042 - Maison d'Olivier  St-Jean-de-Luz (7 kms)

In our opinion

What makes Maison d'Olivier a great holiday rental?

Maison Olivier is a modern, farmhouse-style home to the south of St Jean de Luz. The beautiful coastline is a short drive yet the property is situated in very pleasant, tranquil countryside with views of the Pyrenees.

Best for:

• Two families wanting peace and quiet along with easy access to beaches. N.B. The owner requests that parties should include a maximum of 5 under 16s altogether (of which no more than 2 under-5s) please.
• Groups of keen golfers.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - good; enclosed & wooded grounds away from main roads; cot & high chair provided.
• Teenagers - quiet location may not suit some teenagers, car required to access Hendaye or St Jean de Luz.
• Reduced mobility - the master bedroom with ensuite bathroom is on the ground floor.

Anything to watch out for?
No.

Why the Basque Country?
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 ways to soak up the culture are to visit one of the many fêtes that take place throughout the year, or, even better, to watch a game of pelota. The fastest ball game in the world, this is perhaps the most vivid image of the Basque Country.

Accommodation

Spacious villa in generous, peaceful grounds with pool

Maison Olivier is a spacious cottage in grounds of over 2 ha. Whilst not a traditional Basque-design of farmhouse, the property still displays great character with features such as its heavy oak front door, thick stone walls and beams. The décor and furnishings are tasteful and mix old and new; the accommodation downstairs (including master bedroom) is high quality; simple-to-good quality upstairs. The Parisian owners take their own holidays at Maison Olivier which also means the house has many homely touches.

Inside:

Ground Floor
The main entrance to the house is through a side door from the garden. The entrance hall includes a handy cloakroom/wc.

The main living area is spacious and light, and includes an impressive original fireplace, piano and library of books. The furnishings and decor are extremely tasteful. French doors lead to the south-facing terrace. (Please note the piano is decorative only.)

The farmhouse kitchen-diner is fully-equipped to provide all essential appliances, including range-style cooker, and opens on to the terrace. In addition there is a laundry room with washing machine and dryer.

One of the five bedrooms is located on the ground floor. This is the master bedroom which can in fact be used as a double or twin room (the two beds join together to make a double). There is an en-suite bathroom with double sink plus private wc. French doors open to the terrace.

First Floor
The four bedrooms are made up of 3x doubles and 1x twin. One of the doubles is en-suite with bath and shower. All bedrooms have countryside views. There are numerous objets d'art including ceramics and objects of pottery from Mexico and Portugal.

An additional sofa-bed is available if required in the TV lounge on the first floor mezzanine. A vcr and CD hi-fi is also available for guests.

There is a family bathroom on the first floor. One of the upstairs double bedrooms also has an en-suite shower room.

Outside:

The grounds are spacious and peaceful. A variety of birdlife visits the wooded grounds. The south-facing terrace has lovely background views of the mountain peak, la Rhune. For shade, there is a delightful covered terrace with outdoor dining furniture and plancha (hot-plate BBQ).

The large swimming pool (11x5m) is situated on a raised area of garden and is closed off for security. A pool attendant comes once a week to maintain the pool. There are 4 sun loungers, 6 deckchairs and a large parasol.

There is parking in the grounds for two or three cars.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.33804468, -1.688399613)

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

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Sailing · Golf · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Pelote Basque · Hiking · Mountain biking ·

Day-trip Ideas

Biarritz and St Jean de Luz are on your doorstep and whether it's beaches, boutique shops, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, both of these towns are hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, these are as colourful and vibrant seaside towns as you will find in France. 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, in particular, for its seafood (it is one of Rick Stein’s favourite places). St Jean has a twice weekly market - Tuesday and Friday morning.

Sitting at the foot of the Pyrénées bordering Spain and the Atlantic ocean, Hendaye boasts an enviable and spectacular location. What really makes Hendaye a great holiday location is the 3kms of beach that crosses two countries, broken only by the mouth of the Bidassoa river. The ocean location means there are all sorts of watersports to be sampled here...surfing, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, sailing, kayaking as well as diving in some of the quieter coves along the coast.

Sailing is very popular here thanks to Hendaye's impressive marina. Boat trips up and down the Bidassoa, including trips to the Spanish side are possible in the summer. Also located at the marina is Serge Blanco's thalassotherapy centre (see link below) and Hendaye casino. There are numerous bars and restaurants here also but try the old town (Béhobie) for something more authentic. Hendaye has two weekly markets held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings plus a Monday evening regular of Basque dancing and pelota.

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.

Our Personal Highlights

•  A tour of French Basque country villages: Ainhoa, Sare, La Bastide Clairance Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
• A visit to Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Irouleguy
• A visit to the laid-back 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

The Local Area: St-Jean-de-Luz (7 kms)

The local town of Urrugne is a Basque delight. Half-timbered homes line the main street, their ox blood red frames typifying the local architecture. From the village, a steep road leads to the village chapel, Notre-Dame-de-Socorri. The chapel itself is unremarkable but the views from the summit are wonderful. The three Western Pyrénéan peaks of la Rhune, Jaozkibel and Les Trois Couronnes are all visible, rising above the rolling green foothills. Take a picnic and relax here for a few hours with a bottle of Irouleguy, the local vin.

Urrugne is home to the basic essentials for your stay - butcher, baker, pharmacy, etc. There's also a very handy hypermarket just out of town too - 5 kms from the cottage.

There are a couple of local châteaux worth a visit. Château d'Uturbie, on the edge of Urrugne, was the home of medieval viscounts and dates back to the mid 14th century. Wellington used it as a base during his rampage through south west France. Today there are fine collections of antique furnishings and tapestries.

The protected area of rocky coastline known as the Domaine d'Abbadie is well worth a visit for a walk and a picinic. In fact, the rugged coastline between Hendaye and St Jean de Luz (Route de Corniche) is a reminder of Cornwall's north coast, with its pounding seas and sandy coves. Thankfully it's a bit warmer here. The cliffside 19th century Château d'Abbadie is an enjoyable stop. The château was built by an Irish-Basque explorer with a fondness for astrology. The château contains some interesting and very fine furnishings and has its own observatory. The beautiful Florenia Floral Gardens near Urrugne is another good option for spending a pleasant half-day (the parc covers 45 acres).

Customer Reviews

“Comfortable and well-appointed. The owners are kind, efficient and were attentive to all our needs.”

Mrs Deslauriers, stayed in 2011