Property Description
A modern urban-style house with ground and upper floor, 84 m2, with patio doors opening out onto the terrace. Recently renovated and decorated in cheerful colours. 3 double bedrooms. Set in a new residential complex of some 40 houses, on the steep slopes of the wooded Alpine foothills, yet only 3 km from the beach 180 m below as well as all the amenities of a small coastal town.
Open-plan ground floor with modern, well-equipped kitchen. Exposed timber ceiling beams throughout. Electric heating available in the winter. Reserved parking for one car at the front, and unlimited parking 50 m away.
Access to the residential complex is via a dramatic series of serpentines from the coastal road. There is a local bus, but you may prefer to hire a car unless the whole family is practicing for the next Tour de France, and granny is flying out with her electric bike.
Comprehensive documentation available on local activities and on house operation and maintenance. Personal introduction concerning all possible fun and games (bring your dictionary!).
Property Features
FACILITIES
Living room, Dining room, Kitchen: open plan on the ground floor, with large patio doors opening out onto the terrace towards the Southeast. Dining at bar level for 8, sofa for 3, and various further seating. Full electronic entertainment with DVD, home cinema, wide-screen TV. Kitchen area with long work surface, hob (1 electric and 3 gas plates), electric oven, microwave oven, electric barbecue, blender, mixer, Italian coffee/espresso machine (capsules), washing machine, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, French press, toaster.
Bedrooms: One downstairs, two upstairs. Room 1 on groundfloor comprises a 140 cm double bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe and hanging area. Room 2 with a balcony overlooking the terrace and the magnificent view of the woodlands and coast, with twin beds (2x90 cm) and an additional single bed/sofa (90cm), large wardrobe. Bedroom 3 has twin beds. but also two comfortable additional temporary beds for children (which can be stowed when out of use), wardrobe and writing table. Bedside tables in each bedroom, and all bedding was renewed in 2015.
Bathrooms: One bathroom equipped with double basin, bathtub (with shower), heating, hair-dryer, cupboard. One separate toilet.
Other rooms: Storage room with immersion heater.
Outside: The property is on a steep slope, and the garden has been constructed as a large terrace of 38 m2, of which one third is roofed over, and a further third can be covered by a roll-up awning. The terrace is closed off to protect small children from escaping towards the highlife at a lower level. Large family table to seat 10 people, with corresponding dining chairs; several sun-loungers, deckchairs, coffee tables; planter with variety of herbs for your use.
Swimming pool: Renovated in 2013, this is shared with other local residents and has an area of 7m x 18 m, with depths ranging from 1 to 3 m. It is protected by a locked gate with digicode, and is very conveniently located in front of the house. Due to the general arrangement, topography and the layout of the house there is no disturbance to the house occupants. Open from 9am to 8 pm from 15th May to 30 September.
Internet/telephone: Internet is available by wifi at no extra cost. There is no landline telephone, so buy a local SIM card for your stay, or use internet telephony.
Baby facilities: Toilet seat, potty, cot, high chair, stroller, indoor games (including party games, card stacks and poker set for larger children), beach kits, DVDs, pool and bath toys, baby cooking and crockery set, small step ladder. Owner can send photos of the equipement on demand.
CONDITIONS
Damage deposit: 500 Euros in cash or as cheque on arrival, refunded at the end of the stay (less the replacement cost of any breakages).
Bed & bathroom linen/towels: weekly change €25/room/week.
Gas, electricity & water: all included in rental cost.
Cleaning: Final cleaning included in rental cost.
Tourist tax: payable on arrival (of the order of €1/head/day).
Change-over day: Saturday during high season (beginning of June to end of September). Otherwise flexible. Arrival after 17:00h, depart before 12:00h (noon).
Long weekend stays: Not possible here.
Pets: Not permitted.
Smoking: Strictly not permitted inside the villa. Please remove cigarette ends from the outside areas!
Supplementary services - chargeable: Shopping for arrival and during stay; baby-sitting.
Environmental features: some waste is recycled (instructions on arrival).
HOW TO GET THERE
By Car: The roads and autoroutes in France are a pleasure, so driving can sometimes make a good alternative to flying – at least you’ll already have your car with you! From the UK you have the choice of using the ferries or the Eurotunnel for your crossing. Once in the South of France, this property can be easily accessed via the A8 autoroute.
By Air: Toulon-Hyères international airport is 59 km away, but there may be more convenient flights to Nice-Cote d’Azur – 105 minutes away. There is usually a choice of several daily flights from the UK and worldwide .
By Train: Eurostar runs from London to Paris city centres and then the high speed TGV service runs from Paris towards Nice. The nearest TGV station to this property is Draguignan (48 km)
• Full directions will be sent to you once you have made a booking.
About the local area
LOCAL AREA INFORMATION
If you yearn for the fun and flair of the Côte d'Azur, but the size of your children's wallets have not matched your dreams, then the coastal town of Cavalaire is the ideal compromise. At the same time your accommodation is tucked well away between two ridges of the Massif des Maures, providing a 180° surround of untouched woodland in a protected zone.
St. Tropez, the epitomy of this coast, is 18km and 30 minutes away by car, offering all the highlife and facilities you could want. Nice is 120 km away (2 hours), with Monaco and the Italian Riviera a little further - a good day's outing for the family.
Local shops, restaurants, boulangeries and supermarket are located less than 10 minutes away down in Cavalaire, with its population of 6000. If you really think that Riviera holidays are for visiting major conurbations and their retail temples, then of course there is the capital of the Var Department, Toulon, 76 km away.
Local markets are located in each of the myriad of towns dotted along the coastal road all the way from Fréjus/St. Rafael to Hyères and beyond. Certainly not cheaper than supermarkets, these events provide you with the colour and joie-de-vivre that you have come here for, and will keep you stocked up with local produce such as wine, cheese, olives and a wonderful array of "home-made" derivatives like tapenade....
Sporting activities abound. Apart from the shared swimming pool (adjacent to the villa) and the tennis courts (1.5 km away), there are several golf courses within reach, nautical sports on offer all along the coast road (for example, Cavalaire itself, St. Tropez, le Lavandou...). There are horse stables in Cavalaire providing sorties out into the wooded hills (for example to Mont St. Jean), and - needless to say - endless opportunies for walking and mountain biking.
Beaches are dotted all along the coast, and within the Commune there are seven fine sandy locations with a combined length of 4 km. Come during the high season and you may have to share your small patch with others, or come out of season and call the beach your own!
Getting around is certainly easier by car when your holiday time is so limited. However there is a free bus service operating on a 30 minute frequency during the high season: the stop is a few metres away from the front door and you can ride to the town centre or the various beaches. Four bus routes will take you in and around town at no charge. But don't try even to look for the station - there isn't one: hardly surprising considering the steep topography of the coast line. The nearest railway lines provide services from Hyères and St. Raphael, giving access to Marseille and the West, and to Nice and Italy to the East.
Sightseeing opportunities are plentiful, and who would dare to describe what is on offer along this famous strip in the South of France. Suffice it for the moment to mention our favourites: St. Tropez by night (at least you will be able to confirm to your friends that you did really go...); the Verdon Canyon and the artificial lakes created (an El Dorado for walkers and hydraulic engineers); Moustiers (for its astounding natural and architectural beauty, as well as its ceramics); Isles d'Hyères (the archipelago 15 km to the South, with its national park); and Ramatuelle (a quaint village perched on a sandy promontory of the St. Tropez peninsula).
Other entertainment includes boat trips from most of the ports, wine tasting at many of the vineyards, dining out or just sipping pastis in village squares. Find your own, and you certainly won't be bored.
