Self-Catering Holidays in Atlantic Aquitaine, South West France - Villas, Cottages & Apartments

Maison des Cigales is a classic 'maison landaise' typical of Cap Ferret, a single storey villa with a broad sloping roof with timber features, characterful brown shutters and large hardwood entrance door.

The house stands in a good-sized plot (1000m2) set back from the road. Mature trees at the front provide plenty of shade on hot days. There is off-road parking for two cars.

The house is about 35 years old with many original features: tiled floors throughout, living-room fireplace, built-in external fireplace/barbecue, tall French doors opening to the rear garden, deck & pool area. The current owners have recently brought the furnishings and décor up-to-date whilst retaining its French character to create a lovely, relaxing holiday home in keeping with Cap Ferret's stylish, relaxed environment.

They stay themselves as much as possible so it is equipped very much as a home, including a selection of indoor and outdoor toys.

Inside:
The entrance leads into an L-shaped hallway serving the kitchen, living/dining room, bedrooms & bathrooms.

The separate kitchen is well-equipped (including oven, hob, microwave, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, kettle & coffee-maker) with tall windows opening over the front garden, plus a breakfast table seating 4.

The living/dining room is a very good-sized, sunny room with two sets of French doors. Two sofas provide a comfortable reading/drinks area around the fireplace (seating 4-6); behind, a large modern dining table seats 8 comfortably.

There are four bedrooms of approximately equal size (20m2 approx.), all pleasantly furnished.

Three are double bedrooms (160 x 200 cm beds), each equipped with wardrobe, drawers and shelves. All of these rooms overlook the rear garden & pool.

The fourth bedroom is a twin (2 x 90 cm beds) with shelved wardrobe and overlooks the front garden..

The family bathroom includes bath, shower, basin & toilet. A second shower room is located at the end of the corridor; there is also a separate second WC.

Outside:
The good-sized & varied outside space at Villa des Cigales is a very appealing feature of this property. It is a typical Cap Ferret garden, with a very 'natural' feel and includes several pine trees.

French doors on two sides of the living room open onto the broad rear terrace which runs around the rear of the house. The terrace is covered on one side to provide a lovely salon d'été (summer sitting room) around a large barbecue/external fireplace - perfect for cooking & relaxing at night once the heat has gone out of the sun.

The other part of the terrace overlooks the rear garden is makes a great spot to read or sunbathe. Steps run down to the pool & deck area, which includes an outdoor shower cubicle. The pool can be shut off from the rest of the garden by a gate at the top of the steps from the terrace, and 1m 20 fences with gates at the side of the house and in the garden.

The rest of the garden is mature, with enough space and tall enough shrubs for a game of hide-and-seek! A 1m 80 fence surrounds the plot, but because the grounds slope down in the far corner behind the pool a neighbouring property partially overlooks the garden. However it is from part of the neighbour's plot that is rarely used, and the owners are seldom there.

In all, Villa des Cigales is a lovely, family holiday home in a calm, convenient location - we expect it to be a very popular rental.

» Check availability and prices for this property GO

Prices include linen and towels.

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Le Prequ'Ile de Cap Ferret

What's the Presqu'Ile de Cap Ferret actually like? Geographically-speaking, it's a 20 km long, 3-5 km wide strip of sand and pine forest providing the western shore of the Arcachon Basin on one wise, and one long Atlantic beach on the other. But that's not the half of it - there's nowhere like it! The closest we can get to describing this part of France is to say that it has the laid back ambience and relaxing natural environment of the Caribbean, blended with the subtle refinements of the French way of life - Barbados meets Bordeaux!

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!

Piraillan
Piraillan is one of the small towns along the Cap Ferret peninsula, and is renowned for oyster-farming quarter: alleys of characterful, brightly-painted huts which line the Arcachon basin's shore. Careful raising of these exquisite delicacies has continued for over 150 years. Can oysters ever have tested better than here, at the edge of the waters where they grew? A stroll, stopping for a degustation, is a must!

Piraillan is also well known for its extensive covered food market (just 100m from Villa des Cigales!) - with a bit of planning you need never shop in a supermarket while you're here. Piraillan merges into its neighbour, le Canon, about 1 km away, which offers local shops, tabac, its own oyster-farming quarter, local Bay-side beach and two good local restaurants.

'Le Truc Vert' is the nearest Atlantic Beach, about 3 kms away and easily cyclable along the quiet avenues which then join up with one of the peninsula's fantastic forest cycle-ways on the west.

Exploring the peninsula
The forest cycle trails are the way to explore the peninsula, and run from le Grand Crohot in the north, all the way down to la Pointe, the tip of Cap Ferret.

On the way you pass through Cap Ferret village, the chic-est spot on the the Presqu'Ile. Smart boutiques, cafes and restaurants in a low-rise, laid-back setting - the ambience is casual, relaxed but appreciative of good living. A couple of 'bonnes adresses': it's worth stopping for a drink the stylish Tchanque bar of the Hôtel Maison du Bassin (so named after the famous houses on stilts close to the Ile aux Oiseaux) - the address for an 'apéro'; and Fredelian, a salon de thé renowned for its patisseries, especially the local favourite (and ours), cannelés.

From the village débarcadère (Cap Ferret's jetty, also the location of an excellent brasserie) you can take a ferry over to Arcachon, Le Moulleau, or catch a trip to the Dune de Pyla (definitely easier than driving around Bay!), 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.

There's also a charming 'petit train' that runs from the jetty on the bassin side over the dunes at the Atlantic beach on the other side of the pensinsula; the trip takes 10-15 minutes and, especially if you have children, is a delight!

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.

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 and also home to the island's most famous restaurant, Chez Hortense - laid back (what else could it be here?) and popular with France's VIPs.

Near Cap Ferret
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 médoc 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
Chateau Giscours
Chateau Maucaillou