La Marée

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Cottage |2 bedrooms |Sleeps 4

Les Monards in Meschers-sur-Gironde

From £460 per week

7 nights minimum stay

Changeover Saturday

4 out of 5

1 review | Write a review

Key info  Beach or lakeside relaxation, balcony/terrace, car essential, private garden, no pets allowed

About the home

Summer or winter, this carefully restored cottage set in rolling farmland will give you a taste of French rural life - whilst still providing all the home comforts. Self-contained, with its own pretty walled garden, "La Marée" is in a quiet hamlet not far from the sandy coves of Meschers and the wide beaches of St Georges de Didonne.

The cottage comprises two bedrooms, both with views of the Gironde; a new shower-room and separate toilet. Downstairs there's a comfortable sitting room with open fireplace, leading into a dining area and fully-equipped kitchen.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Downstairs the cottage is open-plan, retaining its original beams, exposed stone walls and terracotta floor tiles. There is a spacious kitchen and dining area to one side, with a log-burning stove to make it cosy in winter. The sitting room is on the other side of the entrance hall - with an open fire for cold nights - and also benefits from a window to the garden, giving it a light and airy feel.

Upstairs there is a wooden landing, with new shower-room at one end (including double basins) and separate toilet at the other. In between are the two bedrooms: one with double bed and windows looking out over the garden and across to the Estuary; the other has two single beds and overlooks the garden to a small windmill opposite . Both rooms have radiators, wardrobes and bedside cabinets.

The cottage is comfortably furnished, kept very clean, and decorated in French country style. (Unlike many properties in France, all windows are fitted with mosquito blinds to keep any insects at bay and ensure you get a good night's sleep!)

Further details outdoors:
La Marée has its own enclosed garden, which is south-facing and sheltered by a mulberry tree in high summer.
In addition to table and chairs, there are sunloungers and a built-in barbecue for al fresco meals. Flowers include hollyhocks, pinks, poppies, hibiscus, roses, jasmine, lavender and other culinary herbs. There is also a small lawn and woodshed with logs for use by winter guests.

Further details

A welcome pack is provided - containing breakfast items and a bottle of wine!

An extensive library of books and DVDs is available for guests. There's also a large file of information on the local area, providing maps and details of where to find the best beaches and restaurants.

English owners, Caroline and Christina, will be on hand to welcome you and offer assistance.

Conditions

- Pets are not allowed as our cat is rather territorial!

- Smoking is OK in the garden but not in the house.

Photos

 

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Cottage in sunflower season

 

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5 minutes from pretty fishing port of Les Monards

 

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Fully-equipped kitchen with window to terrace

 

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Living room with open fireplace

Video

View of Chenac village and the Gironde Estuary, panning over fields of grain and sunflowers... you can hear how noisy the birds are!

Cottage rental accommodation in Meschers-sur-Gironde

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The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Charente Maritime region

This coastal region enjoys a mild climate and long sunny days from spring through to late autumn. The area is ideal for couples or families looking for unspoilt countryside not too far from amenities.

Historically it was on one of the main pilgrimage routes to Spain and is dotted with ancient villages, abbeys and exquisite Romanesque churches. In the slow passing of the seasons, there is still a great feeling of timelessness, suffused with the warm vibrant light of the South.

The Meschers-sur-Gironde / Les Monards area

The property is situated amongst rolling fields and vineyards, overlooking water-meadows where ponies graze in summer. The little fishing port of Les Monards is only 3 minutes' walk and boasts a popular and friendly restaurant with a waterside deck area. Our neighbour is restoring the lovely nearby flour mill which overlooks a lake.

Gentle hills and coastal scenery make it ideal for walking or cycling - two new bikes are available free of charge - whilst the mixed terrain of farmland and marsh attracts a wide variety of birds, including migrating flocks along the Estuary. Fine beaches are just a short car ride away.

One of France's prettiest villages, Talmont, can be reached by bike along a spectacular coastal route - its 12th century church stands high above the Gironde, surrounded by colourful hollyhocks in summer.

Known locally as the “Côte de Beauté”, this stretch of coast where the Gironde meets the Atlantic is popular for its calm waters and soft sand. The village of Meschers is 10 minutes by car and offers several sandy coves or longer stretches of pine-fringed beach, ideal for swimming and sunbathing, with restaurants close at hand. Here the limestone cliffs are riddled with caves, once used by pirates and refugees, some of which are still inhabited today.

Continuing up the coast, there are prize-winning beaches at the towns of St Georges de Didonne and Royan, as well as wide stretches of sand dune and pine forest on the “Côte Sauvage", which is popular with surfers and has areas set aside for naturists. Whether it's swimming, sunbathing, enjoying a meal in the open-air, collecting driftwood, or messing around in rock-pools, there's a beach for everyone somewhere along these shores!

The thriving town of Royan offers a wide selection of shops and restaurants, in addition to an extensive daily market. The famous zoo at La Palmyre is nearby, where there's an active breeding programme and you're even encouraged to feed some of the animals.

A little further up the coast you can explore the pretty oyster villages around Marennes, visit the atmospheric fortified town of Brouage out in the marshes, or drive across a long bridge to the lovely island of Oléron.

During summer there are numerous boat trips to outlying islands and lighthouses (like 17th century Cordouan), as well as a regular ferry to the Médoc peninsular which is home to many outstanding châteaux in the Bordeaux region. Bordeaux city itself is just over an hour away by car and definitely worth a visit now that it's reached the end of its costly restoration and is once again poised to become the "Paris of the South"... get there before the rest of the world wakes up to its charms!

Another popular day-trip is to the lovely wine town of St Emilion, a world heritage site where you can tour several famous estates. Alternatively, you can take a 40 minute drive to the town of Cognac and visit a number of well-known distilleries. (As in most of France, food and drink is high on the agenda!)

How to get there

La Marée What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Reset Map

BY ROAD:
- Situated just off the scenic "Route Verte" (D145)
- 30 minutes drive from Junction 36 of the A10
- If you use SatNav, enter the hamlet "Barabe" + postcode 17120

BY AIR (Fly-drive):
- Just over an hour from Bordeaux or La Rochelle airports (Ryanair, Flybe, BMIBaby, BA and Easyjet)
- Bergerac, Limoges and Poitiers airports a bit further afield but also popular
- Compare car hire prices on Holiday Cars website
- Budget Cars also recommended by guests
NB: In high season there may be queues for hire car companies recommended by airlines.

BY FERRY:
- about 4 hours' drive from St Malo (via Brittany Ferries)
- about 5 hours from Caen, Cherbourg or le Havre
- about 7 hours from Calais

Activities near Meschers-sur-Gironde

Reviews

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

11 Jul 2011

“A lovely holiday in a lovely cottage in a lovely part of the world.” This property more than met our expectations. It is a beautiful well maintained cottage which has everything you need for a perfect holiday. The welcome pack was a lovely touch upon arrival. The garden is a perfect spot to relax and unwind and you can find shade under the trees if the sun gets too much. The BBQ was an added bonus for outdoor cooking on the warm balmy evenings. We throughly enjoyed the local walks and the property is ideally situated for visiting the surrounding area. The information pack, that our excellent hosts had complied, was very detailed and proved to be very helpful when planning our days out. Response: Your comments are much appreciated. It was great to see you enjoy all the cycling and we hope you'll continue your exploration of this unspoilt coast!

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

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Guestbook for La Marée

"We had quite a life changing experience at "La Marée" - Ros and Wayne (who subsequently moved here!)
"The cottage is delightful and the hospitality warm" - Nick and Maureen
"We think the cottage has been beautifully and sympathetically restored" - Sandra and Huw
"The beds were very comfortable and the garden was lovely ... Thanks again for a wonderful week, and all the DVDs you kept us supplied with. It makes such a difference staying in a cottage where the owners really care about their guests having a great holiday." - Brian, Cath, Deanna, and babies Amber and Martha (Edinburgh)
"We had a thoroughly enjoyable and comfortable stay at the cottage - you have thought of everything. We will certainly recommend it to others. We loved the area and wished we'd stayed longer" - Catherine & Peter, July 2011

Rental prices

Prices for group size 4
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Peak Season	2 Jul 11	27 Aug 11	620£ 620	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn	27 Aug 11	1 Oct 11	550£ 550	0-	0-	1 Week
Low Season	1 Oct 11	28 Apr 12	460£ 460	0-	0-	1 Week
Early Summer	28 Apr 12	30 Jun 12	560£ 560	0-	0-	1 Week
Peak Season	30 Jun 12	1 Sep 12	690£ 690	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn	1 Sep 12	29 Sep 12	560£ 560	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Deposit of 50% with booking and security deposit of £100 required with final payment, 6 weeks prior to arrival date. (It is recommended that you purchase cancellation insurance.)

For winter occupation, the cottage has its own electricity meter and use of radiators will be charged at standard rate of 0.1Euro per kWh, to be settled at end of letting period. Similarly, logs used for fires will be charged at local rates.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

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5 years listed You are contacting Christina Tooley Landline +33 0546 741370 Mobile n/a Web Visit site Languages spoken The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2006. This cottage has received 1 review from previous guests.