Home description

This spacious and lovingly restored former farmhouse is located in the quiet village of Caixon in the Hautes Pyrenées. It is the perfect base for a multi-activity holiday or just to get away from it all and soak up the sunshine. The house has 4 bedrooms and can sleep up to 8.

Whether your holiday plans include hiking in the Pyrenees, visiting the historic towns of Pau and Tarbes, a pilgrimage to Lourdes, gourmet dining, or just relaxing in the 2000+ hours of sunshine a year which this region is famous for, it is the perfect place to be. The house dates back to around 1830 and boasts original and character features such as exposed beams and even the original bread oven. It is set in private and secluded grounds.

Unlike much of the self catering accommodation available in France, Au Palouque is a not an annex to another house, or one of several rental units, but is detached farmhouse situated in its own secluded grounds. If you decide to stay at Au Palouque, then the house and grounds of about half an acre, will be yours and yours alone for the duration of your stay. No fighting for parking spaces or to get the best chairs on the patio!

Accommodation detail

The house has been extensively modernised in the last ten years, but retains the character and charm of a 19th century farmhouse.

On its own, the ground floor makes a spacious apartment for a couple. With the first floor the house will sleep up to 8 people and so is suitable for a group or two families.

Ground Floor

• Open plan living room and dining room featuring locally made solid oak furniture. Huge oak dining table will comfortably seat 10. In the living room there is a comfortable sofa arranged in front of the huge fireplace. A TV and radio/cassette/CD/MP3 player are provided. There is also WiFi broadband wireless internet (bring your own laptop) and Sky Digi satelite TV.
• French windows to south-facing terrace and west-facing covered patio
• Fully fitted kitchen including the original bread oven and a kitchen table constructed from a cart wheel! You will also find everything you would expect in a well-equipped kitchen including: dishwasher; microwave; gas hob; electric oven; toaster and kettle
• Utility room with washing machine and small shower room with toilet
• Bedroom 1 with solid wood floor, fitted wardrobe, double bed and ensuite bathroom with bath, two washbasins, toilet and bidet
• Gas-fired central heating

First Floor

• Bedroom 2 with fitted wardrobe and two single beds
• Bedroom 3 with double bed, fitted wardrobe and double doors leading out onto a balcony overlooking the front garden
• Bedroom 4 with double bed and wardrobe
• Shower room with toilet and washbasin

Outside

• Long, sunny south-facing terrace running the full length of the front of the house
• South-facing front garden with cherry trees for shade and a wall and shrubs ensuring privacy
• Ample secure parking – the front garden and driveway are completely enclosed by substantial walls and a gate
• West-facing covered patio shaded throughout the day, but catching the evening sun
• Small courtyard with barbecue and herb border (thyme, mint, basil, parsley, chives)
• Rear garden with orchard (apples, plums, pears, figs) overlooking open farmland

About the location

• Quiet village location
• 5 mins from nearest supermarkets/restaurants (Vic-en-Bigorre)
• 30 mins from Tarbes/Lourdes airport (Ryanair & charter flights)
• 45 mins from Pau airport (Ryanair)
• 1hr 45 mins from Toulouse airport (BA and Easyjet)
• 1hr from ski slopes (La Mongie - Barèges)
• Convenient for Tarbes, Lourdes and Pau

Caixon is a delightful village situated in the Hautes-Pyrenées region of south west France. The village is very quiet and comprises just a few dozen houses, many of them featuring attractive “river stone” exteriors.

The view to the south of the village is dominated by the spectacular Pyrenees mountains, snow-capped for most of the year. In the immediate vicinity of Caixon there are quiet country lanes, pretty villages and rolling hills and woodlands – perfect for a gentle stroll or bike ride. Less than 5 minutes away from Caixon by car is the bustling market town of Vic-en-Bigorre. In Vic the full range of amenities can be found: Supermarkets, Boulangeries and other small stores, hardware shops, swimming pool (indoor and outdoor), cafes, restaurants, post office. There is also a wonderful Saturday market brimming with fresh produce and almost anything else you can imagine.

Only 20 kms from Caixon is the village of Marciac, home of the internationally famous jazz festival.

This region of France boasts more than 2000 hours of sunshine per year, making it the sunniest part of France along with the Riviera and Provence. However, unlike those regions, here you will not find crowds of tourists and inflated prices. The village of Caixon benefits from a valley location: close enough to the Pyrenées for easy access to the mountain activities, but far enough away not to be troubled by localised clouds and rain squalls that can be encountered in the mountains.

Tarbes is the nearest major town at about 20 minutes from Caixon. In Tarbes there are hypermarkets and other large stores, tourist information, parks and museums.

The town of Pau is about 30 minutes away from Caixon and has much to attract visitors including: chateau, golf course, horse racing track and museums.

About 45 mins away is Lourdes, famous mainly for the shrine of St. Bernadette which attracts visitors and pilgrims from all over the world.

To the Northeast of Caixon is the town of Auch, historical capital of the Gascony region. This ancient town is known in particular for its architecture such as the renaissance Cathédrale Sainte-Marie with its magnificent organ, carved stalls and rose stained-glass windows and La Tour d'Armagnac - a 14th century prison. The region is also known for its food and drink, for example foie gras and Armagnac brandy.

However in the (extremely unlikely) event that you tire of the local cuisine, why not try something completely different? The Spanish border can be reached in just an hour and a half. There you will find a totally different culinary and cultural experience.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

How to get here

• The nearest big city is Toulouse which is about an hour and three quarters away by car. From Toulouse (Blagnac - TLS) airport there are direct flights to London and several other UK cities with BA and low cost airlines such as Easyjet.
• It is only about 45 minutes from Caixon to Pau airport (PUF) which is served by the low-cost carrier, Ryanair.
• Tarbes is the nearest major town and has an SNCF train station.
• The autoroute A64 passes through Tarbes and on to the Atlantic coast (Biarritz) in around 2 hours.
• Tarbes/Lourdes airport (LDE) is about 30 minutes from Caixon and is served by charter flights from the UK during the summer and by Ryanair flights from Stansted on Saturdays.
• Caixon is about 10 hours drive from Calais.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.

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Facilities

Facility	Details
Type	Farmhouse (Self-catering)
Bedrooms	3 double, 1 twin
Baby cots	1
Bathrooms	3 bathroom(s)
Capacity	8
Living Area	200 m²
Suitability	Non-smoking, Suitable for children
Linen	Linen and towels are included
Changeover day	Saturday

Facility	Details
Internal facilities	Board Games, CD player, Central heating (gas), DVD player, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Fans in rooms, Hairdryer, Hi-fi system, Broadband Internet Access (Wi-fi), Internet access (broadband), MP3 Player, Owner not on site, Radio, Telephone, TV, Wood burning fire or stove
Kitchen facilities	Dishwasher, Electric oven, Fridge, Fridge-Freezer, Gas hob, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Tumble dryer, Washing machine
Other	Sky Digi satellite TV with English channels. Hi Def LED TV.
External features on site	Barbecue, Garden
Other

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Additional price information

• Gas, electricity and water are included (additional charges for heating may apply in the winter)
• Phone line and broadband internet are included
• Fire wood and phone calls are extra
• Normal change-over day is Saturday, other days by request

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