathroom towels (changed each Saturday),
water, gas, electricity and one reserved parking place per
apartment.
A modest tourist tax (approx. 1€ per
person per day) is payable locally for all persons aged 13+.
Optional supplements (please consult us
for details) include:
• breakfast service: 7€ per person per day
• additional cleaning
• equipment for infants
• pets
The security deposit for each apartment is €300, payable
on arrival in cash or by cheque in pounds sterling, and returned
on departure, assuming no damage/breakages or extra cleaning
required.
» Read important information about security deposits
& insurance |
Linen
arrangements : |
Bed
linen and bathroom towels are provided. House linen is changed
each Saturday at reception |
Cleaning
arrangements : |
Additional
cleaning can be pre-booked as a supplement if required.
» Read important information
about cleaning
|
Arrivals
& departure : |
Arrive
Saturday 5-6pm and depart Saturday by 10am. There is some
flexibility in the off season.
In
the high season (July & August) apartment rentals run
from Saturday to Saturday in 7 night 'chunks'; more flexible
stays may be possible at other times, subject to minimum
stay of 5 nights - please enquire
»
Read important information about
arrivals & departures |
| Nearest
beach : |
l'Horizon
(Atlantic) & Bassin, both 500 metres |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Cap
Ferret 150 metres |
| Nearest
airport : |
Bordeaux
50-60 mins; Biarritz and Bergerac - 2.5hrs |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
3.5 hrs; Santander 5.5 hrs; St Malo 7hours - all approx |
| Swimming
pool : |
No |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
TV;
dishwasher; microwave; iron; wi-fi internet access; shared
washing machine facilities |
| Suitability
for children : |
Cap
Ferret is pleasant, family-friendly resort; in particular
teenagers can be independent. Child's bike hire widely available.
Beaches on Bay of Arcachon side of peninsula are very toddler-friendly.
Atlantic beach is supervised mid-June to mid-September.
Baby equipment available. |
| Things
to see & do : |
Beach
days, strolling, shopping, swimming, cycling , surfing,
sailing, fishing, forest walks, nature. Visit bassin
d'Arcachon & Cap Ferret, oyster-farming villages,
Médoc vineyards. Shopping, dining
& culture in Bordeaux. |
| House
rules : |
Pets
allowed - supplement applies |
|
|
Location
: Map
Ref B3
Appartements du Phare are located on the
avenue Nord du Phare, a residential road in central Cap Ferret,
approx. 200m from the lighthouse itself, local shops & restaurants
and 500m from the main beaches.
The
nearest airport is Bordeaux (50-60 minutes drive); St Malo ferry
port is approx. 7 hours drive. TGV trains run to Bordeaux's St
Jean station, from where there are local connections to Arcachon
station (then by passenger ferry to Cap Ferret), or bus services
to Cap Ferret.
|
Accommodation
:
Happily, the creators of Appartements du Phare have opted to
provide modern, comfortable, stylish accommodation, instead
of the 1970s 'boxes' often found on the French coast.
The apartments are equipped to a good standard, including comfortable
bedding and modern equipment and furnishings, including free
WiFi internet access. Each apartment also has a balcony or terrace.
The apartments are either at first or second floor level, arranged
around a inner courtyard.
Apartments come in two sizes:
One bedroom apartment (T2) - 44m2
Living area with sofa-bed, kitchenette, plus double bedroom
on mezzanine level, shower room and WC. All are located on the
upper floor, with small balcony.
Two bedroom apartment (T3) - 50m2
Living area with sofa-bed and chairs, dining table, kitchenette,
double bedroom, twin bedroom, shower- or bathroom, WC. Some
are 'duplex' (two-storey) apartments, with one bedroom upstairs.
Most have small private terrace at garden level. One apartment
is adapted for wheelchair users.
Each apartment features a good-sized living-dining room
with convertible sofa bed sleeping 2 people (small
supplement applies), dining table, and plasma TV. Sliding glass
doors open onto the small terrace or balcony.
There
is also a modern kitchenette, with hob, microwave-grill,
small fridge-freezer, dishwasher, toaster, kettle and coffee-maker.
Each apartment has a small balcony or
terrace with outdoor table and chairs. One parking
space is reserved per apartment free-of-charge.
There is a part-time reception service on the ground floor and
there is a good tourist office in the town.
In
all we think Appartements du Phare offer a good, stylish accommodation
for couples and small families wishing to explore this chic,
relaxed part of France.
|
How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check availability. NB Website availability is
refreshed daily but not "live" so please contact us
to confirm availability. Call 0870 6092845 or
email us
Once we have confirmed availability we can normally hold a property
for up to 48 hours if you need to confer with friends or family).
STEP 2.
Call or email us
if you want to go ahead and make a provisional booking.
STEP 3.
To confirm a provisional booking we need, within 5 working days,
your completed Booking Form and your deposit payment of 35%.
|
Guide
:
Alternative
Aquitaine's guide to the Bassin
d'Arcachon
Cap Ferret and its districts
What's
the Presqu'Ile de Cap Ferret actually like?
Difficult to say, there's nowhere like it! The closest we
can get to describing this part of France is to say that it
has the laid back ambience and relaxing natural environment
of the Caribbean, blended with the subtle refinements of the
French way of life - Barbados meets Bordeaux!
The Cap Ferret
peninsula is a treat for the senses - the scent of the pine
forest, the constant rumble of rollers washing up on the western
coast, the salty, slippery taste of oysters washed down with
a Bordeaux blanc and, at the end of the day, sitting on top
of one of the dunes overlooking the Atlantic and watching
the sun go down. Bliss!
All these experiences and more are within very easy reach
of Villa des Hérons. The Atlantic beach, popular with
surfers, is about a 400m away to the west, the bassin d'Arcachon
beach at Cap Ferret village, with amazing views over to the
Dune de Pyla, is 600m to the east.
On the way you pass through Cap Ferret village,
the chic-est spot on the the Presqu'Ile. Smart boutiques,
cafes and restaurants in a low-rise, laid-back setting - the
ambience is casual, relaxed but appreciative of good living.
A
couple of 'bonnes adresses': it's worth stopping for a drink
the stylish Tchanque bar of the Hôtel
Maison du Bassin (so named after the famous houses
on stilts close to the Ile aux Oiseaux) - the address
for an 'apéro'; and Fredelian, a salon
de thé
renowned for its patisseries, especially the local favourite
(and ours), cannelés.
From the village débarcadère (Cap
Ferret's jetty, also the location of an excellent brasserie)
you can take a ferry over to Arcachon, Le Moulleau, or catch
a trip to the Dune de Pyla (definitely easier than driving
around Bay!), but you'll probably miss your 'desert island'
home quite quickly! Or try a boat tour spotting the oyster
beds and bird life of the bassin d'Arcachon.
There's also a charming 'petit train' that
runs from the jetty on the bassin side over the dunes at the
Atlantic beach on the other side of the pensinsula; the trip
takes 10-15 minutes and, especially if you have children,
is a delight!
Heading
on down to the Pointe is a must, stopping
to
climb to the top of the famous Cap Ferret lighthouse
on the way - the views across the bassin to the sandy wild-life
reserve of the Banc d'Arguin and over to
the Dune de Pyla (Europe's highest sand dune) are breathtaking.
The famous '44 hectares' of the Cap Ferret
peninsula are situated south of the lighthouse. This is an
area of villas built in the earlier part of the century set
amongst the pine trees all served by unmade roads, owned by
several French stars, Bordeaux vineyard owners and generations
of Cap Ferret inhabitants of more modest means. It's probably
the most natural, exclusive yet unpretentious housing estate
in France and also home to the island's most famous restaurant,
Chez Hortense - laid back (what else could
it be here?) and popular with France's VIPs.
Another must is visting one of the peninsula's oyster farming
districts at l'Herbe, le Canon or
Piraillan where the careful raising of these
exquisite delicacies has continued for over 150 years. Can
oysters ever have tested better than here, at the edge of
the waters where they grew?
Near Cap Ferret
If you feel the urge to leave the
Cap - and many don't while they are here - the famous appelations
of Pauillac and Margaux north
in the médoc rouge are not far away. There are many
vineyards where you can visit and taste some of the famous
wines. Two very approachable châteaux are the under-rated
(and relatively inexpensive) Château Maucaillou,
a medium-sized, family-run estate in Moulis-en-Médoc;
there is an interesting museum exhibiting some of the history
of wine-making. Or for a very special visit, Château
Giscours in the Margaux region organises tastings
of various vintages of its grand crus classés, hosted
by a particularly engaging, unpretentious and plain-speaking
'oenologue' (Master of Wine).
Around
the other side of the basin is Arcachon, a
popular French resort; a part of the town known as the Ville
d'Hiver (winter town) is well worth strolling to see the quirky
architecture of its many 19th century villas.
South of Arcachon is the famous Dune du Pyla,
the largest sand dune in Europe, standing at over 100 metres.
A journey to the summit (try it without the staircase provided!)
is a must; sunrise and sunset are the best times.
If
you're feeling beached out, Bordeaux
is well under an hour away and is a good option for a day-trip,
whether it’s boutique shopping, sight-seeing or culture.
Walking around the 18th century old town centre (Quartier
St. Pierre), you can begin to imagine the city’s commercial
and maritime past. Medieval gems of the Gironde east of Bordeaux
are also wonderful days out; St Emilion,
with its 11th century basilica, is the best known but can
be busy; St Macaire and La Réole
are also enjoyable. Obviously there are more chateaux
over here but an
altogether different wine experience can be had at Caudalie
Vinotherapie Spa, in the middle of the Château
Smith Haut Lafitte, vineyards, just south of Bordeaux. The
spa offers unique beauty treatments derived from grand cru
grapes of the Graves appelation renowned for their anti-ageing
and micro-circulation improving properties - in short, visitors
apparently come out feeling good!
For further information try the links below. Please note that
we cannot be held responsible for the content of third party
sites.
Cap
Ferret Tourism
Arcachon Tourism
Bordeaux
Tourism
Gironde
Tourism
UK's
French Tourist Office
Chateau
Giscours
Chateau
Maucaillou
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