Long term lets (over 1 month) Short-breaks (4 days or less)
Changeover day:
Flexible
Access:
Car advised
Notes:
May take pets - please enquire Suitable for children No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
Welcome to our beautiful holiday home in Charente Maritime, France. La Retraite is a traditional Charentaise farmhouse renovated to an exceptionally high standard. It is located in the hamlet of Simoussais which is surrounded by fields of sunflowers during the summer months. Simoussais is just north of the picturesque market town of Surgeres with its choice of bars and restaurants offering everything from good local food to gourmet dining.
The outstanding beaches of the Atlantic Coast are only a short drive away as are the beautiful Ile de Re and Ile d’Oleron. The totally unspoilt town of La Rochelle with its medieval streets, harbour side restaurants and bars, marina and aquarium is less than 30 minutes away.
Sandy beaches, fields of sunflowers, historic towns and excellent restaurants, welcome to La Retraite.
La Retraite
view from bedroom
Le Bois Plage, Ile de Re
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/26603
The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Charente Maritime region
The Charente Maritime boasts the second longest hours of sunshine in France after the Cote D’Azur and summer here seems to stretch from April to October. With over 70 beaches to enjoy you will rarely feel crowded and you can almost have the place to yourself out of high season. The local seafood (oysters, mussels, crab and fish) is always fresh and plentiful and there are many good local wines, pineau and cognac to accompany your meal.
La Rochelle / Surgeres area
Surgeres is a picturesque market town just to the south of La Retraite. It has a wide choice of restaurants, supermarkets, shops and banks. It has a beautifully restored and preserved old walled town rich in architectural heritage and boasts a manor house and XV1c chateau. The colourful covered market (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) offers a plentiful supply of local produce including the butter for which Surgeres is famous. The town has a cinema, sports centre with tennis courts, and open air swimming pool.
La Rochelle is a beautiful old town less than half hour away. It is an excellent place to visit, either for a day, an afternoon, or just an evening at any time of the year. It has hundreds of restaurants to choose from ranging from quayside bistros offering moules and frites to the Michelin** restaurant Coutanceau recognised as one of the best restaurants on the Atlantic Coast. La Rochelle comes in two equally alluring halves. The old port is full with yachts and guarded by medieval defensive towers, while the town centre has delicatessens and classy boutiques under the covered arcades of Renaissance houses and a colourful morning fish market. During the summer months there is street theatre every day and a craft market alongside the port most evenings, when the roads are closed to traffic to make space for performers, craftspeople and artists. La Rochelle houses Europe's largest marina on the Atlantic Coast and a fabulous aquarium. Its beautiful parks are worth a visit and the famous yellow cycles can be hired free of charge for the first 2 hours all year round. Boat trips are available from the Old Harbour, lasting a few hours, half a day or a full day to the islands of Re, Aix and Oleron.
Please see owner's website for full details of local information and activities.
How to get there
Fly to La Rochelle airport, La Retraite is an easy 20 minute drive from the airport. Cheap flights are available from various uk airports through
www.ryanair.com www.easyjet.com www.flybe.com
Many car hire firms operate at La Rochelle airport, including
Single beds (6), Double beds (2), Cots (2), Dining seating for 10, Lounge seating for 10, Sleeps maximum of 10
Other:
Linen and towels provided. Highchair available.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace, Private garden, BBQ, Bicycles available, Swing set
Access:
Secure parking
Further details indoors: La Retraite is a traditional Charentaise farmhouse sympathetically renovated to an exceptionally high standard. It retains original features and stonework and has been beautifully decorated and furnished in a contemporary manner. The house can be cosy for two but can easily sleep up to ten plus two infants. The house has full central heating making it ideal for winter breaks.
La Retraite has a large lounge with leather sofas and chairs arranged around an original working fireplace (logs provided for winter lets). This room has a quality CD Stereo system and numerous board games.
Next door, the separate TV room has a DVD player and Playstation 2 (with a good choice of DVDs and games). English TV and radio are available through the Sky Satellite system.
The kitchen/breakfast room incorporates a fully fitted fridge and separate freezer, a glass induction hob, sizeable oven and dishwasher. The kitchen can seat up to seven people if desired.
The independent dining room contains a bespoke table which seats ten, there is also an additional sofa here overlooking the garden.
Upstairs La Retraite has four large bedrooms, two of which contain king size beds. There is a twin bedded room and a room containing a set of bunks and two single beds. All the bedrooms have shutters and blinds and due to the thick walls are cool even in the height of summer. There are also two cots and two highchairs at the property free for your use.
Also upstairs is a large bathroom incorporating a freestanding bath with separate walk in shower. Two sinks are set into the tiled unit opposite. A further walk in shower is situated downstairs next to the laundry room which contains a washing machine, separate tumble dryer and ironing board/iron for your use.
Further details outdoors: The front and rear gardens are laid to lawn and fully enclosed, and are therefore extremely safe for young children.
Outdoor tables and chairs are available in both gardens.
Behind the garden gates there is secure parking for two cars. In the barn there is both a large barbeque and a number of bicycles for guests use.
If additional bicycles are needed these can be hired in Surgeres
Further details
La Retraite is available on the basis of a Saturday to Saturday changeover with a 4pm arrival time and 10am departure time. This allows the house to be fully cleaned and tidied before your arrival.
A welcome pack of provisions will await you offering:
bread butter cheese tea coffee milk water beer bottle of wine
Local supermarkets in Mauze and Surgeres are open until 7pm Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9am to 1pm. There are a number of shops including boulangeries, charcuterie and a newsagent selling English newspapers in Mauze just a few minutes drive away.
All pillows, duvets, bed linen, bath towels, hand towels and tea towels are provided and there is a hairdryer available.
The laundry room contains a washing machine, separate tumble dryer and ironing board/iron for your use.
There are two cots and two highchairs at the property.
Cool bags, ice packs and plastic picnic ware are available for your use.
A barbeque and a number of bicycles are located in the barn.
There are guide books/tourist information and restaurant recommendations in the bottom of the upstairs bookcase.
All utility bills are included in the rental price.
A babysitting/child minding service is available, please contact the owners for details
Conditions
Once a reservation has been made by telephone or email, you will be sent a booking form that details our terms and conditions. This should be completed and returned with a deposit of £200/€300 per week booked. The balance is payable 8 weeks prior to the start of your holiday. In the case of reservations made less than 8 weeks before the arrival date, full payment is required with the returned booking form. A returnable security deposit of £250/€400 is required 2 weeks prior to arrival. Discounts are available for bookings of more than one week.
Shorter lets (long weekends) and flexible changeover dates may be possible out of peak and high seasons. Longer term lets during the winter may be available. Please contact the owners to discuss your requirements.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: British £
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
Low
5 Jan 08
29 Mar 08
425£ 425
0-
0-
1 Week
Mid
29 Mar 08
17 May 08
600£ 600
0-
0-
1 Week
High
17 May 08
28 Jun 08
800£ 800
0-
0-
1 Week
Peak
28 Jun 08
30 Aug 08
1050£ 1,050
0-
0-
1 Week
Mid
30 Aug 08
4 Oct 08
600£ 600
0-
0-
1 Week
Low
4 Oct 08
20 Dec 08
425£ 425
0-
0-
1 Week
51
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Guestbook
The house is wonderful, it was a surprise for the family and they were delighted.
We had a lovely time and thought your house was beautiful.
The house could not be improved upon. You have everything at the disposal of the guests and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Excellent accommodation in a beautiful area of France.
House is great !
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/26603
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/26603
Print this page
E-mail to friend
Share / Post this
Be aware of time-zones
