125 - Villa des Cigales  Piraillan

In our opinion

What makes Villa des Cigales a great holiday rental

Good quality villas with pools are notoriously hard to come by in Cap Ferret, and Villa des Cigales is a very welcome addition to our portfolio. The garden and terraces provide lots of outside space, there's a good-sized pool and a fresh, modern, summery interior. The market is a short walk away, local beach, restaurants and oyster-farming villages a bit further, Atlantic beaches a short bike ride. If all this sounds lovely, it's because it really is!

Best for:
It is ideally suited to 1 extended family or two smaller families with children wanting somewhere that is convenient for exploring this lovely corner of France, but also comfortable & spacious enough to spend time in on days you don’t want to move far.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - No steps inside. Uncluttered interior. Cot & high chair provided
• Teenagers - Easy bike ride to beaches and shops. Surf and tennis nearby
• Reduced Mobility - Ground floor accommodation makes it a suitable let

Anything to watch out for?
No.

Why Cap Ferret?
We’ve not met anyone yet who has been to Cap Ferret and not come home a complete convert, but it’s worth noting that it is an area of natural, unspoilt beauty – in spite of its reputation as a upmarket destination it is not conventionally luxurious in the same way as Cap Ferrat (on the Med, often confused with Cap Ferret), but has a laid-back ‘beach-chic’ style of its own. It also means that apart from beaches, surfing, sailing, exploring by bike and eating out, there isn’t much to do. But what else do you need?!

Accommodation

Stylishly-furnished, summery villa with garden, terrace & pool in sought-after Cap Ferret

Maison des Cigales is a classic 'maison landaise' typical of Cap Ferret, a single storey villa with a broad sloping roof with timber features, characterful brown shutters and large hardwood entrance door.

The house stands in a good-sized plot (700m2) set back from the road. Mature trees at the front provide plenty of shade on hot days. There is off-road parking for two cars.

The house is about 35 years old with many original features: tiled floors throughout, living-room fireplace, built-in external fireplace/barbecue. There are tall French doors opening to the rear garden, deck & pool area. The current owners have recently brought the furnishings and décor up-to-date whilst retaining its French character to create a lovely, relaxing holiday home in keeping with Cap Ferret's stylish, relaxed environment.

They stay themselves as much as possible so it is equipped very much as a home, including a selection of indoor and outdoor toys.

Inside:
The entrance leads into an L-shaped hallway serving the kitchen, living/dining room, bedrooms & bathrooms.

The separate kitchen isn't large but is well-equipped, including oven, hob, microwave, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, kettle & coffee-maker. There are tall windows opening over the front garden, plus a breakfast table seating 4.

The living/dining room is a good-sized, sunny room with two sets of French doors. Two sofas provide a comfortable reading/drinks area around the fireplace (seating 4-6). This area sits behind a large modern dining table which seats 8 comfortably.

There are four bedrooms of approximately equal size (20m2 approx.), all pleasantly furnished.

Three are double bedrooms (160 x 200 cm beds), each equipped with wardrobe, drawers and shelves. All of these rooms overlook the rear garden & pool.

The fourth bedroom is a twin (2 x 90 cm beds) with shelved wardrobe and overlooks the front garden.

The family bathroom includes bath, shower, basin & toilet. A second shower room is located at the end of the corridor; there is also a separate second WC.

Outside:
The good-sized & varied outside space at Villa des Cigales is a very appealing feature of this property. It is a typical Cap Ferret garden, with a very 'natural' feel and includes several pine trees.

French doors on two sides of the living room open onto the attractive rear terrace which runs around the rear of the house. The terrace is covered on one side to provide a lovely salon d'été (summer sitting room) around a large barbecue/external fireplace - perfect for cooking & relaxing at night once the heat has gone out of the sun.

The other part of the terrace overlooks the rear garden & pool, and makes a great spot to read or sunbathe. Steps run down to the pool & deck area, which includes an outdoor shower cubicle. The pool can be shut off from the rest of the garden by a gate at the top of the steps from the terrace, and 1m20 fences with gates at the side of the house and in the garden.

The rest of the garden is mature, with enough space and tall enough shrubs for a game of hide-and-seek! There is also a trampoline in the back garden. A 1m80 fence surrounds the plot, but because the grounds slope down in the far corner behind the pool a neighbouring property partially overlooks the garden (but bamboo provides some screening). However it is from part of the neighbour's plot that is rarely used, and the owners are seldom there.

In all, Villa des Cigales is a lovely, family holiday home in a calm, convenient location.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (44.70868222, -1.226735115)

We endeavour to be as accurate as possible using Google maps but some error is possible.

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Kitesurfing · Windsurfing · Sailing · Water-skiing · Jet-skiing · Cycling · Horse-riding · Fishing · Wine-tasting · Degustation · Adventure Parc ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Climb the Dune de Pilat (esp. by water taxi)
• Ride a tram through central Bordeaux
• Tour the Médoc vineyards and wine-tasting
• Walk around St Emilion (UNESCO world heritage site)

Our Personal Highlights

Visit local market and oyster-farming villages. Explore Cap Ferret's wonderful forest cycle trails (pick up 500m from the house). Hang out in chic Cap Ferret village. Boat trips around the Bassin and to Dune de Pilat. Le Petit Train trip across the peninsula is a delight. Take ferry to the 'mainland': Arcachon and le Moulleau. Visit Médoc wine region (Margaux, Lafite, etc), revitalised Bordeaux, historic St Emilion.

Activities: surfing a must (schools at le Truc Vert and l'Horizon beaches), cycling, watersports, fishing too.

The Local Area: Piraillan

Cap Ferret is a beautiful sandy strip bordered by beautiful Atlantic beaches & dunes on one side, the gentle Bay shore on the other, and the scent of pine forest in between. It has a stylish, laid-back ambience and an unspoilt, natural environment which give it an 'island' feel - what could be better for a holiday.

Piraillan is one of the small towns along the Cap Ferret peninsula, and is renowned for oyster-farming quarter: alleys of characterful, brightly-painted huts which line the Arcachon basin's shore. 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? A stroll, stopping for a degustation, is a must!

Just 100m from the villa is Piraillan's extensive covered food market (open July & August) - with a bit of planning you need never shop in a supermarket while you're here.

To the south Piraillan merges into Le Canon which offers local shops, tabac, its own oyster-farming quarter, local Bay-side beach and two good local restaurants. 'Le Truc Vert' is the nearest Atlantic Beach, about 3 kms away and easily cyclable along the quiet avenues which then join up with one of the peninsula's fantastic forest cycle-ways on the west.

6 kms to the south, Cap Ferret village is 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 Tchanqué 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), canelés.

From the village you can take a ferry over to Arcachon or Le Moulleau, 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 to the fantastic Atlantic beach "l'Horizon" 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 is worth exploring by bicycle. It is 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.

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.

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 about an hour away and is a good option for a day-trip, whether it’s boutique shopping, sight-seeing or culture. 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 - get there early!

Customer Reviews

Mrs V Corbisier, stayed in 2010

“Property was great, exactly as per the detailed spec on the website. It's a bit to difficult to judge what a 'good' price is out of season, but we were very happy with the value for money we got. ”

Mr Richard Sterry, stayed in 2010

Mr R Delaney, stayed in 2010

Mrs E Needham, stayed in 2011

Mrs Klopstock, stayed in 2011