014 - Villa du Lac  Carcans (4 kms)

In our opinion

What makes Villa du Lac a great holiday rental

• Glorious setting of pine forests, vast lakes and endless sandy beaches
• Range of activities on offer: watersports, golf, surfing, horse-riding, cycling
• A short drive to the Médoc and its world-class vineyards

In short, the cottage offers informal and straightforward holiday accommodation in a very relaxed setting, yet situated close to an abundance of family activities.

Best for:
With its own private pool and access to nearby lakes and ocean, this is a very popular summer retreat for families. In our view it works especially well for younger kids as it offers a safe environment. 

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - ideal grounds for playing safely & the lakes offer safe bathing. The little ones will also enjoy the wildlife visiting the gardens!
• Teenagers - need to be content in a quiet location but there's an abundance of activities to enjoy in the area
• Reduced mobility - accommodation all on ground floor

Anything to watch out for?

• Simple furnishings
• There is a small campsite across the road which may generate some noise during summer although it hasn't ever been highlighted as an issue by previous clients.
• There is another holiday cottage on the same plot of land (same owners). The cottages both offer privacy to guests but equally could (and have been) rented together by larger groups. Please consult the Google map (see Location tab) for further details. 

Why Lacanau?
The nearest ocean resort, famed for its surfing, kitesurfing, golf and watersports. It combines lakes, forests and ocean to provide a superb summer playground. The huge nearby lakes of Hourtin-Carcans and Lacanau add a superb extra dimension offering an array of watersports and the lakes themselves have excellent sandy beaches.

Accommodation

Comfortable summer cottage in tranquil setting with private pool

Villa du Lac is a restored resinier’s cottage in the secluded sweet-scented pine forests of the Gironde. "Resinier" is as Gascon a name as they come and it refers to the people of the forest who collected resin from the innumerable pine trees of Aquitaine. Of course, these days machines do the work.

Villa du Lac shares a 1 acre plot of land with the adjacent Villa Hélène. However, both homes are accessed separately, are private and enjoy their own gardens . The swimming pool is exclusive to Villa du Lac.

Inside:

The cottage offers 3 double-size bedrooms and a large open-plan living area all on ground floor level. The large spaces and tiled floors give the cottage a distinctly summery feel. Original features have been retained wherever possible including oak-beam ceilings in the kitchen and one of the bedrooms, plus a Girondine open fireplace in the lounge.

The master bedroom has en-suite shower facilities and a king-size bed. The second bedroom contains twin beds whilst the third has two singles and bunk beds - this has proved to be an excellent kids' room. The main cottage can therefore sleep up to 8 people. There is plenty of storage space provided.

Additionally there is a separate family bathroom with bath, shower and wc.

The living area of the cottage consists of a large lounge, oak refectory dining table for 8 and a good-size integrated kitchen. The lounge is dominated by a huge open fireplace. There is plenty of comfy seating including two new sofas. TV and vcr provided.

The kitchen has an English 'country kitchen' design and is well-equipped to include washing machine, dishwasher, two fridges, freezer, electric cooker, microwave, coffee machine, kettle and toaster.

Outside:

The large swimming pool is protected by an approved alarm system. There are steps at one end and is at a depth of 1.6m.

Other outside facilities include a BBQ and plenty of garden furniture. The gardens are extensive and there is a tranquil patio area for taking meals outside.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (45.11246289, -1.066864729)

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 · Kayaking · Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Wine-tasting · Degustation · Mountain biking ·

Day-trip Ideas

• A day of watersports on the lake at Hourtin, Bombannes or Maubuisson
• Oysters & sophistication in Cap Ferret
• Chateau touring in sleepy Medoc
• Scale the amazing Dune du Pilat near Arcachon
• City culture in Bordeaux, particularly the old town quarter

Our Personal Highlights

• Exploring the vast pine forests on bikes
• Kayaking along the immense Hourtin-Carcans lake
• Quieter beach resorts such as Carcans Plage and Hourtin Plage
• Lakeside picnics with the kids
• 18 holes at Lacanau Golf d'Ardilouse then into the surf at Plage Sud

The Local Area: Carcans (4 kms)

Carcans
A charming Medocaine village with essential shops and amenities plus a weekly market.

Local Area
Beach lovers have the choice of ocean and lakes. The Lac d’Hourtin-Carcans and Lac de Lacanau provide safer bathing and have their own sandy beaches plus there is outstanding watersports potential. Hourtin-Port and Maubisson are the main beach resorts at Lac d’Hourtin-Carcans and both are great for sailing; there is a marina at Hourtin-Port.

Lacanau-Océan is the most popular resort on this stretch of the Côte d’Argent and hosts a world-pro surfing tournament in August. For less crowds try Carcans-Plage and Hourtin-Plage.

Cap Ferret and Arcachon are the favoured sunning spots for wealthier Bordelais folk. Near to Arcachon is the magnificent Dune du Pilat – Europe’s highest sand dune. Set on the southerly edge of the Bassin d’Arcachon, the town is perfect for boat trips, seafood, boutique shopping and a good old-fashioned stroll along the promenade or the beautiful Winter Town.

Montalivet-les-Bains and Soulac-sur-Mer are the main beach resorts on the north coast. Soulac, like Arcachon’s Winter Town, is full of eclectic villas and mansions dating to the late 19th century and built by wealthier residents of Bordeaux. Soulac also has its own Unesco World Heritage Site – the Romanesque Benedictine Abbey, Esplanade Alienor d’Aquitaine. Further north still, at the Pointe de Grave, you can take a ferry to the resort of Royan.

For wine-lovers, the nearby Médoc region is home to several world-class vineyards including celebrated appellations such as St-Julien, Pauillac, Haut-Médoc, Margaux and Médoc itself. The warm climate and gravely soil combine to produce some of the world’s most sought-after red wines. Naturally there are plenty of wine-tasting opportunities. To visit the best-known châteaux such as Lafite Rothschild and Margaux, you are advised to make a booking in advance.

And if drinking wine isn’t enough, you can also bathe in it. Yes, vinothérapie is the latest in hedonistic body-revitalisation treatments and you can indulge in this treat at Martillac, just to the south of Bordeaux.

Golfers will be pleased to hear that they are a short drive away from the prestigious championship courses of Golf du Medoc, Les Châteaux and Les Vignes. Just outside of Lacanau, is Golf d’Ardilouse, a lovely 18-hole course set in the pine forests.

The city of Bordeaux is an hour away and is a good option for a day-trip, whether it’s forboutique 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.

Customer Reviews

“We had a wonderful time. What a beautiful house, we think that it is the nicest holiday cottage we have stayed in (and we've stayed in a few!). It was also great having it so clean on arrival.”

Mr M Slack, stayed in 2010

“We loved the house and had the best time. The kids were in the pool the whole time and the house was just like a home.”

Mrs M Bilton, stayed in 2008

Mr T Scott, stayed in 2008

“Great variety of things to do, fantastic beaches”

Mr A Currie, stayed in 2011