Summary :
If you believe you have to suffer to be
a good eco-tourist the Villa Ecolo should change your mind! This
is first and foremost a holiday home, not a hair-shirt experience!
A high standard of comfort and style have been the most important
watchwords in its design, at the same time being true to conservation
principles of using local, renewable materials and minimising
energy consumption. Three good-sized bedrooms,
a very spacious living area with wood-burning stove, tranquil
location and more to see and do nearby than is possible to manage,
this is an especially suitable place for nature- and outdoor-loving
families or groups of friends to enjoy the mid-Aquitaine countryside.
|
Key
Facts :
| Location
: |
Bazas
17 km, Casteljaloux 30km |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
3 |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
6 |
| Type
of location : |
Woodland |
| Style
of property : |
Modern
cabin-style villa |
| Prices : |
|
| »
Check availability and prices for this property GO |
The
price includes everything - linen, bathroom towels, electricity,
water, central heating.
The
security deposit is 275 euros and is payable to the owner
on arrival. The deposit is returned on departure - minus
any breakages of course. |
| Nearest
beach : |
Lac
de Clarens, freshwater lake with sandy beach, 25 km |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
1
km |
| Nearest
airport : |
Bordeaux
Merignac (80 km) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 7 hours drive |
| Swimming
pool : |
No
|
| Suitability
for children : |
Very
good |
| Things
to see & do : |
Walks,
cycling, swimming, medieval towns, vineyards, cuisine |
| Pets
allowed : |
No |
| Long
winter lets : |
Please
enquire |
| Short
breaks : |
Yes |
|
Location
: Map
Ref D4
Villa Ecolo is set in a woodland hamlet of five villas all built
from local landais pine. The peaceful setting is perfect for exploring
the woods and rediscovering the simple pleasures of nature, especially
with children. The villa is also within the Parc Naturel Régional
des Landes de Gascogne, France's largest national park and loved
by walkers, cyclists, canoeists: a wonderful escape for city- and
suburb-dwellers. To the north lie the vineyards and medieval architectural
gems of the Entre-deux-Mers region of the Gironde.
It is a little over an hour's drive from Mérignac airport.
The TGV serves the Gare St Jean in Bordeaux, also about an hour
away by car. St Malo is 6.5 - 7 hours drive away on a reasonable
run; the port of Santander is about 2.5 hours drive in the other
direction.
|
Accommodation
:
With
each place sympathetically sited in its own small clearing in the
woods, you have the impression that someone has simply felled a
few trees in each plot and turned them into a villa, so little have
the other surrounding plants and trees been disturbed. Or perhaps
someone helicoptered them in!
This
striking empathy with the natural setting owes much to the site's
layout - the approach track ends at a central car parking area,
a short walk away over the woodland floor from the villa. Just the
crunch of leaves and twigs under your feet; not a drop of concrete
in sight. The woody scent and spaciousness of the setting really
makes themselves felt approaching the villa - for town and city-dwellers
this is a world away.
The villa is entered via a good-sized covered terrace; it has a
built in pine table, bench-style seats and a barbecue. In summer,
most of the eating, drinking and conversation takes place out here!
Inside, either through a glazed door to the kitchen area, or through
fantastic folding back windows that open up a whole side of the
villa onto the terrace, is the main living area. At is at this point
that it becomes obvious the architect has not sacrificed style and
comfort for the principles of conservation.
There is a large lounge area with fold-back glazed walls on two
sides; the one on the side opening onto the terrace, and another
letting in the sounds and scents of the forest at the front. There
is a television, double sofa and chairs, table, bookcase, plus a
great feature, a cast-iron wood-burning stove. The warmth of the
finished pine and the terra-cotta tiled floor give this space a
surprising cosiness.
One corner of the living area is taken up with a kitchen/dining
area, with pine table and seating for six people. The kitchen itself
is modern and well-equipped, including dishwasher, washing machine,
microwave, oven/hob and fridge.
Two bedrooms are accessed directly from the living area - one double
and one twin. A further bedroom (twin) and a contemporary-styled,
well-equipped washroom (with a fully-tiled shower cubicle) are situated
off a short corridor that runs to the rear of the living room. All
the bedrooms are uncluttered, with comfortable, modern-tyle beds,
bed-side tables and storage space for clothes.
The immediate surroundings, with no cars to worry about, are safe
for children to explore independently whilst remaining in site of
their parents. Views on three sides, including from the terrace,
are out into the woods - most calming!
Overall, this is a highly original, thoughtfully designed holiday
home, especially suitable place for nature- and outdoor-loving families
or groups of friends to enjoy the variety of the mid-Aquitaine countryside
|
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%.
|
Local
Guide :
Villa Ecolo, on the cusp of the Landes and
the southern Gironde, is a great place to see
the contrasts and variety of this part of Aquitaine, as the
pine forests to the south gradually thin out and are replaced
by the rolling hills and medieval villages towards the Garonne
river to the north.
You don't have to go far: two local walking trails start at
Captieux, the nearest town a kilometre away; several cycle routes
pass this way too. The Mairie next to the dramatic and imposing
church in the centre of Captieux has more information.
A nearby must-visit is Bazas, 18 km north of
Villa Ecolo: an arcaded main square, dominated by the giant
facade of its cathedral (a world heritage site),
atmospheric streets with boutiques and restaurants, all combine
to make it very memorable. The traditional market,
held in Place de la Cathédrale since 1491, takes place
on Saturday mornings; don't leave without buying some boeuf
de Bazas! Another 18 km trip east takes you over into
the departement of Lot-et-Garonne and to Casteljaloux,
with some wonderful 15th century streets.
To the south is the Parc Naturel Régional des
Landes de Gascogne, a vast area of natural landscape
extending over 300 sq km. It contains numerous lakes perfect
for sailing, boating, swimming,
picnic-ing or just observing the wildlife,
there are innumerable places for horse-riding,
cycling (trails away from the road criss-cross
the entire park) and rambling along marked
routes.
To learn more about the history of the Landes there is the popular
Ecomusée des Grandes Landes, where a traditional
'airial' of 19th landais farm-buildings have been sympathetically
reconstructed and brought to life by demonstrations of rural
life back then. This is a great way to learn about how life
must have been for the original occupants of Le Cottage! It
is reached by a 6 minute train ride from Sabres
(60 km south west) and is worth making a day for, especially
for those with children. Guests at Villa Ecolo receive a 'carte
d'hotes' entitling them to a discount on the entry
price.
Canoe and kayak trips on the river Leyre (known
as 'la petite Amazone') are a unique attraction of this part
of France and is suitable for all ages - Belin-Beliet
just over half-an-hour's drive west is a good place to start
an organised trip.
And being inland doesn't rule out swimming! On the way to Casteljaloux
is the Lac de Clarens, a 45 acre lake set in
750 acres of forest; there is sandy beach and, between June
and September, bathing there is supervised. About a half-hour
drive in the other direction is the Domaine de Loisirs
de Hostens, another lovely woodland park with cycling
and wildlife trails set around a beautiful lake that has beaches
and is suitable for swimming (bathing is supervised in summer).
It's very popular day-out for families - take a picnic!
A few kilometres north brings you into Entre-Deux-Mers
countryside, one of the loveliest parts of the Gironde - soft,
undulating hills, ancient villages (St Macaire,
Sauve-Majeure and Cadillac should
be high on anyone's list for a visit), baroque châteaux
and some excellent white wines. Château de la
Brede (about 30km north west of Uzeste), is a particular
highlight, once home to the 18th century philospoher Montesquieu
(a major influence on the US Constitution) and still wine-producing
today.
Alternatively, Château de Malle (near
Langon, 30 km to the south east) organises recommended tours
and tastings in its exceptional surrondings. The Sauternes,
Graves and Pomerol & St Emilion
appelations are not much further. 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!
Further afield, many of the highlights of Aquitaine are within
an hour's drive, easily day-trippable. There's the endless expanses
of golden sand and rolling waves characteristic of the Atlantic
coast's beaches at Mimizan-Plage; for gentler
ripples, try Arcachon (where the beaches are
less exposed to the Atlantic by the natural bay of the bassin
d'Arcachon), or for a change from the ocean beach, Biscarrosse
lake - with shade from the forest and no currents to
worry about families with young children often prefer it here.
If you are out this way, don't miss the Dune de Pyla,
Europe's highest sand dune standing 117 metres high - the top
is like standing on top of another world and has stunning views
all around.
For something rather different, an innovative local company,
Scooty Tours, will even take you around the
vineyards and out to the Atlantic coast on scooters.
For more information feel free to consult the following links.
Please note that Alternative Aquitaine is not responsible for
the content of external web-sites.
Tourist
information - Entre-deux-Mers
St
Emilion visitors' guide
Tourism
in and around Arcachon and Cap Ferret
Scooty
Tours - vineyard tours by moped
Gironde
Tourist Information
Hostens
Lac guide
Landes
National Park - information
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