10% off stays of at least 2 weeks - save up to £390! Offer applies all year round.
What makes Cottages du Lac a great holiday park?
Cottages du Lac is perfect for families seeking an active seaside and sporty holiday amongst like-minded people wanting the same.
A heated pool with retractable roof was a fantastic new addition in 2015.
Best for:
Ideal for families wanting a sociable venue with good amenities, but which doesn't feel like a "holiday camp"! The nearby lake beach offers great paddling for younger kids; older ones will enjoy swimming and sailing there too.
Outside July & August it's a very good value option for families with pre-school age children, but also for couples or friends who enjoy cycling, walking, lake & ocean watersports - or those just looking for a tranquil, natural holiday destination.
New for 2020 - short breaks available. Stay for as few as 2 nights/3 days outside of the period 28th June to 29th August - please enquire for prices.
Suitability for:
Anything to watch out for?
Kitchen equipment includes a combi microwave / grill but not a proper full-size oven. Washing machines are in a shared laundry room. There are a couple of small 'nodding donkeys' around the lake; these are visible from some parts of the site but are silent.
Why Parentis?
Parentis-en-Born is a traditional Landes market town located in the Landes forest east of the Parentis lake. It is an area noted for a it's natural beauty and range of activities, particularly walking, cycling and water-sports.
Parentis a lively town in summer. Local attractions include the Roland Portalier bull-running arena where 'course landaise' shows are staged (the locals' spectacular, non-violent sport). Fresh-food markets are held three days a week. Several festivals are held in summer too, including nights of the infectious, syncopated sound of Landais brass bands ("La Nuit des Bandas"), children's festivals and the Lake Festival in August. The town has an attractive older quartier with good restaurants.
The sandy lake beach is supervised July & August, and is a popular alternative to ocean beaches, especially for families with young children because there are no waves or currents to worry about, and pine trees close to water's edge offer shade from the sun.
Ocean beaches are a short (15-20 km) drive away at Mimizan and Biscarrosse.
Detached chalets and smart apartments in a tranquil forest setting
Cottages du Lac is made up of approx. 50 detached chalets and 50 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, built in 2007. The standard of equipment is higher than that typical of many holiday parks, including wifi, flat screen TVs, dishwashers as standard.
The shared 200m2 pool is heated, and there is a small paddling pool for the children. There is also a second heated pool, with a retractable roof and hot tub. The pools are open April 1st to October 31st.
Two types of chalet are available:
Chalets:
Detached, modern, wooden chalets, each with terrace opening onto the grounds. Some chalets are available with lake view (supplement applies - see prices & availability tab).
Each chalet is decorated in modern cottage style which create a warm, cosy interior with plenty of natural light. Wooden decking, parquet floors and natural colour schemes add to the comfortable, relaxing ambience.
Entrance is via the terrace into a nicely-furnished living/dining area with three-seater sofa and chairs, plus dining table for 4/6. There's a TV with satellite channels (limited English channels).
The open-plan kitchenette is situated in one corner of the living area, and is equipped with vitro-ceramic hob, fridge, microwave and dishwasher (NB no oven). NB Chalets are not equipped with washing machine - shared laundry facilities are available near reception.
Bedrooms are located off the living room and, for two bedroom chalets, comprise a parents' double room plus twin room; for three bedroom chalets there's a parents' double bedroom, twin room, and a small bunk room.
Each chalet has a modern bathroom. Some three bedroom chalets also have a shower room.
Outside, as well as terrace furniture (outside dining table and chairs), chalets are also equipped with 2 sun loungers and parasol.
Around a dozen of the chalets enjoy a view of the lake through the pine trees - a supplement applies, please see the Prices & Availability tab for details.
200m2 heated pool, kids' small paddling pool, plus 2nd heated pool with retractable roof and hot tub. Pools open April 1st to October 31st. There are no restrictions on men's swimming attire here.
Please see information on arrival.
The site is located in 5.5 hectares of woodland close to the Parentis sandy lake shore, approx. 2.5 kms west of Parentis-en-Born centre. Bordeaux is approx. 90 kms away.
Nearest village / town: Parentis
Nearest beach: Lake beach 200m, ocean beach 17 kms
Boulangerie: Parentis
Restaurant: Parentis - chez Flo recommended
Market: Parentis - 3 times/wk July-August
There are activities for everyone - on-site, in the immediate vicinity and just a short drive away
Cottages du Lac offers many convenient on-site amenities:
Service:
Product:
Service: Lovely service on the phone and by email. Very organised paperwork. The holiday itself was superb and exceeded expectations.
Product: Lovely cabins but would have been nice to have had beds made up on arrival and to have ventilation in the loo.
Beautiful site with very nice staff, excellent pools and courts
Fabulous lake and cycle paths nearby
Product Comment: Beds made on arrival is something we can talk to our partner about - I agree that would be helpful after a long journey to France.
Service:
Product:
Service: We thought Alternative Aquitaine provided an excellent service. They were professional, very helpful and responsive and all the advisers were friendly and efficient, answering all our questions about all aspects of our holiday and travel arrangements. We very much enjoyed our holiday at Cottages du Lac, the apartment was even better than anticipated!
Product: Very nice holiday park. Chilled and not too busy. Apartments spacious and of high quality. Well furnished. Lovely setting beside lake and activities on site were good. Cafe/snack bar was nice but service slow and menu could definite be expanded.
Service Comment: Thank you for your lovely comments - we're so pleased you enjoyed your stay, and that Cottages du Lac exceeded your expectations!
Service:
Product:
Service: Everything went smoothly and there was always someone available to ask questions. Just a minor issue was that I asked whether the accommodation had a hairdryer and was told no. So I brought my own but needn't have as the apartments had them in the bathrooms.
Product: Nicely landscaped setting and great location right next to the lake. Lovely resort, didn't feel too busy even though it was peak time (no fighting for sun loungers!) Good choice of activities, friendly and helpful staff.
Apartment was comfortable and clean apart from the one downside which was a filthy floor when we arrived. We asked for it to be cleaned but the cleaners did a pretty poor job and we had to do it ourselves.
Product Comment: It's a very popular venue and it's easy to see why - it's a lovely park in a unique location. Sorry to hear about the condition of the floor though.
Service:
Product:
Service: Very helpful with emails
Product: NIce and clean, cooking was difficult as no oven but got used to it, could have been clearer before we set off.
Product Comment: Thank you for replying to the questionnaire. Yes, the cooking facilities are basic but the combination of hob, BBQ and MW cover most options. The description on our website list the equipment available but we will make it clearer there is no conventional oven.
Service:
Product:
Service: Very helpful, friendly and prompt service from the team at Alternative Aquitaine in helping us book our family holiday near Bordeaux.
Product: Cottages du Lac is a calm, family-friendly resort in a fantastic position next to the lake and beach, near the little village of Parentis-en-Born. The resort is much more laid back than the two campsites on either side - we did hear some evening entertainment noise from them but not so much that it really disturbed us.
We stayed in a cottage/chalet with a great view onto the lake, which was tastefully furnished and had all the basics needed for self catering. The only three things that we missed were: a DVD player (so we took our own), an oven in the kitchen (but we managed cooking just on the hob), and definitely aircon or fans due to the very hot weather (over 30 degrees). We ended up buying fans as there was no way we could have slept without them as the cottage was very hot at night.
The pool area was well kept and having the two pools was great, especially when the weather changed as our boys could still have fun in the heated covered pool. The organised entertainment/animation such as the kayaking trip and the other activities on the lake was pretty 'light' and a bit chaotic at times, but we had fun all the same. One small gripe: as other reviews have said the wifi access was indeed terrible - we paid for the whole family to access it (very unusual these days) but it was patchy at best, often very slow, and stopped working completely during stormy weather. On the other hand, it was a good reason to get off the internet and out and about!
There was plenty to do on the lake and in the local area for our two teenage boys (we visited the nearby inflatables water park and high ropes course which were excellent) but you definitely need a car here. Bikes are available to rent too from the cabin at the entrance to the resort.
Overall a really enjoyable holiday, but with the two recommendations that they provide fans in the height of summer and improve the wifi!
Product Comment: Hello & thanks very much for your excellent & helpful feedback. We're delighted that you enjoyed your stay at Cottages du Lac. The potential improvements highlighted - DVD player / oven / fans / wifi are all things we can raise with our partner. The cooking facilities are basic but the combination of hob, BBQ & microwave is probably sufficient for this accommodation. We find DVD players are asked for less-and-less these days as people download movies onto their tablets/phones and connect to a TV. The need for fans and better wifi, though, are definitely points to look at. Thanks again for your comprehensive feedback.
Service:
Product:
Service: Very good recommendation from Alternative Aquitaine, great accommodation with really good facilities. We paid a little extra and had a view of the lake which was worth it. Very friendly staff in France too. Not one single mozzi all week so we’re able to sit outside until late and sleep with the windows open.
Lake was perfect for young kids, shallow enough for a 2 year old to stand and play in it without too much supervision.
Only negative was loud music from nearby campsites every night but it didn’t spoil it for us.
Product: Fantastic place really good site, small and friendly and very safe for children.
Loud music every night is the only negative
Product Comment: This is fantastic to read - we think Cottages du Lac is a little gem. It sounds like the entertainment from nearby campsites wasn't intrusive, and totally outweighed by the many advantages of the site. Thank you for the five stars!
Service:
Product:
Service: Had a lovely holiday in Aquitaine region in France through alternative Aquitaine. Booking process was very easy & any questions or requests were dealt with promptly by them. They also provided lots of useful information for the holiday & the area.
Product: Lovely compact cottages. Only thing does not have is an oven in them & no air conditioning but we took our own fans so wasn't an issue. Lovely area - great for the kids as they loved scooting & cycling the paths between the cottages & only 2 mins walk to the lake beach & park. Great cycle routes into nearby Parentis en Born & nearby markets.
Product Comment:
Service:
Product:
Service: Great recommendation and follow up, which helped make the holiday booking and holiday itself very easy and enjoyable
Product: We loved our time at Cottages du Lac - the log cabin, pool and facilities were even better than they looked in the pictures and it was such a relaxed holiday despite us going in peak season.
Service:
Product:
Service: Great service, great property
Product: Excellent property, clean, great site and facilities
Product Comment:
Service:
Product:
Service: Very knowledgeable support. Accurate descriptions. Good price.
Product: We stayed in one of the chalets for 2 weeks with our 2.5 year old and 5 year old and had an excellent holiday. It is a fantastic location - good swimming pools and so near the lovely freshwater lake with its sandy beach, play park and water sports rental. Good easy cycling nearby. The chalet was basic but clean, comfortable and had everything we needed. Very relaxing place. The small pizzeria/creperie was great (special praise for the fantastic Alex who made us feel so welcome). Reception staff were also really helpful. Only slight negative was that there was some music from the adjacent separate resorts into the early hours on a few nights but it was background only and not that loud and didn't disturb us that much. Overall, a great holiday and we would go back.
Product Comment:
Service:
Product:
Service: Very pleased with speed of service, the choice of accommodation and information available able the accommodation and resorts.
Product: Well equipped, good location. Lodges were nicely laid out with plenty of space around.
Service Comment: Thanks very much for your review of Cottages du Lac - it's proving popular again for 2017... Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Great customer service. Efficient service. Had all the information we needed prior to travelling. Advice given over the phone which was very useful. Would definitely use this company again.
Product: Beautiful and clean apartment. Everything we needed
Service:
Product:
Service: The guys really know Aquitaine and the properties on offer. They have been there and can advise from the point of direct experience. Real added value.
Product: Lovely small complex on the shores of the lake with direct access to sandy beach and great playground. Lovely 3 bedroom chalet which was comfortable even during a 38 degree heatwave! Lovely swimming pool too. Our 3 kids loved it (ages 1,5,8)
Service:
Product:
Service: Very good, honest advice and booking all done efficiently.
Product: Good
Service Comment: Thank you - it's what we strive for! Alex
Service:
Product:
Service: We had very good communication
Product: The cottages were excellent and very spacious
Service Comment: Really pleased to hear your holiday was a success! You're right - there is so much to explore in the Biscarrosse area and it sounds like Cottages du Lac was a good base for you. Thanks for your feedback. Bethan
Service:
Product:
Service: Good service. Easy to use.
Product: Good self catering cottage. Close to great beach for under 5's. Pool was good and amenities are nice.
Service Comment: Thanks for sharing your comments. Really glad to hear you enjoyed your stay at Cottages du Lac- we agree that the lake beach is perfect for little ones - and plenty more activities close by as well! Bethan
Service:
Product:
Service: Very helpful
Product: Activities and facilities were good, but apartment was very cramped for 5 people. Also the whole complex felt squashed in, with my minimal green spaces and lots of roads / buildings.
Service Comment: thanks for writing. Really pleased you had a good time. The chalets (rather than apartments) are the better option but realise they were all booked when you made your reservation. The accommodation is still a significant step up from mobile homes though. Not sure I would agree about the space on the park especially with the lake and beach next door. However, for more green space on the park I would recommend Chateau de Salles holiday park between Arcachon and Bordeaux. Agree that Biscarrosse Plage is better for teenagers but the lakes area and the Cottages du Lac site is definitely one for young families. Thanks again for your feedback. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Super helpful.
Product: Cottage du Lac. Friendly, clean, peaceful. Just lovely. Pool & lake great for kids.
Service Comment: Wow, thank you! Delighted you had a great holiday, and we love your summary of Cottages du Lac - perfect. Sounds like you made the most of the cycle paths & lake activities too :) Alex
Service:
Product:
Service: Very helpful with good website and information about the resort
Product: Good condition and well furnished. Check in at 5 pm was a bit late especially given we were asked to check out at 9:30am and to have done the vast majority of the cleaning ourselves before leaving. Pool area was good. Pity we could not also use the facilities next door which looked excellent. Lake view was only a minimal view so probably would not pay the extra amount again to have only a very slight view.
Service Comment: Good to hear from you - thanks for taking the time to write. Reception do require guests to do departure cleaning - unless they've paid for an exit clean but 10am should be the standard departure. I was at the site again myself last week; personally I think the lake view chalets are worth the small supplement as they have a superior location. Really pleased you enjoyed your stay at Cottages du Lac - it's the most popular park in our collection. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: great service- efficient, patient, knowledgable and all round excellent customer service. They made choosing and booking our holiday very easy! Thank you Alternative Aquitaine, you undoubtably know your stuff and we would highly recommend you to others.
Product: Cottages du lac is a great holiday village, it does lack a shop (although there is one at the campsite next door but this is not advertised), the snack bar is great but could be even better and we would have certainly used it more had it been! Finally, on the very hot days and particularly nights the heat in the chalets was unbearable - understandably there is no air con, but there wasn't even a fan- a situation that could easily be improved. But aside from these very small negatives a good holiday village, nice location and very relaxed atmosphere.
Service Comment: Thanks for writing and this is helpful feedback that we can pass on to the team at Cottages du Lac. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: They were very helpful with the booking process & gave lots of advice on the resort we chose.
Product: We had a lake front cottage which was in an excellent location and the cottage was very well kitted out. The cottage was very spacious too. The resort itself was lovely with both nice heated outdoor & indoor pools. The resort was in cycling distance to Parentis and there was a flat cycle path all the way to Biscarrosse Sur Plage. All in all an excellent choice
Service:
Product:
Service: Excellent customer service
Product: The Cottages were just as the description said.
Service:
Product:
Service: Good communication, and arrivals pack.
Product: Lovely cottage, and clean, friendly well maintained site.
Service Comment: We really appreciate you sharing your feedback, thank you. Delighted that you enjoyed your stay at Cottages du Lac - such a lovely spot for families. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Some lovely touches, a map of the area and great advice. we would book with you again.
Product: The cottages du lac was for us a very nice venue, in many ways. We really loved the location on the lake with a safe sandy beach, and lake that went up to knee depth - so making it very safe for our 4 and 2 year old boys who are fearless when it comes to water. The pools both covered and outdoor were clean, well maintained as was the chalet we stayed in. They provided good levels of towels, bedding and crockery/cutlery. I would say the setting is good for all ages for a week, however better for smaller children for a 2 week stay as there isn't masses for teenagers. The venues board games night was a huge hit, as was the laughably quirky weather info system. the pool/lake and temperature were always 24/28/30 degrees in some random order depending on whether the weather was nice or not! The pool table in reception and lovely french crepes were a huge hit each evening with our boys, and the relaxed and chilled nature of the venue were spot on for our family.
Service Comment: Enjoyed reading your comprehensive and positive comments, thank you! I agree that Cottages du Lac is ideal for younger families. I think you've summed up the area nicely too: nearby Parentis meets the day-to-day shopping needs; Biscarrosse Plage has a fab beach but for sophistication head to Arcachon. Hope to hear from you again next year! Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Very helpful and informative
Product: Good location by lake, nice standard of accom
Service Comment: Hello and thanks very much for replying to the survey. We agree it's a great venue for young families and we're really pleased to read that you had a great time. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Always helpful, extremely polite and prompt responses to questions etc. Would thorough;y recommend.
Product: Great location, many facilities for young and teenage children, with purposeful accommodation which was clean and tidy. Nothing to want for.
Service Comment: Easy to see why Cottages du Lac is one of the most popular and best-rated venues in our collection! Delighted you enjoyed your holiday there. Thanks very much for writing back. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Excellent service from this company
Product: 2nd year in a row going here. Travelling with teenagers. Excellent park.
Service Comment: Very pleased your trip back to Cottages du Lac was a success. And what a lovely endorsement, thank you. Alex
Service:
Product:
Service: Alternative Aquitaine provided an excellent personal service. They were happy to discuss our holiday needs and ensure we booked somewhere that exactly met them.
Product: Good value family destination. The kids loved it and so did we!
Service Comment: Fabulous, so pleased you had a good time, and thanks for the review! Alex
Service:
Product:
Service: Great service which included a recommendation of the accommodation which we booked.
Product: Lovely, clean accommodation in a good setting
Service:
Product:
Service: Very pleasant and easy to deal with, as usual. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
Product: This was our second visit to Cottages du Lac, with 3 years and 1child in between - so this time we had a toddler in tow. The location and access to amenities remains excellent; the facilities are good too, a great pool (now heated, apparently - a big improvement) and a good little snack bar providing limited but good options for eating and drinking. Friendly staff too. The only negative is that the cabins are clearly showing their age a little and getting slightly frayed around the edges. Nothing major and certainly clean but I'd hope they do some refreshing of bathrooms and certain furniture soon. Other than that, dining options in walking distance are limited out of season, but we knew that and it's not really an issue, especially as you really need a car for this site anyway.
Overall - we were very satisfied with it for this trip.
Service:
Product:
Service: Good advice at the booking stage.
Product: There were good and not so good aspects to cottages du lac. The location was wonderful with a well maintained pool and complex, which felt very safe. The cottage itself wasn't great and we have certainly stayed in better.
Service:
Product:
Service: Friendly and efficient service, couldn't be faulted
Product: Everything very good except beds rather hard. Staff friendly and helpful. Site clean and attractive with lots of flowering shrubs. Chalets well equipped and plenty of privacy. Lovely lake beach a short stroll away. Nice pool with plenty of sun beds available.
Service:
Product:
Service: very good personalized service, good organisation and very helpful staff when needed
Product: The site was clean, lovely accommodation and the pool was very well kept. A lovely location, prentis de born is a super little village with good restaurants
Service:
Product:
Service: Very knowledgeable about the area and accomm options. Very responsive and easy booking process / good pre-departure pack.
Product: Better than expected given it was only 3 star! Would definitely recommend paying the supplement for the lake view cottages as these have much better views and most importantly more privacy. Pool area and sport facilities were good and lake beach on door step was handy. A good mix of nationalities in the resort, a sunbed was always available around the pool. High quality (light) lunches at the on-site cafe and the bakery service provided by reception every morning was a bonus. Would recommend the cottages du lac for families, if you are not bothered about being circa 20 min drive away from the salt water beaches.
Product Comment: Thanks for your feedback. Delighted that you enjoyed your stay at Cottages du Lac. It works really well for young families in particular. True, Biscarrosse Bourg has nothing special to offer but the combination of lake and ocean at Biscarrosse Plage is certainly special. Also, Parentis village is a handy option for a meal out and daily shopping. Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Good advice on what would suit our family and requirements
Product: We had a lac view cabin - definitely worth paying for; much more privacy. Great to be able to stroll a few yards to the lake side beach, playground and nearby restaurant which also has a small shop. On site swimming pool good for little ones but less so for 8+ as not very deep. Staff very helpful
Service:
Product:
Service: Good friendly service
Product: The accommodation (2 bed apt) was a bit of a squeeze for four. It was well kitted out and in good condition, though we were disappointed to be looking over a building site!
That said, our kids thought it was great, though we generally prefer quieter places which are a bit more free range & with less noise pollution from local camp sites!
Service at the desk was friendly, but a bit lacking in reliable local knowledge. They had no idea about local vineyards to visit & instead suggested we look online.
Altogether, we'd rate cottages du lac about 6/10.
Product Comment: Hi & thanks for your feedback. The Biscarrosse area is definitely about the beach, lakes and forests rather than being a cultural hot-spot! Nearby, the Bay of Arcachon is a culinary gem though... Justin
Service:
Product:
Service: Good service
Product: Lovely site and good quality property
Service:
Product:
Service: Quick and helpful communication, smooth booking process.
Product: Cottage was lovely, swimming pool a bit small, some noise from the adjacent campsite at night. Staff were very helpful and friendly and the site was very clean and well kept.
Service:
Product:
Service: The team made booking very easy and sent a great information pack. We'll be going straight to Alternative Aquitaine for our next holiday.
Product: The "cottage" was lovely - spotlessly clean and very well equipped. The staff were friendly and helpful. We particularly enjoyed using the pool with the baby and going to the bar in the evening (baby in tow) for a digestif.
Service:
Product:
Service: Really helpful prompt service
Product: great accommodation and location
Service:
Product:
Service:
Service:
Product:
Service: Good, only down point was having to pay on credit card (plus fees) in order to be covered as they are not abta
Product: Good
Service Comment: We agree card fees are a nuisance all round. We are investigating whether we can join ABTA although we're not a travel agency. The nodding donkeys are mentioned in the description but we feel they're relatively innocuous - only one or two people have highlighted it over the years. Justin Ashby
Service:
Product:
Service: Very friendly
Product: Very relaxing holiday
Service:
Product:
Service: Justin provided great service and is very knowledgable on the area and properties.
Product: Very good standard and value for money. Clean and well managed holiday residence.
We send an occasional email full of holiday ideas: new properties, destinations and special offers. Please tick this box to be included:
We take your privacy very seriously and manage your data carefully. By signing up to our newsletter you are you are agreeing that we can use your information in accordance with our privacy policy which you can read here. You can unsubscribe at any time.