Sorry - no pets allowed Suitable for children No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
Font Remy is a 17th Century manor house converted into 4 lovely self-contained houses. All can be rented individually or together (see separate details or contact owners). Jasmine is a spacious, well-equipped 5 bedroom house with great character.
Font Remy is located 1km inland from the pretty fishing village of Mortagne-sur-Gironde near the mouth of the Gironde Estuary. Set in 2 acres of walled grounds overlooking the vineyards with its heated, fenced 15m x 8m pool Font Remy is the ideal place for a family holiday. Whether you want to relax by the pool, visit the nearby sandy beaches, stroll into the village port nearby, indulge in the local history, food and wine or be more active you'll find it all in the local area.
The beautiful safe sandy beaches and coves of Merschers, Saint Georges de Didonne and Royan are 15 -20 minutes drive away. The historic towns of Saintes or Pons are both 20 minutes away. Within an hour you can be in the beautiful ancient port of La Rochelle, the famous vineyards of Bordeaux or the city itself.
Mortagne has an ancient fishing heritage and in the pretty harbour area backed by white cliffs you'll find many working fishing boats amongst the yachts. In the port and the main village there are bars and restaurants where you can while away the hours watching the world go by.
The boulangerie and general store are a pleasant 20 minute walk or a 5 minute bike ride from Font Remy through the vineyards. There are many local markets including those at Cozes and Gemozac, where you will find fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, meat and plenty of the local seafood.
There is a wide choice of restaurants within easy reach.
Font Remy
15m x 8m Heated Swimming Pool (Fenced)
Sitting Room
Twin Bedroom
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/17775
The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Charente Maritime region
The area benefits from a wonderful warm climate extending from March right through to October due to the effect of the Gulf Stream – it is the second sunniest area in France after the Riviera.
There is something for everyone in the area around Font Remy, whether it's lazing in the sun by the pool, spending time on the beach, activities like watersports, go-karting and golf, birdwatching, walking, cycling, visiting historic sites or indulging in the fantastic local food and wine.
There are many beautiful and historic towns and cities within easy reach of Font Remy. For example, the magnificent ancient Roman town of Saintes, with its 1st Century amphitheatre, one of the oldest discovered; the historic ports of La Rochelle and Rochefort; the magnificent restored 12th Century church at Talmont, not to mention Bordeaux, Cognac, Pons and Angouleme.
The wine areas of Bordeaux are close by. Take a ferry across the Gironde to the Medoc chateaux or take a trip to the beautiful town of St Emillion.
Mortagne sur Gironde area
There is so much to do locally you'll have to come time and time again....
Sandy Beaches
Within 15 minutes drive of Font Remy you will find some of the best sandy beaches in Europe. The 3 star Michelin rated 2km long fine sandy beach at Royan, the capital of the Cote de Beaute (Coast of Beauty), stretches north to south from the yachting marina to Saint-Georges-de-Didonne. Here you can hire the wonderful old-fashioned blue and white tents to protect you from the hot summer sun.
Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, south of Royan, has its own long sandy beach and closer still to Font Remy at Merschers and La Plages des Vergnes you will find more sandy coves with caves and rock pools.
The beaches of the Cote Sauvage (north of Royan) have the best waves for water sports and fabulous sand dunes – though some of them are nudist! Similarly the islands of Ile de Re and Ile d’Oleron have some wonderful stretches of sand.
Watersports
As well as bathing and basking in the sun, Royan and the Ile d’Oleron are centres for water sports such as windsurfing and sailing.
Go on a boat trip or rent a boat. In the northern Charente Maritime, west of Niort, are the waterways of the Marais Poitevin, or "Green Venice" area. At several villages you can rent flat-bottomed boats and paddle around a delightful maze of tiny canals, lined with willows and poplars.
Cycling
There is a network of quiet lanes winding amongst the vineyards around Font Remy and Mortagne, and there are numerous cycle tracks in the area. Either bring your own bikes or hire them locally. From St Palais-sur-Mer near Royan there is 60 km of cycle track through the forest and along the coast. There are also marked routes for mountain bikes.
Walking
As you would also expect, this is a wonderful area for walking with some breathtaking views of the estuary beyond the vineyards. There are some wonderful seaside and cliff top walks. Details of walks can be found in the house.
Golf
Golfers are well catered for with excellent courses at Royan, Saintes, Cognac and Bordeaux.
Horse Riding
There are several good horse riding facilities locally.
Bird Watching
There are always birds of prey circling in the area around Font Remy and you are likely to see black redstarts, cuckoos, black kites, hen harriers, buzzards, goshawks, herons, pied flycatchers and hoopoes, amongst others. The area as a whole is excellent for spotting migratory birds (particularly spring and autumn).
At Rochefort, about 35 minutes north of Font Remy, 74 hectares of ecological lagoons welcome thousands of birds each year.
Fishing
Trout, pike, perch, big carp and whitefish are among the first class catches that the fishing enthusiast can pull out of the waters of the River Charente and other rivers and lakes in the area. The local tourist office in Mortagne has details of where permits can be purchased.
Deep sea fishing is also available at Royan.
Wine Tasting
You can taste (and buy) Cognac, chardonnay, sauvignon or pineau on the doorstep of Font Remy. Within easy reach is Cognac itself, where you can visit the famous producers and then, of course, there is the famous wine growing region of Bordeaux.
St Emilion is a must or take a tour of the Medoc, home to some of the most famous Bordeaux vineyards.
The Zoo at La Palmyre
In the heart of one of the most beautiful pine forests in the area just north of Royan (35 minutes’ drive) lies La Palmyre zoo. The most famous zoological park in France and recently voted European Zoo of the Year, it is the most visited tourist attraction in the department of Charente-Maritime. As a breeding zoo it is different from most people’s idea of a zoo with many animals free to roam – there are more than 1600 in all!
See apes, elephants, bears, jaguars, lions, panthers, giraffes, hippopotamuses, wolves, crocodiles, pink flamingos, cockatoos, red ibis, parrots. There is a new polar bear basin and tropical greenhouse, a reptile house and shows with trained parrots and sea lions. Kids love it!
How to get there
BY CAR
Font Remy is about 4 hours' drive from St Malo, 5 hours from Le Havre or 7 hours from Calais. The motorway which brings you into Charente Maritime is the A10.
The best route from Calais is via Boulogne, Rouen, Le Mans and Tours - simply follow the signs and you can’t go wrong. It's motorway all the way (apart from going around Rouen) and brand new roads make the drive a pleasure and quicker than the route via Paris.
BY AIR
Font Remy is 1 hour’s drive from both La Rochelle and Bordeaux airports, 90 mins from Poitiers and about 2 hours from Limoges and Bergerac.
Ryanair Stansted to La Rochelle & Poitiers Dublin to La Rochelle East Midlands to Limoges & Bergerac Liverpool to Limoges & Bergerac
Flybe Birmingham to La Rochelle & Bergerac Southampton to La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Bergerac and Limoges Bristol to Bordeaux & Bergerac Norwich to Bordeaux Exeter to Bergerac Leeds Bradford to Bergerac
BMIBaby Manchester to Bordeaux Birmingham to Bordeaux
British Airways and Air France fly from main airports into Bordeaux
Easyjet Bristol to La Rochelle Luton to Bordeaux.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
La Rochelle & Bordeaux: 100 km
Activities near Mortagne sur Gironde
Sports: Tennis in town Watersports Waterpark Horse Riding Golf within 30 mins drive Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats Beach or lakeside relaxation Cycling holidays
Facilities
Luxuries:
Log fire, DVD player
General:
TV, CD player, Pool / Snooker table, Table tennis, Games room, Satellite TV
Single beds (6), Double beds (2), Cots (1), Dining seating for 10, Lounge seating for 10, Sleeps maximum of 10
Other:
Linen provided, please check with the owner regarding towels. Highchair available.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace, Shared garden, BBQ, Shared outdoor pool (heated), Swing set
Access:
Parking space
Further details indoors: One of the things which distinguish Jasmine and the other houses at Font Remy from most other gites is the marvelous feeling of space, both inside and out.
Jasmine is a large characterful house with lots of exposed beams.
* All ground floor rooms have ceramic tiled floors and first floor rooms have polished wood floors.
* Well-equipped kitchen
* The kitchen leads down steps to the large dual aspect living room, complete with working open fireplace, satellite tv, cd/dvd, and a dining area which, in turn, opens onto an individual patio area via French doors.
* Two ground floor double bedrooms with king-sized beds and en suite bathrooms.
* Three twin bedrooms with exposed beams and a small bathroom with wc.
There is an information pack about the area, a small library of books and magazines, plus a box of games for children (including cricket set, badminton, boules, etc).
This property is ideal for two families (or for two couples without utilising the upstairs). Double glazed so great for out-of-season lets.
Further details outdoors: Outside, Jasmine has a large private terrace, bbq, table and chairs for ten, plus sunloungers.
Font Remy is set in a walled garden of 2 acres with views of the vineyards beyond. There are swings, table tennis, a boules pitch, badminton and plenty of space for ball games.
Pride of place in the south facing garden is the magnificent heated swimming pool measuring 15m x 8m. There is an additional 3m of roman steps which assist young (and old!) to enter and exit. The shallow end is 1m deep and the deep end 2.4m to allow safe diving. The pool is fenced and situated within view of the individual terrace areas of all the houses so parents can keep an eye on the children.
Conditions
Changeover Day is Saturday. Arrival from 4pm, departure by 10am
Payment - a 25% deposit is required to confirm a booking. The balance is payable 8 weeks before arrival.
Bed linen included. Please bring your own towels.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: British £
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
March, April and May
15 Mar 08
24 May 08
500£ 500
0-
0-
1 Week
Whitsun and June
24 May 08
28 Jun 08
800£ 800
0-
0-
1 Week
Early July
28 Jun 08
19 Jul 08
1300£ 1,300
0-
0-
1 Week
Summer Hols
19 Jul 08
30 Aug 08
1800£ 1,800
0-
0-
2 Weeks
September
30 Aug 08
27 Sep 08
650£ 650
0-
0-
1 Week
October
27 Sep 08
1 Nov 08
500£ 500
0-
0-
1 Week
51
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Guestbook
"We have stayed here three years in a row (the longest in one place!) We have had three memorable years and would not really change anything - it is a really great place for the family."
‘We had a really really lovely holiday. We think it is a fantastic spot. The house was beautiful and well equipped. Swimming pool was heaven.’
‘We had a fabulous holiday - a perfect setting in an unspoilt, traditional property - lovely. Thank you.’
‘We had a fantastic time and were delighted with the house.’
‘We returned from Font Remy after having a wonderful time, what lucky people you are to own such a fantastic property.’
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/17775
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/17775
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