After searching for some time for a holiday home that offers good facilities as well as being close to the coast we decided on Andrea’s property and were not disappointed.
The house is located in St Hilaire la Forêt, a pretty village set just back from the coast offering a more relaxing and authentic French experience rather than staying in the swathe of holiday villages right on the coast. The house is far better equipped than many holiday apartments that we have visited, it is spacious, nicely furnished, and has a lovely garden. If you like cooking then the kitchen is a real treat and has all that you will need to cater for a family, with the choice of large dining tables both inside and out. There is also a secure garage that is absolutely great if you cycle and take bikes on holiday with you.
Shopping in the area is well provided for, we stocked up at the large 'Super U' supermarket in Jard-sur-Mer which we preferred as it has a great selection of fresh foods and wines, but there is an equally large supermarket in Longville-sur-Mer, both are only a short car drive away. There is also a small shop in the village for basic items.
Once settled in we took to our bikes and quickly worked out the best cycle trails to the beaches, the cycle routes start next to the 'Mairie' in the centre of the village. Twenty minutes or so of cycling through fields of sunflowers brings you to beautiful Atlantic beaches such as Le Bouil, really great for swimming, paddle boarding and searching out crabs in the rock pools at low tide! We also headed down the coast a little way by car to visit the popular seaside town of La Tranche-sur-Mer, I learnt to windsurf here many years ago and it still has an excellent nautical centre with great windsurfing and sailing facilities.
La Rochelle airport which is served by several UK operators is only a little over an hour's drive away so Granny was able to visit us whilst we were staying. It is also an easy journey to the fascinating Ile de Ré, the ports of La Flotte and Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the island as well as the lighthouse at the westernmost tip are really worth a visit if you have time, although it’s best not to cross the bridge on a Saturday in the high season as you will queue in traffic for a very long time!
So all in all a highly enjoyable stay in a lovely holiday home with so much to see and do in the area for a two week holiday. We really look forward to returning!