Self catering holiday lodges and chalets in French Basque Country, perfect for families

Sitting peacefully in the hilltops overlooking a delightful medieval French Basque village, lies les Pavillons Basquais. This discreet collection of 1 and 2 bedroom lodges has been sensitively constructed in the traditional style of the French Basque country, using exposed, coloured wooden beams, red tiled roofs and white stone architecture.

The lodges are well-equipped and facilities available include swimming pool, games room and public restaurant. The village centre is less than 5 minutes walk away.

Coast, country and mountains are all here: you are in peaceful Basque countryside, yet the glamour and bustle of Biarritz and the coast is only a half-hour drive, as are walking, trekking, rafting & mountain-biking in the dramatic peaks of Pyrenees. With such a variety of surroundings there is a vast choice of things to do and places to visit. This is an excellent choice for a rich, varied and active family holiday.

 Key Facts :

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Les Pavillons Basquais are modern lodges built to reflect the architectural style of the French Basque county, emphasised so attractively in the local village. The lodges are well-equipped, are furnished and decorated with Basque character, and offer comfortable accommodation.

The lodges occupy two levels of the park - the upper level is reached by a steep (but not very long - about 50 yards) slope which less mobile people might find difficult. The gardens and pathways are pleasantly landscaped and planted.

1 BEDROOM LODGE (35-40m2) floorplan
Lodges can be on the ground floor or first floor. The accommodation comprises open-plan living area with living room (including double sofa-bed), dining room and kitchen area. There is one double bedroom plus a bathroom with wc. Outside is a small covered terrace with garden furniture.

The kitchen is equipped to include dishwasher, microwave oven/grill, electric hotplate and fridge freezer. Laundry facilities are provided in a separate laundry room close to reception.

2 BEDROOM LODGE (50-55m2) floorplan
A ground-level entrance opens into accommodation spread over two floors. Downstairs is a living dining area with open plan kitchen, plus shower room (with toilet); upstairs are a twin bedroom, a double bedroom, plus bathroom with toilet. Outside is a small terrace with garden table and chairs.

3 BEDROOM LODGE (approx. 70m2) floorplan
Newly built (2006/7), ground-level entrance opens from a covered terrace area (within garden table and chairs) into a good-sized living/dining room with open-plan kitchen. There is one twin room with en-suite shower room, plus a further shower room downstairs. Upstairs are a double bedroom with French doors and small balcony, a twin bedroom and family bathroom.

There are 36 lodges altogether: 22 x T2, 12 x T3 plus 2 x T4.

In the grounds there is a small children's playground, and in the reception building the bar/restaurant, games room (pool, pinball, table-tennis, etc), and the fenced heated swimming pool (open end-May to end-September).

Overall, we think les Pavillons Basquais are an ideal location for an active family or group of friends to discover and enjoy a varied and under-explored corner of France.

The Region

For the first-time visitor to this part of France, one of the most striking things is the strength of the Basque identity in the landscape (dual language road-signs are the most obvious pointer), architecture (as represented wonderfully by Les Pavillons Basquais themselves), and menus, where the Spanish influence adds a delightful touch of colour and variety. Like France's other outlying western region Brittany, the Basque country really is a quite distinctive corner of France.

Les Pavillons Basquais are on the cusp of the Côte Basque and Pyrenees regions of Aquitaine. There are many attractions to this region as there is a wonderful, unique combination of beaches, rolling Basque countryside and mountain scenery to enjoy. For the adventurous there is a wide range of activities.

Most of the south west of France is something of an outdoor playground and this part of the Pays Basque is certainly no exception. Take your pick from surfing, watersports (including rafting), sailing, cycling, tennis, horse-riding, hiking and golf to name a few - all are within no more than a 30 minute drive of les Pavillons Basquais.

Golfers in particular are spolit for choice with the range of excellent standard golf courses locally: there are ten courses within a 30 minute drive of La Basquaise: Chantaco, La Nivelle, Chiberta, Biarritz Le Phare, Ilbarritz, Arcangues, Bassussary, Hossegor, Seignosse and Souriade!

Sport and activities are by no means the only highlights - here are a few more:

• Biarritz and St Jean de Luz. about half an hour's drive west are the sophisticated resorts of Biarritz and St Jean de Luz, the south Atlantic’s competition to the Côte d’Azur. Both provide excellent beaches, cuisine and up-market shopping as well as a good introduction to the Spanish-influenced Pays Basque. If you have time, drop into the regional capital, Bayonne. Famed for its ham and its chocolates, Bayonne was under English rule for 300 years. It is much under-rated and worth a trip to see its cathedral and walk its ancient streets.

• Spa & thalassotherapy. In France, the south west is known for its rejuvenating waters, both salt and fresh varieties. Dax is the official spa capital of France and is a 30 minute drive away. The Côte Basque – Hendaye, St Jean de Luz and Biarritz - is also home to numerous thalassotherapy centres.

• Basque country. The delightful rolling green hills and picture-perfect villages of the Pyreneen lowlands in the Pays Basque are a must. La Bastide-Clairence is a mere 10 minute drive from Briscous and one of the finest examples, particularly notable for its medieval chruch. Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette and Ascain all perfectly demonstrate Basque village life too. A visit to Cambo-les-Bains is recommended not least to visit the magnificent Villa Arnaga, home of the late Edmund Rostand, author of Cyrano de Bergerac.

• Chalosse Country. To the south of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, north of la Bastide Clairence, you start to enter rural Gascony, which means several things: foie gras, floc de Gascogne (a sherry-like aperitif) and a pleasantly slow pace of life. The food is marvellous, the towns are half asleep except for market days, and the countryside is highly relaxing. Montfort-en-Chalosse, Mugron and St. Sever are good stopping points.

• Parc National des Pyrénées. A little further south and east and you can hike in the mountain air, walk or mountain bike through the Forêt d’Iraty or des Arbailles and try your hand at a variety of life-threatening pursuits such as rock-climbing, parascending or white-water rafting.

• Spain! It’s an hour to the border and only a short distance further to the majestic city of San Sebastian, the Spanish Basque country’s equivalent of Biarritz. The more adventurous could drive another hour or so further along the northern coast to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim, or Pamplona, famous venue of the annual bull-run.

• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon, Madiran and Béarn

• City culture. A short drive east is the stylish and compact city of Pau. Barely known of outside of France, Pau has a variety of attractions. It sprang to fame in the 19th century when wealthy British and Americans were drawn to its mild climate and it became a popular winter holiday destination. To this day Pau retains an ‘upmarket’ feel about it. There is a thriving café and bar life plus plenty of opportunity for boutique shopping, notably along the rues des Cordeliers and Serviez. Pau also has its own château (and birthplace of King Henri IV)  plus one of the south west’s finest panoramic views - the spectacular array of distant, snow-capped peaks as seen from the Boulevard des Pyrénées. Pau also hosts horse-racing events, a vintage car race and a Formula 3 street race every year.

In the other direction, the Basque capital of Bayonne has a fine, historic centre with a beautiful cathedral, ramparts plus a range of stylish shops and restaurants. There's also a good museum - Musée Basque - for learning more about the Basque people, their culture and history. And, of course, no visit to this Chocolate City would be complete without sampling its famous hot chocolate and visiting one of the many chocolatiers.

For further information try the links below. The nearby tourist office of La Bastide Clairence will also offer plenty of information (open 9.30-12.30, 2pm-6pm Mon-Fri, open longer and weekends in August). Please note that we cannot be held responsible for the content of third party sites.

Alternative Aquitaine's Guide to the Côte Basque
Alternative Aquitaine's Guide to the Pyrenees
Basque Country tourist information
Biarritz Tourist Office
Dept 64 - Pyrenees Atlantique Tourism
Pyrenees National Park
Pau Tourist Office
Discover Wines of the South West
UK Tourist Office for France