002 - Grange de Hinx  St Martin de Hinx (2kms)

In our opinion

What makes Grange de Hinx a great holiday rental

It's in the enviable Sud Landes region, an area that offers the tranquility of the French countryside, it's gentle hills, market towns and relaxing lifestyle, but equally is only a short drive from the bustling coastline and resorts such as Hossegor and Biarritz. The Grange offers the best of both worlds - you can do lazy days by the pool and active days at the beach. 

Best for:
Families who want the combination of French countryside and beach. Outside the summer holidays it's popular with mature couples wanting to explore the region.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - safe, peaceful accommodation & grounds
• Teenagers - quiet location but pool, table tennis, badminton
• Reduced mobility - downstairs bedroom & bathroom

Anything to watch out for?
There is no gate at the end of the driveway on to the minor road accessing the property.

Why St Martin-de-Hinx?
A charming village typical of the region with a good boulangerie and some handy tennis courts. It will be the proximity to the likes of Hossegor & Biarritz that brings people to this area for holidays.

Accommodation

Versatile farmhouse renovation in an acre of tranquil grounds, with private swimming pool

Grange de Hinx has been thoughtfully renovated retaining the farmhouse's traditional features whilst offering an interior that is contemporary, simple and uncluttered. High ceilings and exposed beams dominate the living space whilst the walls are whitewashed and floors are tiled.

Inside:

The accommodation is entered via the original double-height oval barn doors - it's quite an entrance. This leads into a spacious open-plan living room with TV, DVD and sofas. Just off the living room is the dining area - again, it's double-height and is sky-lit. There is seating for 8-9 comfortably.

Also on the ground floor is a spacious laundry room.

Two of the four bedrooms are on the ground floor. Both are en-suite and can be used as twins or joined together to make a double. One of the bedrooms has patio door access to the garden.

The remaining two bedrooms are upstairs and again can be used as twins or doubles. An extra single bed is available to make a triple, if required.

Outside:

The grounds of Grange de Hinx are equally charming - there's a real feeling of French rural tranquillity and the grounds have been set up knowing that guests will spend a lot of time outdoors.

There is 1 acre of grounds in total including:
- a spacious and romantic courtyard
- a covered terrace with outdoor dining table, easily seating 8-9 people
- fenced swimming pool above the courtyard, with decked sunbathing area
- covered abri with table tennis
- 5 mountain bikes (4 adult, 1 child)
- room for badminton and boules (both provided)
- plenty of parking
- there are some unused outbuildings too

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.57885974, -1.306396723)

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

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Course Landaise ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Belle-Epoque Biarritz - style & surf chic combined
• Pretty Basque fishing port & resort, St Jean de Luz
• Discover the 'postcard' hillside villages of the Basque Country
• Hop over the border into Spanish for San Sebastian or the Guggenheim
• Explore the superb Pyrenees National Park for great walks & wildlife
• Visit the under-rated city of Bayonne, the Pays Basque capital
• Thermal spa pampering at nearby Dax

Our Personal Highlights

• Explore the coast, forests and lagoon via its network of cycle trails
• A day's golf & surf at Seignosse
• A day of culture - and hot chocolate - in Bayonne
• Unwind at the Marais d'Orx wetland reserve
• Catch an exhibition of Course Landais at St Vincent de Tyrosse

The Local Area: St Martin de Hinx (2kms)

St Martin de Hinx
The village offers a few essential shops including a boulangerie, a bar and tennis courts. There are further shops and supermarkets in St Martin de Seignanx (10 kms) and at Peyrehorade and St-Vincent-de-Tyrosse. Peyrehorade has an excellent market twice-weekly. Nearby restaurants of note include one in the village Ste-Marie-de-Gosse and the Auberge "la Petite Charlotte" at Biaudos.

Capbreton and Hossegor
The local region of Sud Landes is typical Aquitaine - endless stretches of sandy beaches buffeted by the Atlantic ocean, vast pine forests punctuated by the occasional lake and criss-crossed by a network of cycle trails.

Capbreton and Hossegor are neighbouring seaside towns which between them offer an appealing contrast. Hossegor is the more famous, largely through its surfing heritage. It's a 'feelgood' place offering boutique shopping, great bars and restaurants, world-famous surfing beaches, casino, and a lovely golf course and a beautiful lake for safe bathing.

Capbreton lives in the shadow of Hossegor but it's the place the locals prefer for eating out and for beaches. It's definitely the more authentic of the two, largely because of its fishing port and daily fish market. In fact, the town thrived in the 19th century as a whaling port and this sea-faring heritage is still very much apparent today.

It also has a charming town centre and market. Capbreton is just more French than
Hossegor, if you see what we mean. It remains, admirably, something of a French
(and Spanish) secret. Capbreton sea-front is a bustling place, day and evening. You can walk all the way along the marina and sea-front. The jetty, known locally as l'estacade, offers excellent coastal views. There's normally a few locals here trying to catch a fish for
supper. It makes for great viewing!

Like most of the south west coast, Capbreton-Hossegor is something of an outdoor
playground. Take your pick from surfing, canoeing, sailing, diving, fishing, 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 45minutes drive including Moliets and several around Biarritz.

Capbreton regularly holds major surfing competitions; the whole Aquitaine coast is a perfect venue for surfers but at Capbreton the presence of an offshore hollow in the sea-bed gives the waves here that extra edge. If you don't fancy a go yourself, just sit on the sea-front with a drink of your choice and watch the surfers ride to shore.

Cyclists can enjoy the many safe forest tracks that connect between the towns along the coast. Sailing enthusiasts should head for the Capbreton Marina. Being so close to the Pays Basque border, sporting life also includes the legendary game of pelote; you can watch a game at the fronton in Hossegor.

River Adour, Chalosse & the Lakes
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!

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 birdwatching (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.

To the south of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan you start to enter Chalosse country in 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.

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, Soustons and Léon; at the latter you can canoe from the lake along the serene Courant d’Huchet to the ocean’s edge.

Basque Country & Spain
A short 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, museums, ramparts and walk its ancient streets.

Heading inland, 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. At Sorde l'Abbaye, at the border of Pays Basque and Les Landes, there is a 12th century Benedictine abbey worthy of a visit.

It’s only a short distance over the Spanish border 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.

Customer Reviews

“The villa did match our expectations, the photos accurately portrayed the property.”

Mrs M Cotten, stayed in 2010

Mr R Cervenak, stayed in 2010

Mrs J Long, stayed in 2010

“We loved the rural position of the house. It was so tranquil...really nice grounds and pool with an excelent bbq. The house was spacious with plenty of bathrooms. We had a really super holiday and loved the area.”

Mrs C Holme, stayed in 2008