049 - Borde Dorrea  St-Jean-de-Luz (4 kms)

In our opinion

What makes Borde Dorrea a great holiday rental

Borde Dorrea is a fine example of a traditional Basque country house, located just a short hop from the beaches and style of St Jean de Luz. Everyone will love the swimming pool, tennis court, huge gardens, games facilities and the fronton court for playing the famous local sport, Basque pelota.

Best for:
Families with children of all ages and groups of friends wanting a secluded, high quality holiday home away from the crowds, but with the beaches and restaurants of the Basque coast in easy reach. 

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - high chair and travel cot available (linen provided). Grounds are safe and enclosed. Swimming pool well-protected and away from house
• Teenagers - pool, billiard table and tennis court will keep them amused, and sea-side just a short drive away
• Reduced mobility - level entrance from driveway; two bedrooms + bathroom on the ground floor

Anything to watch out for?
Not really - in some areas the décor is a bit dated (children's bedrooms, bathrooms) but we feel this is a minor point and the overall standard is very good.

Why St Jean de Luz?
Borde Dorrea is located between the rocky coves & surf beaches of the Basque coast, St Jean de Luz - a lovely Basque sea-side town with fishing port (a sea-foodie's paradise) and beach - and the rolling hills and colourful villages of the French Basque country.

Accommodation

Homely Basque country house with excellent facilities in large tranquil grounds, with tennis court, billiards table and large pool.

Borde Dorrea is very well-furnished Basque country house. It is regularly used by its Parisian owners and so is equipped as to feel homely and relaxing.

The accommodation is exceptionally spacious and appointed to a high-standard overall. There are examples of traditional features such as the imposing fireplace, antique doors and beamed ceilings. In some rooms the decor is a little dated, notably the bathrooms and children's bedrooms. We feel this is a minor point and is more than compensated for by the excellent facilities, privacy and space offered at Dorrea.

The house and area of land are entirely independent; in fact, with the right scale of map, the plot is large enough to be marked. There is approximately one acre of gardens, lined at the front with mature trees, above which can be seen the Pyrénéan foothills rising to the peak of la Rhune - a highly symbolic place for Basques.

A long driveway leads from entrance gates to the front of the house. Nestling behind the parking area is the house's very own tennis court and fronton. You will see frontons in every village square in Pays Basque - it is the Basque sport, similar to squash and handball.

Inside:

The accommodation is on two floors and comprises 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 5 wcs. The bedrooms and bathrooms are arranged as follows:
Ground floor
• 1x twin overlooking the garden. Plenty of storage plus handy wash-hand basin in the room
• 1x double bedroom
• Bathroom with WC

First floor
• 1x double bedroom with balcony overlooking the huge gardens and la Rhune mountain
• Bathroom
• 1x twin bedroom
• 1x children's bedroom with 3 single beds
• The above two bedrooms share a shower room
• Kids' playroom / additional bedroom with 1x single bed plus an additional sofa-bed

Therefore 12 persons can be accommodated without use of the sofa-bed.

The solid wood antique front door opens into an impressive entrance hall ideal for storing coats and shoes. In turn, the hall leads into the large, double-height sitting and dining room; natural light floods into the room and the views of the gardens, woods and hills are tremendous. The two areas of the room are separated by a few steps and the salon area is extremely cosy with its rugs, sofa and enormous fireplace. The dining area has a solid wood table seating 13 people.

Home entertainment is catered for by stereo, video and TV. There is also table football, table tennis and, best of all, a rather plush billiards table which clients are welcome to use - responsibly (an additional security deposit applies).

The kitchen is a very good size; there is a breakfast table plus all the appliances needed for cooking lovely French (and Basque!) dishes - and to wash up afterwards! A washing machine and dryer are also available, situated in the laundry room just off the kitchen.

A handy WC is situated on the ground floor just off the entrance hall.

Outside:

For dining alfresco, there is a terraced area (with shaded part) adjacent to the kitchen for barbequing. This is a great way to enjoy the sheer tranquillity of the gardens and to savour the views south. Garden furniture is provided.

The 13m x 5m swimming pool is constructed in a quiet area of the garden away from the house. It is protected by fence. There are steps at the shallow end; and the depth ranges from 1.1m to 2.1m.

At the front of the house is the private tennis court. There is ample parking for several cars on the driveway.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.35680279, -1.638550758)

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 · Pelote Basque · Course Landaise · Degustation · Hiking · Mountain biking · Mountain sports ·

Day-trip Ideas

* A tour of Basque country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, La Bastide Clairance Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. On the coast, take in Bidart & Guéthary.
* A visit to Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
* Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Irouleguy
* A visit to the city of Pau for sight-seeing, boutique shopping and café-crawling
* Crossing the border into Spain for a visit to San Sebastian, Pamplona or the Guggenheim museum at Bilbao

Our Personal Highlights

* Take Le Petit Train de la Rhune to the peak - over 900m high, and amazing views
* Enjoy a Spanish-influenced seafood meal in one of the pedestrianised streets
* Cross the border for early evening tapas in San Sebastien - a must!
* If you're a novice try a surf taster lesson at Hendaye plage or, for more advanced surfers, Lafitenia
* Pamper yourself with a treatment at the Helianthal spa centre in St Jean de Luz, or Serge Blanco's centre in Hendaye

The Local Area: St-Jean-de-Luz (4 kms)

Because of its mild climate, popular towns and abundance of all-year-round activities to pursue, the Pays Basque attracts visitors throughout the year. In fact, Spring and Autumn can be wonderful times to visit - warm and quiet.

The Basque Country is a little world all of its own. The regional cuisine and architecture provide character enough but more than that, this ‘country’ also has its own language. For a ‘formal’ introduction to Basque culture, try the Musée Basque at Bayonne. However, the best way to soak up the culture is to visit one of the many fêtes or ‘festivals of strength’ that take place in the high season, or, even better, watch a game of pelota. The fastest ball game in the world, this is perhaps the most vivid image of Basque country.

Biarritz and St Jean de Luz are on your doorstep and whether its beaches, shops, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, both of these towns are hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, both are colourful and vibrant seaside towns with plenty of family evening entertainment. They are the sorts of places where you will see whole families sitting down to start dinner at 10.30pm! St Jean de Luz is recognised as the capital of Basque cuisine and is noted for its seafood (it is one of Rick Stein’s favourite places) and use of the spicy Basque staple pimento, .

A few kms inland is the local mountain pass into Spain, the Col d’Ibardin. This was formerly a smuggling route and today is still a place to buy cheap wine and spirits. These mountain pass towns exist all along the Pyrénées.

A great trip for the kids is a ride on Le Petit Train de la Rhune. Standing over 900m high, La Rhune is the distinct and symbolic peak of the western Pyrénées. It can be reached by foot – a lovely day’s walking – or by funicular train. The 360 degree views from the summit are spectacular.

There are great beaches all along the coast from the Spanish border at Hendaye, north into the Landes and Gironde départements. Because the Côte d’Argent is so vast, the beaches are less crowded than on the Mediterranean.

The area is totally under-visited for its golf despite the game’s rich history in this region and the presence of some wonderful courses: Chantaco, Nivelle, Biarritz Le Phare, Arcangues, Makila, Chiberta, Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets are all within an hour’s drive. José-Maria Olazabal’s course, Fuenterrabia, is just across the border into Spain. Horse-riding, mountain-biking and fishing are also popular. Surfers will already be familiar with the Côte Basque, and there are plenty of surf schools for beginners.

Thalassotherapy and thermal spa are big attractions in this area – people come from all over France for sea and freshwater therapies; there are venues across the region including Hendaye, St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Dax.

The countryside is a delight; the rolling green hills are popular with the few British visitors that the region receives. The foothills rise to the mountains of the Pyrénées which are home to dozens of hiking trails including the famous coast-to-coast GR10 track. Eagles and wild horses roam the mountains and, if you're unlucky, you might bump into a brown bear (only 6 individual bears are known to exist and they live much further east in the high Pyrénées) - this is one of Europe’s most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers will be kept busy twitching. The Pyrénées also provide thrill-seekers with a range of extreme sports from white-water rafting to paragliding. The mountain landscapes are at their finest in the Haut-Béarn region.

Customer Reviews

“Very nice house which we've enjoyed immensely.”

Mr. J. Herney, stayed in 2009

“The Borde Dorrea property very well suited our needs.”

Mr M. Jenkins, stayed in 2010

“Lots of space and wonderful garden area”

Mr. M. Strang, stayed in 2010

“On behalf of the Virley family party, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for allowing us to enjoy all the benefits of your beautiful property, Borde Dorrea, in the scenic Pays Basque. We enjoyed a wonderful week with very warm and, generally, dry weather and we were able to take advantage of all the fantastic facilities available at the house as well as visiting many interesting places in the vicinity. Isabelle and her sister, Fabienne, were most helpful. Local tip: canoeing on the Nivelle river near St Pee was a highlight for many of us. ”

Mr P Virley, stayed in 2011