106 - Hounaou  Hagetmau (15 kms)

In our opinion

What makes Hounaou a great holiday rental

This is a great place to unwind in the peace and quiet of the Gascony countryside, and there are plenty of interesting places to visit within a short drive.

Best for:
Families or groups of friends looking for a gentle pace of life in authentic rural France.

Sleeps up to 10 people, so ideal for a family celebration.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - the pool has an alarm but no fence.
• Teenagers  - no exuberant nightlife here, but great for cycling, walking and generally relaxing. 
• Reduced mobility - there are steps into the swimming pool. Bedrooms are on the first and second floor.

Anything to watch out for?
No.

Why Hagetmau?
Beautiful countryside to explore on foot or by bike, markets, festivals, gastronomy - all that makes Gascony an appealing place to be can be found here. Hagetmau is reputed for its impressive floral displays, and is situated almost equally between the coast and the mountains - perfect for day trips.

Accommodation

Attractive, high quality manor house with pool in stunning, peaceful countryside.

Tastefully furnished to a high standard, Hounaou is a beautiful Gascon manor house in spacious grounds, surrounded by rolling countryside.
Hounaou is situated on a quiet single-track lane approx. 1 km outside the hamlet of Castelner in the Béarn. The housekeepers live in a property across the road from Hounaou. The market town of Hagetmau is 15 kms away; Pau is approx. 40 kms away, Biarritz approx. 80 kms.

Entrance:
There is gated entrance, leading to a gravelled parking area in front of the house for 2-3 cars.

INSIDE:
Ground floor: Entrance hall, full-equipped kitchen with table seating 6. Light, spacious living / dining room with three sets of double doors opening onto the terrace and garden. The living room end seats 6-8 around an open fireplace, and contains a TV and DVD player. The other end contains a large dining table seating 10, and a chandelier. There is a separate reading room / salon (seats 3), with direct access onto the terrace via French doors. (Fine mesh mosquito screens can be pulled down over all downstairs French doors to keep out unwanted insects, and adding a colonial touch.) All these rooms are tastefully furnished to a high standard. There is also a bathroom and WC downstairs.

First floor:  Four bedrooms - two doubles plus two twins, each with lovely views over the gardens. One of the doubles has an en-suite bathroom & WC. There is a further shared bathroom with WC.

Second floor:   Stairs lead up to a spacious fifth bedroom suite, comprising living area and a separate double bedroom.

All the bedrooms have good storage and hanging space. Linen and furnishings are all high quality.

Outside:  Pool & garden: The pool is 10m x 5m, salt-water, protected by an alarm system with a wide tiled surround. There are several loungers. The depth of the pool ranges from 1.0m to 1.8m and there are steps into the shallow end. A lawn runs around the pool and slopes towards the back of the garden, where it merges into woodland. A large garden table and chairs seat 10 for alfresco dining.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.55371515, -0.576251149)

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

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Course Landaise · Wine-tasting · Hiking · Mountain biking · Mountain sports ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Head to the spa town of Dax for a day of pampering
• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon, Madiran and Béarn
• Visit the Basque coast to take in the glamour & style of Biarritz, and the character of St Jean de Luz
• Cross the border into Spain for a visit to Pamplona, San Sebastian or Bilbao
• A trip to Lourdes to satisfy the religious or the plain curious

Our Personal Highlights

Unwind to the pace of Gascony life...

• Cruising the local towns and villages on market day, esp. Orthez
• Lazy day exploring the historic Adour villages: Aire, Grenade & St Sever
• Stopping at a Gascon auberge and dining with the locals

Or, if things are getting a bit too quiet...

• A day at Capbreton beach (the locals' favourite), followed by tapas in one of the many restaurants by the marina, and home
• Lunch, shopping & a spot of surf in Biarritz

The Local Area: Hagetmau (15 kms)

The surrounding area, known as the Chalosse, is where the Landes, Béarn and Gascony meet, and is known for simple, authentic pleasures - visiting villages and market towns, dropping into auberges to enjoy the local produce (the patron's foie gras and several local armagnacs will certainly feature on the menu), soaking up local history and generally admiring a quiet but appealing way of life.

Hagetmau, 15 kms away, is a small town with a population of approximately 4000 is a quaint and typically charming French village with a good selection of amenities and a market on Wednesday morning. Contained within it you have Hotel Jambon and Lac D'Halco both offering fine regional dining. The town itself possesses a multitude of speciality shops including two bakeries with absolutely sinful pasteries and desserts. The region itself is known most famously for its production of foie gras -- the artisanal producers around are known world wide for their labours. Keep in mind that shops in Hagetmau are generally opened Tuesday - Saturday from around 9h00 to 12h30 and then again from 14h30 to 18h30 (with some variation).

Also between Castelner and Hagetmau you will find "Intermarche" - the local Sainsburys meets Harrod's Food Halls. A good idea is to shop for a number of days at a time for your basics, and then become more adventurous as you become more comfortable and familiar.

Orthez, approx. 25 kms away, is a larger town with several monuments, inclouding a famous 13th century bridge, a bustling market on Tuesday mornings and a good selection of boutiques.

For a real feel of Gascon culture St Sever is a must-visit: a beautiful medieval walled town 12 kms north of Hagetmau, delightful to explore. You can also experience the exciting spectacle of non-violent & skilful bull-running at arenas in Dax and Mont-de-Marsan.

The more active should head south towards the Pyrenees for walks through dramatic scenery, as well as river-rafting and mountain biking.

Further afield the beaches of the southern Landes and Basque coasts are an easy day-trip away and offer a range of water-sports, especially surfing and body-boarding. The pretty villages of the Basque country (Ascain, Ainhoa, etc) are an easy drive; Pamplona in Spain is a day-trip through one of the dramatic Pyrenean mountain passes.

Customer Reviews

“Perfect isolation for us”

Mrs E Joy, stayed in 2011

“The house was superb - and, unusually for us, we would consider renting it again. ”

Mr M Canon, stayed in 2011