Summary :
This
smart, three-storey seaside townhouse offers luxury accommodation
comprising 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
Located in one of Biarritz's older 'quartiers', it is ideally
placed to access the town's many attractions. A short stroll takes
you down to the long surfing beach, Plage des Basques and there
are sea views from the first and second floor balconies.
Almost 100 years old, the traditional Basque blood-red half-timbered
facade, contrasts with its light, contemporary and stylish interior
- wooden floors, art pieces, solid oak furniture and stainless
steel electrical sockets are just a few such features.
Given its central location, there is little by way of outside
space (courtyards rather than gardens); in our view, the house
is most suited to couples or a family with teenage children.
|
|
If you like this,
then try these too... |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
Key
Facts :
|
Location
: |
Biarritz |
|
Type
of location : |
Town
centre |
|
No.
of bedrooms : |
4
: 1x double, 3x twins |
|
Sleeping
capacity : |
8 |
|
No.
of bathrooms : |
4
: 2x bathroom + 2x shower rooms (2x are en-suite). 3x WCs |
|
Style
of property : |
3-storey
period townhouse in Biarritz 'old town' |
|
Quality
Guide : |
HIGHER
QUALITY - what
does this mean? |
|
Prices : |
| Price
Band for this venue: |
|
|
|
| » Check availability & prices for this property GO |
Price includes: bed linen, bathroom towels; 3 hours maid
service p/w; water, gas, electricity. Parking space available
on request
Please
enquire with us for details about the security deposit required
» Read important information about security deposits & insurance |
|
Linen
arrangements : |
Bed
linen and bathroom towels are provided with the rental |
|
Cleaning
arrangements : |
3
hours maid service included in the rental
» Read important information about
cleaning
|
|
Arrivals
& departure : |
Arrive
Saturday 4-6pm and depart Saturday by 10am. There is some
flexibility in the off season
»
Read important information about
arrivals & departures |
|
Nearest
beach : |
Plage
des Basques (5 mins walk); Grande Plage (10 mins walk) |
|
Nearest
boulangerie : |
2
mins walk |
|
Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
5 kms |
|
Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 9 hrs |
|
Swimming
pool : |
No |
|
Suitability
for children : |
Very
good for older kids - they'll enjoy the independence of walking
to the beach and into town. Plus there's a games room at the
house (pool table and table football). |
|
Suitability
for infants : |
No
garden for young kids |
|
Facilities
& equipment : |
High
levels of equipment including: dishwasher, microwave, washing
machine; satellite TV, dvd and vcr |
|
Things
to see & do : |
Surfing,
golf, cycling, watersports, culture. Visit: Basque Country
villages, Bayonne, Biarritz, Pyrénées, Bordeaux,
Spain - Pamplona, San Sebastian & Bilbao |
|
House
rules : |
The
owners of the house have created a low allergen environment.
Therefore no pets are allowed in the house
and no smoking inside the house please. |
|
Location
: Map
Ref A6
Maison
Plage des Basques is in the heart of vibrant Biarritz,
a town which successfully exudes chic without pretension. The
most famous resort on the French Atlantic coast, Biarritz is now
easily accessible by plane and train
- both transport links are c.5 kms from the town centre.
|
Accommodation
:
Spread over three floors, Maison Plage des Basques is a successful
blend of traditional Basque features and a contemporary interior
design right down to the bannister handles carved out of crystal.
With an artist and a master woodworker in the family the house
is, not surprisingly, furnished with considerable style!
Ground Floor
A
small courtyard at the front of the house - which is used for
drinks and dining in the summer - sets the tone for what is a
very bright and cheery home.
The hallway floor is original, a local tiled pattern often seen
in Basque houses of this age. The ground floor is open
plan in design which creates a feeling of lots of space
and allows much natural light to permeate. In fact, the careful
use of skylights allows light to enter throughout the house. And
situated just a stone's throw from the beach, the fresh ocean
air permeates throughout this seaside house.
There is a table on either side of the open hallway; on the left
is a wonderful solid oak dining table to seat
8, and on the right is a table with green baize - that's right,
a pool table! In fact, this side of the room
is dedicated to social sports - there is also table football (or
"baby foot" as it's known in France) to enjoy.
The kitchen is integrated with the dining room,
separated by a waist-high partition wall. The kitchen is of modern
design and rather stylish too with its tiled floor and contemporary
appliances and utensils. Of course, the kitchen is fully equipped
and includes conventional oven, microwave, fridge freezer, washing
machine and dishwasher. The lateral courtyard
is accessed via the kitchen.
Lastly on the ground floor is a very convenient shower
room with wash-hand basin and wc.
First Floor
A
superb wooden staircase leads to the main
lounge / sitting room and master bedroom
on the first floor.
The antique oak double bed is hand carved and
the large en-suite bathroom offers corner bath,
shower, wc and wash-hand basin. Also in the en-suite room is a
series of wardrobes providing plenty of clothes storage.
Polished wooden floors, oak furniture
and hanging art are again features of the lounge
/ sitting room. The room also benefits from a double balcony
with sea views and plenty of space for sitting out. Satellite
TV, DVD player and a video recorder are available.
Second Floor
The
wooden staircase continues to second floor where
there are three more double size bedrooms, two
of which have views over the ocean. One room has twin beds (which
can be pushed together) and balcony, whilst the other two rooms
each have two single beds. All of the bedrooms are brightly decorated
and feature wooden floors. One of the bedrooms has an en-suite
shower room.
There is also a separate bathroom and wc on the
second floor.
Please note there is no allotted parking at the house but a parking
space is available at 2 minutes walk.
|
How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check
availability. NB Website availability is refreshed daily but not
"live" so please contact us to confirm availability.
Call +44 (0)870 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%.
|
Local
Guide :
Biarritz is back in fashion. Celebrities and
sports stars are flooding back to live in the region, turning
their back on the Côte d'Azur. Biarritz is an eclectic
place; it somehow manages to mix an affluent elderly population
with a steady flow of well-dressed surfers plus a sprinkling
of super-rich jetsetters on top. A compact and stylish town,
Biarritz really does have something for everyone...famous beaches,
museums, fine restaurants, boutiques, casino,
golf courses, horse-riding and the south west's famous
spa and thalassotherapy centres. Maison Plage
des Basques is ideally placed to enjoy all of the town's attractions.
Daily provisions can be purchased from the local shops and Biarritz's
daily market at Les Halles.
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.
St Jean de Luz is also 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. For sampling pretty
Basque villages on the coast, try Bidart and
Guéthary
Larrundarra is a few 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.
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, wild horses and
the occasional brown bear make this 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.
Other suggestions for day-trips from the house :
• A tour of Basque country villages:
Ascain, 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 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.
Alternative Aquitaine's Biarritz Guide
Biarritz
Office de Tourisme
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Office de Tourisme
Pyrénées-Atlantique
Tourism
Guide
to Wines of the South West
Introduction
to the Basque Country
UK Tourist
Office for France
|
|
