109 - Villa Akotz  St Jean de Luz

In our opinion

What makes Villa Akotz a great holiday rental

Villa Akotz is an extremely high quality villa, one of three superb villas built on a large residential plot 300m from Lafitenia beach (along with Villa Senix and Villa Myarco). It has six luxury bedroom suites, sauna, spacious living areas, lovely terrace, deck & pool area with ocean views. Great local beach, excellent neighbourhood restaurant, surf school, plus St Jean de Luz a short drive away. A superb way to holiday in the French Basque coast in style.

Best for:
One or two families not wanting to compromise on the quality of the accommodation, nor the attractiveness of the views outside.

Suitability for:

Toddlers - cot & high chair available; pool is secured by an alarm. St Jean de Luz bay has beaches with same bathing for small children.
Teenagers - older kids can enjoy the independence of walking to the beach, or catching a bus to St Jean de Luz. Plenty of activities in the bay to enjoy.
Reduced mobility - the villa is located sloping grounds; there is a bedroom suite at ground-floor level; this level opens directly onto the rear terrace.

Anything to watch out for?
The property grounds are spacious (2500m2), however they are not fenced from the neighbouring properties. We do not consider this an issue as the properties have been positioned so as not to overlook one another, and there are natural boundaries which make the separate plots obvious.

Why St Jean de Luz?
St Jean de Luz is a charming, very attractive sea-side town and Basque fishing port, known for a lovely town-centre beach and a superb choice of restaurants. The Côte Basque is a wonderful, warm and vibrant coastline of south west France, a genuine mix of Spanish and French culture and a great alternative to the more famous Côte d'Azur.

Accommodation

Superb contemporary villa with ocean views; lovely, natural local beach a short walk away

A truly outstanding rental: spacious (450m2) Basque-style property in large grounds (2800m2) with views of the ocean 300m away. St Jean de Luz and Guéthary (an attractive seaside village just to the north) just 3 kms away; chic Biarritz or San Sebastien in Spain are c. 15-20 kms.

The interior throughout is high quality, neutral, stylish, as are all equipment and furnishings - it is like walking into your own contemporary luxury boutique hotel.

The villa is laid out as follows:

Ground floor
Double height entrance hall. 140m2 living & dining room with open-plan professional-standard kitchen:

> Spacious living area with two sofas, wall-mounted plasma TV & contemporary fireplace
> Dining area with table seating 12.
(The dining & living areas overlook the terrace & pool through large sliding glass doors, with ocean views beyond.)

> High-specification ultra-modern kitchen

One bedroom suite downstairs: 45m2, overlooking the pool with background ocean views, king size bed, in-room Philippe Starck bath, separate walk-in shower, WC, dressing area. On a lower mezzanine level is a TV room (30m2) and sauna, plus WC and equipped laundry room.

Upstairs
Four further bedroom suites are on the first floor:

> Suite 2: 43m2, garden view, king-size bed, in-room bath (can be screened), separate walk-in shower, WC, dressing area.
> Suite 3: 30m2, garden view, king-size bed, walk-in shower, WC, dressing area
> Suite 4: 43m2, pool view, king-size bed, in-room bath & separate walk-in shower, dressing area
> Suite 5: 28m2, pool view, king-size bed, walk-in shower

Three of the bedrooms have luxury in-room baths (please see the photo gallery for examples), as well as a separate walk-in shower.

Garden
The house is in a plot of 2800 m2. Sliding doors lead from the dining & living areas to a large covered terrace (with hardwood table & chairs seating 12) overlooking the pool. The 12m x 6m pool (secured by an electric cover, which also keeps the heat in at night) is down a small flight of steps, surrounded by an attractive teak deck. Several sun loungers are provided.

A garden annexe (located next to the pool) contains the 6th suite, 20m2, with king size bed, shower & WC. The adjacent pool house contains a bar area.

There is parking for 2-3 cars at the front of the house.

For groups of more than 12 people, a lovely neighbouring property, Villa Myarco, can be also rented as a 'maison d'amis' for up to 8 guests.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.41445879788106, -1.624576449394226)

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 · Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Degustation · Mountain biking ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Tour Basque Country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette
• Visit Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
• Cross the border into Spain - San Sebastian, Pamplona & the Guggenheim
• Explore the Pyreneees National Park for its wildlife, walks & scenery
• Taste the glitz & glamour of 'Belle-Epoque' Biarritz

Our Personal Highlights

• An evening stroll of St Jean de Luz's bustling streets, before drinks & supper!
• Sampling the pintxos - Basque tapas - in St Jean de Luz or Ciboure old town
• Catching a game of Basque pelote at one of the village frontons
• A visit to Ainhoa or Sare - both 'picture perfect' Basque Country villages
• An early-evening apéritif watching the Lafitenia surfers, followed by an alfresco seafood dinner at Ostalamer

The Local Area: St Jean de Luz

Whether its beaches, boutiques, culture, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, this town is hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, St Jean is an authentic and colourful seaside town and working fishing port. It has plenty to offer discerning visitors of all ages. In particular, this is a great place to eat out - St Jean de Luz is recognised as the capital of Basque cuisine - a distinctively delicious blend of French & Spanish flavours - and is noted for its seafood (it is one of Rick Stein’s favourite places).

St Jean de Luz suits the discerning traveller: whilst the sandy beaches are excellent for families, this is not a “bucket and spade” resort - the Basques and the fishermen would never allow this! It’s for those who want to experience active and varied days and relax in the evening and enjoy a meal in one of the many brasseries and bistrots which line the town’s enchanting back streets.

The location is enviable, set in a horse-shoe bay with a beautiful sandy beach and a backdrop of the western Pyrénées, peaked by La Rhune, the mythical Basque mountain. This combination of ocean and mountain landscapes is a unique draw and also helps to keep St Jean de Luz surprisingly mild in winter.

More than that, the landscape and vibrant Basque architecture produce a combination of light and colour that gives St Jean de Luz a special, intangible, quality that is matched in only a few other places in France. Little wonder it’s one of our favourite resorts.

The local beaches - Erromardie, Lafitenia, Mayarkoenia and Cenitz (Senix) are all better known as surfing beaches. Erromardie is the best of these for families, but for young ones, the sheltered Grande Plage in St Jean de Luz is the one to head for.

The picturesque fishing village of Guéthary is 2 kms north of Villa Akotz and a must-visit for it's gorgeous beach, charming port and delightful Basque architecture, especially at apéritif time.

Several golf courses, fishing, sailing, tennis, several spas and horse-riding are also available nearby.

The concierge staff at Villa Akotz know the region intimately will be delighted to organise experiences for discovering the region's culture, cuisine and activities during your stay.

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