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Summary
Maison
Gilbert is a modern and comfortable 3 bedroom house in the pleasant
Landais town of Soustons. It is an ideal venue for active familes
wanting easy access to the beaches, shops and restaurants, as
well as a holiday house with a pool that won't blow the budget.
Maison Gilbert's first rental season was 2006 and it proved to
be especially popular with young families who appreciated the
child-friendliness of the house, the ease of access to all amenities
and the abundance of things to do in this area.
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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Soustons
(centre is 800m) |
| Type
of location : |
Residential
area on the edge of the town, a short walk to the lake and
amenities |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
3
: 2x doubles and 1x twin |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
6 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
1
- includes bath & shower. 1x separate WC |
| Style
of property : |
Fully-equipped
modern house with accommodation all on ground level |
| Quality
guide : |
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» Check availability & prices for
this property GO
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Rental price includes: Bed linen, bathroom towels & tea towels. Beds made for arrival & spare linen available for 2+ week bookings. Water, gas, electricity. Tourist tax
Compulsory extras: None
Optional extras: Subject to availability (please enquire): Change of bed linen done for you mid-stay €30; Mid-stay cleaning €15 per hour; End-of-stay clean €150; Babysitting €15 per hour
Refundable security deposit: GBP 400 OR EUR 450 cheque
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| Cleaning
Arrangements : |
There
is no cleaning included in the rental price
but mid-stay and exit cleans can be
arranged for a local charge if required
» Read important information about cleaning
|
| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrive
between 4-6 pm and depart by 10am. Changeover day is Saturday
in the high season
» Read important information about
arrivals
& departures
|
| Nearest
beach : |
Vieux
Boucau 8 kms; Messanges-Plage 12 kms; Moliets-Plage &
Hossegor 18 kms |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Soustons
town centre 800 metres - allow 15-20 minutes on foot |
| Nearest
airport : |
Biarritz
45 mins; Pau 90 mins; Bordeaux 1 hr 45 mins; Bilbao 2 hrs
(all approx) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 9 hrs (approx) |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
private 'splash' pool 6x3m. Depth 1.0-1.2m with ladder steps
access. Protected by alarm and fence. Maintained during guests'
stay. |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
UK
satellite TV; DVD/CD player; BBQ; table tennis; table football; washing machine & tumble dryer;
dishwasher; microwave |
| Suitability
for children : |
A
very child-friendly house: fully enclosed gardens with plenty
of shade; swing, slide, small trampoline, table tennis, indoor
& outdoor toys for young children; protected swimming
pool; DVD player |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Equipment
includes proper cot (not linen), high chair and baby-changing
unit. Grounds are safe and enclosed, garden swing and indoor
and outdoor toys . Mosquito nets available |
| Things
to see & do : |
Loads!
This is an outdoor playground - see Local
Guide for details
Golf, surfing, sailing at the lake, tennis (200m from the
house), cycling (cycle paths start 100m from the house), watersports,
markets; picnics & walks at the lake; watch Courses Landaise
(bulljumping - no gore); try thermal spa at nearby Dax. Visit:
Basque Country villages, Bayonne, Biarritz, Pyrénées,
Bordeaux, Spain - Pamplona, San Sebastian & Bilbao |
| House
'rules' : |
Sorry,
no pets. No smoking inside the house |
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Location: Map
Ref B5
Soustons-Ville
is approximately 45 kms north of Biarritz and lies 8 kms inland
from the Atlantic coastline of Aquitaine. It is a market town
popular in summer due to its enviable location close to the lake
and ocean. The former French president, François Mitterand
had his holiday home here.
By train : Biarritz railway station
By air : Biarritz airport is the closest. Pau,
Bilbao and Bordeaux are good alternatives.
Maison Gilbert is situated in a residential area on the
town's outskirts. The town centre is a flat 15 minute walk from
the house. Soustons has all the shops you'll need to self-cater
in French style.
The large lake of Soustons is a 10 minute stroll - there are very
pleasant walks to enjoy at the lake, picnic areas, a restaurant
and a children's play area too.
Also close to the house are tennis courts (200
metres) and cycle paths (100 metres).
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Accommodation :
Maison Gilbert is a good option for young families looking for a relatively inexpensive cottage + pool. It is especially child-friendly - the owners brought up their young children at the house and still regularly stay there with their youngest son (2 years old), so it really has been 'child-tested'.
The
accommodation is all on ground level and the house is a typical
lotissement development (small, residential estates) seen in France.
The interior is comfortable and modern and designed to cope with
hot summers - the floors, for example, are tiled or wooden.
From the front door, immediately left is the large open-plan living
area which consists of lounge, dining
area and integrated kitchen.
The living room has sliding doors at each end for access to the
front and rear gardens. There are sofas and easy chairs and comfortable
seating for 6 at the dining table. The sofa-bed in the lounge
could accommodate an extra person if required. A TV and dvd player
are provided. The modern fireplace shouldn't be required unless
you're renting in the low season!
A breakfast bar delineates the kitchen and living room; it is
a modern, fully-fitted kitchen with a very cheerful choice of
colours - the blend of blue and yellow compliment the overall
summer feel of the house. Just off the kitchen is a separate laundry
area where there is a washing machine.
Leading from the front door to the right is a corridor to the
remaining accommodation - the bathroom and three bedrooms.
The family bathroom is spacious and provides
bath, shower and separate WC.
Bedroom 1 - double, overlooking the front garden
Bedroom 2 - twin, overlooking the back garden
and pool
Bedroom 3 - double, overlooking the back garden
and pool
Outside, there is a large front garden with ample space for kids
to play and guests to sit out. The driveway can easily fit 3 cars
and there is a gate at the front of the property.
Most of the outdoor time will, though, undoubtedly be focused
in the back garden where there is a small swimming pool (protected by fence and alarm),
BBQ, patio terrace with outdoor
dining furniture plus children's play area featuring
slide and swing. The garden plot is 1000m2 and fully enclosed with a lockable gate.
The garden has a sprinkler system which will activate automatically
at night.
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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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Local
Guide:
Soustons
Soustons Tourist Office
Originally
named ‘South Town’ by its English occupants in the 14th
century, Soustons is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean
to the west, the huge Etang (lake) de Soustons,
as well as the largest pine forests of Europe.
It is within easy reach of the Pays Basque, Spain
and the Pyrénées.
The Atlantic beaches are close by - 10 minutes
drive to the sandy beaches of Vieux Boucau, 20
minutes to the surf capital of Hossegor and the
coastal port town of Capbreton.
The popularity of Soustons as holiday town has grown exponentially
since 2000. Soustons, though, has its strengths in its mix of residents
and holiday visitors. It's not just a holiday town, it has locals
too! Unlike many of the seaside towns, Soustons and its 100 commercial
activities do not close down in winter. Lakeside and town centre
restaurants are open all year. The Fête de la Tulipe takes
place in Spring. The Centre des Spectacles (concert hall) and Centre
Nautique (water sports centre) as well as many of the other
activities nearby, are open to the public all year long. There's
tennis courts, cinema and discotheque
too.
In August Soustons holds its five days of fêtes.
Throughout the season Soustons arena hosts weekly ‘Courses
Landaises’ (bull jumping without the gore), as well as a true
French traditional market on Monday morning, and
a ‘Marché Nocturne’ on Friday evenings (till
very late) -
Soustons is in fact the most important market town for the region.
South westerners love their sports and outdoor activities. Soustons
is host to rugby matches against British and Irish
teams and local Pelote Basque competitions are
regular. Join in with the French and try your hand at Boules.
The pine forest is criss-crossed with cycle paths
and walkways leading to the lakes and beaches.
Soustons is close to three highly rated golf courses
(ranked in the top 15 in France).
Soustons
boasts Francois Mitterand, ex French President as ‘amoureux’
of the locality, with a statue dedicated to him (and his fatihful
dog!) in the town centre and his family's residence is located on
the edge of Soustons.There's still a handful of resplendent lake-side
villas dating to the turn of the 20th century, built by wealthy
city folk (Bordeaux, Mont-de-Marsan) requiring a tranquil holiday
retreat.
It
is the lake, however, that still dominates the
town. It's far from being the largest of the many freshwater lakes
which punctuate the Aquitaine coastal landscape, but at 800 acres,
it's no pond either! There is an excellent sailing base
on the north-side at Azur. All sides of the lake
are surrounded by dense pine forest but there are many tracks leading
to the lake, cycle paths and picnic spots too.
For
further information visit Tourisme France - Soustons
and select the button on the right hand side ‘Visite Virtuelle’
to have a virtual visit of Soustons Lake and Soustons plage. You
can also visit Landes Tourisme
- Soustons for a location map and a list of activities and commerces
in and around Soustons.
Local
Area
The
Côte Landaise
coastline stretches from Bordeaux to the Pays Basque, with some
106km of sandy coastline, the highest sand dunes in europe and finishes
at the base of the Pyrenees, in the Bay of Biscay and a coast renowned
for its surfing fun. With
its population of only 35 people per square km has and over 106
km of coastline, Les Landes is not surprisingly France's least densely
populated département.
Nearby Hossegor is one of those seaside towns whose
population swells exponentially in the high season. It is a town
that has a lot to offer: boutique shopping, great bars and restaurants,
world-famous surfing beaches, a lovely golf course ranked in the
Top 50 in France and a beautiful lake for safe bathing. It’s
little wonder, therefore, that the town is busy. The remarkable
thing is that it's something of a French (and Spanish) secret; unless
you're a dedicated surfer, the chances are you won't have heard
of Hossegor.
Hossegor lies about 15 minutes' drive south, whilst a similar distance
north is Moliets-Plage. This is another great beach
location and activity centre with golf and surf a speciality. In
fact, the south west coast is something of an outdoor playground.
Take your pick from surfing, canoeing, sailing, cycling,
tennis, horse-riding and golf to name
a few.
This area of Aquitaine is rich in attractions so here are just a
few suggestions for day-trips:
• Biarritz and St Jean de Luz.
Less than an hour’s drive south 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 and 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 40 minute drive from
Hossegor Lac. The Côte Basque – Hendaye,
St Jean de Luz and Biarritz - is home
to numerous thalassotherapy centres.
• Lakes. The freshwater lakes that punctuate
the forest provide a great alternative to the ocean and safer
bathing for children. Rather like the Lake District in England,
each lake, or étang, has its own atmosphere.
Apart from the local Lac d’Hossegor, there are others nearby
to try: étangs Blanc, Soutsons
and Léon; at the latter you can canoe from
the lake along the serene Courant d’Huchet to the
ocean’s edge.
• Chalosse Country. To the south of
Dax and Mont-de-Marsan you start to enter rural Gascony,
which means several things: foie gras, floc de Gascogne
(sherry) and a pleasantly slow pace of life. The food is
marvellous, the towns are half asleep except for market days, and
the countryside is entirely relaxing. Montfort-en-Chalosse,
Mugron and St. Sever are good
stopping points.
• Basque Country. The delightful rolling
green hills and picture-perfect villages of the Pays Basque are
a must. Ainhoa, Sare, Espelette and
Ascain all perfectly demonstrate Basque village
life. A little further south and you can hike in the
mountain air of the Pyrénées.
• Spain. It’s about 75 minutes to the
border and only a short distance further to the majestic seaside
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.
For further information try the links below. There is an excellent
tourist office in Hossegor too. Please note that we cannot be held
responsible for the content of third party sites.
Soustons Tourist
Office
Soustons
Sailing Club (French)
Rockley
Watersports Centre Soustons-Azur
Les Landes
Tourist Office
Learn About
the Basque Country
UK Tourist
Office for France
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| updated
10.12.09 ja |
