Summary :
The
Cap Ferret peninsula
is like no other place in France - a sandy, pine-forested strip
that protects the bassin d'Arcachon from the Atlantic ocean. Compared
with its lively cousin Arcachon across the bay, the way of life
here is a good couple of gears slower. Neshandoha is a spacious,
modern base from which to relax and enjoy it. It has five double
bedrooms (two opening onto a sunny first floor terrace), sizeable
garden, terrace and swimming pool and a vast (80 m. sq) living
area - plenty of room for two families to enjoy a unique part
of France.
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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Le
Canon, Cap Ferret peninsula |
| Type
of location : |
Residential
suburb. The house is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac; moderate
background road noise is possible from a nearby main road
not visible from the house |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
5
bedrooms: 4 doubles, 1 twin |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
10-12 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
4
in total: 1 separate bathroom, 1 en-suite jacuzzi bath, 2x en-suite
showers (N.B. 'En-suites' are open-plan in the bedrooms) |
| Style
of property : |
Contemporary,
summer villa |
| Quality
guide : |
GOOD
QUALITY - what
does this mean? |
| Prices : |
|
| » Check availability and prices for this property GO |
Prices
include bed linen and heating, gas, electricity.
A
security deposit of 1,500 euros is required for visitors to
Neshandoha, payable on arrival and returned within 8 days
of departure, less any charges for damage or breakages. |
| Nearest
beach : |
Plage
de l'Herbe (bassin d'Arcachon) - 20 mins on foot or 5 mins'
by bike
le Truc Vert (Atlantic) 10 mins by bike |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
1
km (Le Canon) |
| Nearest
airport : |
Bordeaux Mérignac (55 km) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 8 hours drive, Bilbao 5 hours drive |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes (unheated). Fenced off at the side garden but accessible
from the house |
| Suitability
for children : |
Very good |
| Things
to see & do : |
Swimming,
cycling, water-sports, wildlife, food & wine, heritage |
| Pets
allowed : |
No |
| Long
winter lets : |
Yes |
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Location
: Map
Ref B3
Le
Presqu'Ile (virtual island) of Cap Ferret, a sandy
peninsula protecting the Bay of Arcachon from the Atlantic, is a
gem of a place. The first road only reached there in about 1930,
the train has never made it, so it's easy to conjure the days when
it was nothing but pine forest, sand dune and the odd oyster-farming
village. Even though it's more developed today, it's been done with
moderation: residential developments are discretely tucked away
in the forest and there's nothing high-rise, except for the famous
Cap Ferret lighthouse.
Neshandoha is located in a residential district of Le Canon,
one of several oyster farming ports along the Cap's bassin d'Arcachon
coast. The house is at the end of a residential cul-de-sac on a
large plot of its own; moderate background road noise is audible
from the D-road that runs along Cap Ferret.
This unique place is just over half an hour's drive from Bordeaux
Mérignac airport. The TGV serves the Gare St Jean
also in Bordeaux, about 45 minutes to an hour away. The channel
port of St Malo can be reached in a good six to six and a half hour
run; the other way, Santander is about three hours' drive.
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Accommodation
:
Neshandoha
is located off a quiet residential road on the outskirts of Le
Canon, close to one of the many cycle paths
that take you into the villages and beaches
of the Cap Ferret peninsula. It is set back some
way from the road along its own drive; there is parking for several
cars at the end.
Approaching the house it is obvious that this is a well looked-after
holiday home, where the owners take pride in providing somewhere
that you can immediately relax and make the best of your time on
the Presqu'Ile. Pleasant gardens with careful planting of trees
and flowers outside and, once inside the vast living room, the space,
light and views onto the pool and garden immediately put you in
a holiday frame of mind.
The house is designed on two equally spacious levels covering 320
m. sq altogether. Downstairs is a modern, fully-equipped kitchen
(oven and halogen hob, extractor, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, micro-wave,
toaster, coffee maker, etc) with a small breakfast table, all occupying
one corner of the main living area.
In the middle of this room is a dining table and
chairs and, at the far end looking out onto the terrace, pool and
garden, the lounge area with three large sofas
and table. The room has been designed with glazed sliding doors
running along one wall of this room which, along with light tiled
floors, give it a light and airy feel.
Sliding doors lead outside onto the decked terrace,
running on around the swimming pool and along the
side of the house. Gazing out over the terrace from the lounge on
a hot day it is difficult to resist the urge to take a running jump
into the pool! Beyond the decking is a grassed lawn and well-planted
borders; the garden is bounded by hedging providing privacy from
neighbouring houses.
An interior door from the lounge gives access to a spacious double
bedroom with its own access to the terrace and pool; this
room also has a shower, spa bath, sink and wc (all are open-plan
within the bedroom).
At ground floor level there is also a wc, utility room with washing
machine.
The upper level is reached via a spiral staircase from the kitchen.
Here there are four more large bedrooms all very
comfortably furnished with good quality beds, linen and furniture:
-Double bedroom with spa bath (open-plan) and direct access to the
first floor terrace
-Double bedroom with shower and wash-hand basin (open-plan)
-Double bedroom with direct access to the first floor terrace
-Triple bedroom
There is a bathroom at this level with large bath, bidet and wc.
Although as configured the house sleeps 10, the bedrooms
are large and can accommodate up to two additional people (probably
children) if required. Additional people over the age of three would
be charged at another £150 per person pw.
Altogether Neshandoha is a very
comfortable, well-presented and wonderfully located base for two
or three families or a large group of friends to enjoy a week or
two living the natural, laid back way of life of the Cap Ferret
peninsula .
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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
+44 (0)870 609 2845 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
Cap Ferret peninsula is a treat for the senses
- the scent of the pine forest, the constant rumble of rollers washing
up on the western coast, the salty, slippery taste of oysters washed
down with a Bordeaux blanc and, at the end of the day, sitting on
top of one of the dunes overlooking the Atlantic and watching the
sun go down. Bliss!
All these experiences and more are within easy reach of Neshandoha.
The Atlantic beach of Le Truc Vert, popular with
surfers, is 500 metres away through the forest, the bassin d'Arcachon
beach at Le Canon even closer. From here you can see over the wildlife
reserve of the Ile Aux Oiseaux (Bird Island) in
the middle of the Arcachon Basin; why not paddle out there one day?
The tourist office in Le Canon town hall can help with boat hire.
One of the cycle paths that winds around the peninsula passes just
a few minutes away from the house - it's just a 10-15 minute ride
down to Le Cap Ferret village. From here you can take a ferry over
to Arcachon, but you'll probably miss your 'desert island' home
quite quickly! Or try a boat tour spotting the oyster beds and bird
life of the bassin d'Arcachon.
Heading
on down to the Pointe is a must, stopping
to
climb to the top of the famous Cap Ferret lighthouse
on the way - the views across the bassin to the sandy wild-life
reserve of the Banc d'Arguin and over to the Dune
de Pyla (Europe's highest sand dune) are breathtaking.
At La Pointe, a tram runs to the Atlantic and is a very enjoyable
ride, especially for children.
The famous '44 hectares' of the Cap Ferret peninsula
are situated south of the lighthouse. This is an area of villas
built in the earlier part of the century set amongst the pine trees
all served by unmade roads, owned by several French stars, Bordeaux
vineyard owners and generations of Cap Ferret inhabitants of more
modest means. It's probably the most natural, exclusive yet unpretentious
housing estate in France!
Cap Ferret village is the peninsula's biggest town
- laid back, chic boutiques and bistros are the theme here.
If you feel the urge to leave the
Cap - and many don;t while they are here - the famous appelations
of Pauillac and Margaux north
in the medoc rouge are not far away. There are many vineyards where
you can visit and taste some of the famous wines. Two very approachable
châteaux are the under-rated (and relatively inexpensive)
Château Maucaillou, a medium-sized, family-run
estate in Moulis-en-Médoc; there is an interesting museum
exhibiting some of the history of wine-making. Or for a very special
visit, Château Giscours
in the Margaux region organises tastings of various vintages of
its grand crus classés, hosted by a particularly engaging,
unpretentious and plain-speaking 'oenologue' (Master of Wine).
Around
the other side of the basin is Arcachon, a popular
French resort; a part of the town known as the Ville d'Hiver (winter
town) is well worth strolling to see the quirky architecture of
its many 19th century villas.
South of Arcachon is the famous Dune du Pyla, the
largest sand dune in Europe, standing at over 100 metres. A journey
to the summit (try it without the staircase provided!) is a must;
sunrise and sunset are the best times.
If
you're feeling beached out, Bordeaux
is well under an hour away and is a good option for a day-trip,
whether it’s boutique shopping, sight-seeing or culture. Walking
around the 18th century old town centre (Quartier St. Pierre), you
can begin to imagine the city’s commercial and maritime past.
Medieval gems of the Gironde east of Bordeaux are also wonderful
days out; St Emilion, with its 11th century basilica,
is the best known but can be busy; St Macaire and
La Réole are also enjoyable. Obviously there
are more chateaux over here but an
altogether different wine experience can be had at Caudalie
Vinotherapie Spa, in the middle of the Château Smith
Haut Lafitte, vineyards, just south of Bordeaux. The spa offers
unique beauty treatments derived from grand cru grapes of the Graves
appelation renowned for their anti-ageing and micro-circulation
improving properties - in short, visitors apparently come out feeling
good!
For further information try the links below. Please note that we
cannot be held responsible for the content of third party sites.
Cap
Ferret Tourism
Arcachon Tourism
Bordeaux
Tourism
Gironde
Tourism
UK's
French Tourist Office
Château
Giscours
Château
Maucaillou
Caudalie
Vinothérapie Spa
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| Last
updated : 07.04.08 ja
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