Sarlat. Luxury Character Cottages, Large Pool, Garden, Stunning Views - The Cottage

• The Cottage - an idyllic rural retreat

  The Cottage - an idyllic rural retreat

  • Guest Tim B.
  • Date of stay 07/27/12
  • Review Submitted 09/09/12
  We have just returned from our second consecutive year staying at The Cottage. We'll be back in the future too! With our two daughters, aged 9 and 7, we enjoyed another blissful fortnight amidst the tranquil surroundings of La Ferme de la Tour. The Cottage is superbly maintained and the stunning view from the very private terrace means you will be eating outside at every opportunity! The spacious pool is very clean and enjoyed by all guests, especially the weekly night-time swim, which was a huge treat for our girls, meaning they could stay up late... The huge garden provides a terrific space for children and grown-ups alike, and the trampoline had an awful lot of use from our two. Chris and Kate are wonderful hosts, with a very much 'in-the-background, hands-off' approach, but they are always there if you need them. We were immensely grateful to them last year especially, as our car broke down at the end of week one and Chris very kindly took us shopping and to a night market. The picturesque medieval town of Sarlat is about a 10-minute drive away, and the market days there are highly recommended. We also enjoyed canoeing trips down the Dordogne, trips to the plenteous chateaux lining the river cliffs, the bustling night market at Belves, the quiet, prehistoric Vezere valley, the excellent Quercyland water-park at Souilliac, the Gouffre de Padirac caves and the beautiful town of Rocamadour, carved out of the sheer rock-face. There are some lovely circular walks from La Ferme itself too, where you're likely not to bump into another soul as you wander past walnut groves and into leafy glades. Highly recommend La Ferme de la Tour as a perfect base for the delights of the region and also for a quiet and restful retreat where you can truly unwind and relax. We'll be back soon!

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• Een prachtige week in Dordogne

  Een prachtige week in Dordogne

  • Guest Jan M.
  • Date of stay 07/20/12
  • Review Submitted 07/30/12
  Wij verbleven een week in The Cottage en de enige negatieve opmerking die we over dit verblijf konden maken is dat het te kort was. De woning is zeer volledig ingericht met vaatwasser, wasmachine, microgolf,... Het uitzicht over de vallei is prachtig. De woning en het hele domein zijn perfect onderhouden. De eigenaars wonen ter plaatse maar dat is in dit geval een voordeel en geen nadeel. Chris Waters is altijd aanspreekbaar voor alle mogelijke vragen maar is vooral een fijne en discrete gastheer. De omgeving is bijzonder geschikt voor wandelaars die houden van lange wandelingen langs smalle asfaltwegen of goed bewandelbare paden. Sarlat is een aangenaam stadje met een rijke keuze aan restaurants. Er zijn enkele golfterreinen in de omgeving waarvan 1 uitgetest (Lollivaries : sympathieke ontvangst, terrein niet overdreven moeilijk). Wijnliefhebbers moeten zeker een bezoekje brengen aan de wijngaarden en wijnkelders van Bergerac, vooral Monbazillac is een mooie streek. Ook het bezoek aan een typische avondmarkt met allerhande eetkraampjes is de moeite waard. Maar ook gewoon rustig een boek lezen op het terrein of aan het zwembad is een optie. Ik zou deze locatie zeker aanraden en hoop er zelf nog terug te keren.

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• Fabulous Holiday Location

  Fabulous Holiday Location

  • Guest Jan & John McCorquodale
  • Date of stay 06/03/11
  • Review Submitted 06/27/11
  We had a superb stay at The Cottage in June 2011. The accomodation and surroundings really are as good as they look in the photos and the views across the valley are wonderful. Although the weather wasn't great whilst we we there, the Cottage is such a lovely place to be that this did not detract from our trip. Our hosts were extremely friendly and, as well as resolving small difficulties very promptly, provided some excellent tips for local restaurants and and places to visit. Overall, a really great venue for a relaxing vacation.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• Sunshine and a glorious view

  Sunshine and a glorious view

  • Guest karen
  • Date of stay 04/16/11
  • Review Submitted 05/12/11
  The Cottage was all we had hoped for and as described on the web. It was spotlessly clean and equipped with everything we needed for a stressfree holiday. Chris and Kathy the owners are friendly, provide excellent assistance and advice when needed. The location and view from our terrace is incredibly beautiful and the large grounds provide excellent play area for our children, who were outside all the time using the many play resources provided. We would be very happy to go back again one day and happily recommend this property.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, girls getaway, families with teenagers, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• September holiday

  September holiday

  • Guest R & MWW
  • Date of stay 09/10/10
  • Review Submitted 09/21/10
  We are two old fogies in our mid seventies. We had a most enjoyable week at the Cottage which was clean and bright with delightful country views. The surrounding countryside is most attractive and nightime silence is only interrupted by the hoot of an occasional owl. The owners, Chris and Kate live on site and are most helpful and anxious to please. We had superb weather with temperatures in the low 80's and ejoyed the occasional Pimms on the small terrace. We did not use the pool but it did look inviting. If you have weather as good as ours we are sure you would have an equally enjoyable holiday

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• Fantastic holiday location!

  Fantastic holiday location!

  • Guest Elaine, Paul and Heather
  • Date of stay 08/13/10
  • Review Submitted 08/31/10
  We have just returned from 2 weeks at The Cottage and I can honestly say it was the most relaxing holiday we have had to date. The Cottage is extremely well equipped, clean and comfortable and has the most spectacular view. The owners, Chis and Kate, were very welcoming and shared their excellent local knowledge of restaurants, places to visit and local walks. The Cottage is in a very peaceful setting but is situated within easy distance of Sarlat and the beautiful Dordogne valley. We recommend the 17km canoe trip - great family fun - and a visit to the nearby Jardin d'Eyrignac was definately worth while (the restaurant is a lovely spot for lunch!). The large grounds surrounding The Ferme de la Tour are great for games, walks and jogging and the pool is wonderful on a hot day! We thoroughly recommend The Cottage to anyone - but you definately should stay for 2 weeks!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• A great holiday in a stunning area

  A great holiday in a stunning area

  • Guest Nia and Aled
  • Date of stay 07/16/10
  • Review Submitted 07/27/10
  La Ferme de La Tour was in a magnificent location with stunning views over th French countryside. The accommodation was stunning and very well maintained with all the necessary equipment to make an enjoyable and stress free holiday. There was plenty to keep our two children (6 and 5 years old) occupied, a good size swimming pool, a children play area, plenty of books and games within the accommodation and a lovely dog called Toffee which they enjoyed feeding with dog biccies! The grounds were also very safe for them to play. In fact It was very difficult for us to persuade them to leave to visit the sights!! Dordogne is a really beautiful area with plenty of things to see and do and to suit all ages. Our children especially enjoyed canoeing on the river. Chris and Kate are excellent hosts and are very helpful and informative. They provided plenty of information about the surrounding area, local restaraunts and also some lovely walks from the accommodation. I would say that the only downside to our holiday is that we only had a week and it went far too quickly!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• Excellent Holiday and Accommodation - First class

  Excellent Holiday and Accommodation - First class

  • Guest Jonathan, Helen, Jessica and Isabel
  • Date of stay 07/09/10
  • Review Submitted 07/23/10
  It was our children that chose to go to France this year and La Ferme de la Tour did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived we could tell that this was going to be an excellent holiday. Chris was very welcoming and on arrival he laid on an evening snack and drink. The Cottage was immaculate, clean and with everything you need for a relaxing time. A load of information (directions to Sarlat and the local supermarket, restaurant recommendations) was at hand and helped us find our way around this beautiful area. Sarlat was stunning, great place for food and drink and the buildings were a perfect backdrop. All the restaurants we tried were excellent value and great with the kids. The Dordogne area is just quite fantastic, loads of things to do and see we defiantly needed more than a week. Canoeing down the Dordogne is a must!! La Ferme De la Tour was quite defiantly the perfect place in the perfect location; the views across the valley are breathtaking. The pool was the kid’s favourite place especially at 10:30 at night with the lights on. Chris and Kate are so nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this place especially for families with younger children. Our best holiday yet.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• Dream holiday

  Dream holiday

  • Guest madcity
  • Date of stay 10/02/09
  • Review Submitted 10/19/09
  We recently traveled to the Dordogne as a family totaling 4 parents and 4 adult children. La Ferme de la Tour could not have been more perfect for us--or for any group, large or small. Chris gave us good advice about which gites to rent, and we ended up in The Cottage, La Grange,and Le Fournil. The website portrays them accurately; with their honey-colored stone and blue shutters, all are lovely and set in spacious grounds with breathtaking views. They were charmingly decorated and immaculate and had outdoor spaces, either deck or terrace, which we made good use of. Those outdoor spaces helped to make the beautiful area part of our experience, and we spent a number of hours there, good family time. At the same time, having our own place to retreat to was a benefit too. Chris was most helpful in suggesting restaurants, walks in the Dordogne and just generally giving good advice and going above and beyond our expectations. We would love to stay here again and recommend it whole-heartedly.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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• The Cottage @ The Ferme De La Tour - August 2009

  The Cottage @ The Ferme De La Tour - August 2009

  • Guest Rob & Emma Aug '09
  • Date of stay 08/14/09
  • Review Submitted 09/13/09
  Best French Gite-holiday we have had in four years of bringing our young family to France. The views are stunning and will stay with you for ever. The Cottage is the first of the Gites that Chris and Kate have developed and, whilst not being as contemporarily decorated as some of the others, is still everything you would expect. Being south-facing it received sun all day, so judicous use of the shutters is advisable - why the Brits do not have shutters at home I will never know! The pool was excellent, always warm and kept scrupulously clean by Chris. The grounds were large and well kept and contained everything you would need to keep the young ones entertained and tired for bed! Chris and Kate were excellent hosts and, being on site, were always available to respond to whatever need arose - from the best restaurants to the best running routes. Our only (hopefully constructive) criticisms would be the size of the fridge (particularly the freezer) - a bit on the small size for the modern family - and the unexpected (but not in reality onerous) requirement to clean/hoover the gite ourselves, on the last day - not come across that one before anywhere else in France - my advice is not to shower until just before you leave! Nevertheless, it wasn't a huge hardship as we had enjoyed ourselves so much. The location is a little off the beaten track which , for us, suited, but for others iot is worth knowing that it was a 10 minute drive to get bread in the morning and a 20 minute drive to access the supermarket. Again, not a problem for us as it became an adventure for the kids to use their increasing french language. For those who usually enjoy Ozzie wines more than French (is this heresy??) Chris is a good source of alternative and totally acceptable French versions, so wait until you are there to stock up. The Merlot is excellent !!!! We went towards the end of August. No mozzies and few flies. We got a few bites around dusk early on in the hoiiday, so be advised to get and use insect spray around your ankles. Again, the best experience in our 4-year, consecutive French, annual holiday. We would thoroughly recommend this development to anyone with kids as, invariably other families will have them too. The kids will look after themselves and leave you to "chill" with the ubiquitous wine of choice. If you don't have kids, I am sure someone will gladly lend you some - after all they are only potential adults !! Rob & Emma Hogan

  Recommended for: Age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

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