Summary :
Maison Olivier is a superb cottage in
the Pyrénéan foothills 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. This is
an ideal holiday venue for two families who want easy access
to the beach but who want some peace and quiet to relax. With
the wealth of outstanding golf courses nearby, this is also
a great base for a group of golfers.
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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Urrugne
(3 kms), St Jean de Luz (7 kms) |
| Type
of location : |
Quiet
countryside but close to the coast |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
5
: 3x doubles; 1x twin; 1x double or twin |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
10-11
NB The owner requests that parties should include
a maximum of 5 under 16s altogether (of which no more than
2 under-5s) please. |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
3x
bathrooms & 3x wc's |
| Style
of property : |
Traditional-style
cottage yet constructed relatively recently. Tasteful furnishings
and decor |
| Quality
guide : |
HIGHER
QUALITY - what
does this mean? |
| Prices : |
|
» Check availability & prices for this property GO
Available May to September
The
property rents for a minimum of 2 weeks in July and August. |
None.
The rental price includes:
• Bed linen. Changed each Saturday
• Bathroom towels (not pool or beach towels). Changed
each Saturday
• 3 hours cleaning p/w (additional hours can be
arranged directly)
• End of stay clean
• Weekly pool maintenance
• Occasional garden maintenance
» A
security deposit cheque of €1000 is required when renting
this property
» Read important information about security deposits & insurance |
Linen
arrangements : |
Beds
are made for arrival. Bathroom towels also provided. Household
linen is changed each Saturday |
Cleaning
arrangements : |
3
hours cleaning included per week plus an end-of-stay clean.
Option to arrange more cleaning if required
» Read important information
about cleaning
|
Arrivals
& departure : |
Arrive
Saturday 5pm and depart Saturday by 10am. There is some
flexibility in the off season
»
Read important information about
arrivals & departures |
| Nearest
beach : |
Hendaye
or St Jean de Luz 7 kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Urrugne
(3 kms) |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
30 kms |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
(1 hr 30 mins); Santander (4 hrs); St Malo (9 hrs) |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
11x5m, protected by security fence. 1.4m depth throughout.
Ladder steps. |
| Suitability
for children : |
Safe
and away from main roads; quiet location for teenagers -
car required to access Hendaye or St Jean de Luz |
Suitability
for infants : |
Good;
enclosed & wooded grounds; cot & high chair provided
|
Facilities
& equipment : |
Includes dishwasher;
laundry room; BBQ-plancha; TV + VCR |
| Things
to see & do : |
Swimming,
surfing, golf, beach. Hiking in the Pyrénées.
Shopping, dining & culture in St Jean de Luz
& Biarritz. Visit
Bayonne, Basque Country and Spanish delights such
as San Sebastian. |
| House
rules : |
No
pets and no smoking inside the house please |
|
Location
: Map
Ref A6
The house is located in wooded countryside just south of Urrugne,
a Basque village near St Jean de Luz. This is a peaceful spot
in the foothills with few houses and few cars to be seen or heard.
The nearest town and where you will find a range of shops and
restaurants, is Urrugne, an excellent example
of a well-preserved Basque village. St Jean de Luz
is only a 10-15 minute drive from the house. The frontier resort
of Hendaye is a similar distance the other way.
Biarritz airport is half an hour’s drive.
|
Accommodation
:
Maison Olivier is a spacious cottage in
grounds of over 2 ha. Whilst not a traditional Basque-design of
farmhouse, the property nonetheless displays great character with
features such as its heavy oak front door, thick stone walls and
beams.
The property belongs to the Dussossoy family - Parisiens with
a love of the Basque country. The family take their own holidays
at Maison Olivier and given their love of fine food, beaches and
golf, it's hardly surprising!
Ground Floor
The main entance to the house is through a side door from the
garden. The entrance hall includes a handy cloakroom/wc.
The main living area is beautiful room. An impressive
original fireplace, piano and library of books adds to the feeling
of relaxing in a country home. The furnishings and decor are extremely
tasteful. French doors lead to the south-facing terrace.
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 arranged thus: 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 extremely tranquil and a haven for nature enthusiasts.
A variety of birdlife visits the wooded grounds. The south-facing
terrace has superb views of the mountain peak, la Rhune.
For shade, there is a delightful covered terrace
with outdoor dining furniture and plancha.
The swimming pool is situated on a raised area
of garden and is closed off for security. The pool is large -
11x5m. A pool attendant comes once a week to maintain the pool.
There is parking in the grounds for two or three cars.
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How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check availability. NB Website availability is
refreshed daily but not "live" so please contact us
to confirm availability. Call 0870 6092845 or
email us
Once we have confirmed availability we can normally hold a property
for up to 48 hours if you need to confer with friends or family).
STEP 2.
Call or email us
if you want to go ahead and make a provisional booking.
STEP 3.
To confirm a provisional booking we need, within 5 working days,
your completed Booking Form and your deposit payment of 35%.
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Guide
:
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.
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 essential 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 walk and
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).
Biarritz and St Jean de Luz
are on your doorstep and whether its 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.
The area is totally under-exploited for its golf
despite the game’s rich history in this region and the
presence of some wonderful courses: Chantaco, Nivelle, 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.
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, vultures, wild
horses and the occasional brown bear make this one of Europe’s
most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers
in particular 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 fines in the Haut-Béarn region.
Maison Olivier is 4 kms from 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.
Other suggestions for day-trips from Maison Olivier:
• 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
For further information try the links below. Please note that
we cannot be held responsible for the content of third party
sites.
Tourist Guide to Pyrénées-Atlantique
Departement
Guide to the Wines
of SW France
UK Tourist Office for France
Learn About the Basque Country
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