Discover our Home from Home, Relax by the Pool, St Malo 30mins

Camellia details

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Envie de relaxer?

Cottages looking out onto the pretty courtyard

Camellia

Home description

Joanna and James Reintjes offer three separate pretty traditional cottages in a lovingly restored Breton longère, set in a very peaceful rural location, on the edge of a small hamlet - La Touche Gilbert. Situated between Dol de Bretagne and Pontorson, the property is in the Bay of Le-Mont-St-Michel just five miles (8kms) from the Brittany coast and close to St Malo, Dinan and Dinard. The cottages have each been carefully restored, retaining many original features, combined with a fresh decorative finish and rural luxury! Soft towels, lavender favours, with French flair!  Whether you desire beach pursuits, golf, fishing, exploring the surrounding gently rolling hills and valleys, or just relaxing in the grounds by the pool, we assure you the warmest of welcomes at our cottages.

Our aim is to provide you with comfort, a home from home feel, with modern convenience. The cottages form part of a traditional granite longère, which was originally used as almshouses for the local church at Sains. The cottages open out onto a south facing gravel courtyard, leading on to the garden. Each property has its' own barbecue and garden furniture for outdoor dining and relaxing. Bright geraniums, scented herbs, and pretty flowering shrubs in pots and borders decorate the courtyard.

The property is situated on the side of a gentle hill surrounded by farmland, copses and unspoilt countryside. The hamlet has friendly neighbours and one very quiet road. The property offers peace and relaxation for all.

The enclosed rustic style garden is approximately three acres with rambling roses, ceanothus, colourful annuals, rustling bamboo, flowering shrubs, young and mature trees. The remainder of the land (about eight acres) is grass meadow, with cows in summer, ancient oak and walnut trees. The garden boasts clear views of the open countryside with plenty of suntraps and shady spots. There is also a sandpit for young children, and badminton net for the more energetic!

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Fishing lake
• Garden
• Scenic views
• Swimming pool
• Swimming pool (shared use)

Accommodation detail

One of the bedrooms

Breakfast room

Front view of Camellia

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The Cottage

Camellia is an ideal base for a family or group holiday, with flexible accomodation for up to 11 people, on three floors and three handy bathrooms. Your own private terrace has BBQ and outdoor garden dining....leading to the garden and down the walled pool, which is a real suntrap....while away the hours on the pool loungers before your first sun downer!

Accommodation details

(4 bedrooms - sleeps 11 people + baby)

Camellia is a large traditional style farmhouse, newly renovated to a very high standard, yet retaining many original features including exposed oak beams and stonework. The cottage sleeps 11 people plus baby, with three separate double bedrooms, three bathrooms (one ensuite), and a top floor suite/studio which sleeps 5, providing convenient and flexible accommodation for families sharing or groups of friends.

Downstairs is divided into a cosy lounge with plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, wood flooring, traditional style furniture, wide open fireplace, and pretty curtains; and separate open plan kitchen/dining area.

The dining area includes the original cottage dining table and benches, with views over open fields at the back of the cottage. The kitchen is open plan in style, fashioned with timbers rescued from the house and an original stone sink, incorporating modern conveniences - fridge - freezer, gas cooker with oven and grill, dishwasher and microwave. A separate pantry/ storage cupboard provides additional space for provisions, and paraphernalia! Open stonework, and cream washed stone/rendered walls complete the rustic feel to the room.

Large French windows provide an entranceway to the cottage, which opens onto the gravel courtyard, with separate outdoor seating for Camellia. This then leads through a conifer arch to the old orchard, separate fenced pool area, and the rest of the garden.

The stairs lead up to the first floor from the dining area, where you will find the bedrooms all decorated in pretty summer colours, country cottage style and flair! All three bedrooms have exposed feature granite walls or rendered cream washed stone walls, and are furnished with ample furniture to provide you with comfort and storage.

The south facing master suite, looks out onto the courtyard, with wooden double bed, and ensuite shower room. There are two further comfortable double bedrooms, each with twin beds (these can be combined into large doubles on request). The spacious bathroom includes a bath plus shower attachment, toilet and full sized basin. An electric heater/towel rail and shaver point are also provided.

The top floor boasts fantastic views of the open countryside surrounding our cottages, with flexible accommodation laid out in the style of a large studio. There are daybeds, plus a very comfortable double sofa bed. In addition there is a shower room with toilet, and basin, plus a kitchenette with tea and coffee making facilities. Plenty of space for lounging and snoozing, and an ideal living space for families or groups sharing.

About the location

"Les Environs"

The tranquil village of Sains is a short walk away and offers a sports field with goal posts and basketball hoops,  three marked rambling trails including a cycle track through the woods. Fishing, walking and picnicking are available at the extensive communal lake - Le Pas Gerault, with two further fishing lakes nearby - Le Pissot and Le Grand Etang. The prominant church of Sains was built in 1861 in a neo gothic style and dominates the surrounding landscape. Sains has a long history and was originally called Saints.

Enjoy shopping for delicious local specialities (and basic provisions!) a short (5 minutes) drive away in Pleine Fougères with a good butchers, pharmacy,banks, petrol statation, several bars and a creperie Les Polders.  Intermarche super market is also a handy 5 mins by car for all your essentials - open Sunday morning in the summer. Pontorson has a very traditional open air market each Wednesday morning, many recommended restaurants and seafood shops, and a Champion supermarket (part of the Carrefour chain). There are also several good "traiteurs" (delicatessens), and bars including a piano bar.  Pontorson also provides a gateway for visits to the famous Le-Mont-St-Michel, and a large tourist office with internet facilities.

In the other direction visit the delightful summer gardens at Baguer Pican - La Cormaille.

Dol De Bretagne (a 15 minute drive west) is a very pretty market and cathedral town with half timbered houses, great "galette" (a traditional buckwheat savoury pancake) and gastronomic restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. The cathedral dominates the view down to the coast, and has a "Cathédraloscope" exhibition for those interested in the history surrounding the cathedral. The shops are again superb, with a fantastic bakery "le Pain Doré", two beauticians, "traiteurs" and clothes shops, just a few of the many on offer. The Saturday morning market attracts many shoppers, offering all types of French produce, including cider, delicious local cheeses, organic vegetables, garlic and herbs, plus a wide range of clothes, knickknacks, pots and pans and souvenirs

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

Activities near by

Badminton, Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Cycling, Drawing and painting, Fishing, Flying, Go karting, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Mountain biking, Rambling, Riverside activities, Sailing, Sea excursions, Shopping, Sightseeing, Snorkelling, Spa, Swimming, Tennis, Tree adventure park, Walking, Water sports, Wind Surfing, Wine tasting

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

The cottages are situated approximately five miles from the coast, near to Le-Mont-St-Michel, in the village of Sains. The nearest town is Pontorson.

The cottages can be reached easily from the ferry ports of St Malo (30 minutes), Cherbourg (2 hours), Caen (1 and 1/2 hours), Roscoff (2 hours) and Le Havre (2 hours). The drive from Calais via motorways is approximately 5/6 hours for those who prefer a shorter (and cheaper!) ferry crossing. Recommended routes can be provided from each port. We have travelled most of the routes ourselves so can recommend which would be best for you.

The region can also be reached easily from UK by air (1-hour flight time), with regular daily flights with Ryanair from London Stansted and Est Midlands to Dinard (30 minutes away): they have some fantastic special offers, especially out of season.  Flybe also operate from Southampton to Rennes, which is ideal for short breaks, especially if you are already based in the south of England. Travelling from further afield? Flights into Paris or Rennes. Travel from Rennes (1-hour drive, or train 45 minutes). The drive from Paris takes 4/5 hours, or 2 and a half-hours by train, via Rennes to Dol de Bretagne. Car hire is available from the airports, and we can assist with all your travel arrangements including hire cars and breakdown assistance.

Discounted ferry fares are available from our own travel club memberships - please request details. To secure the discount you need to provide confirmation of travel to our property and our reference number, which we will forward to you once you have made your booking with us. Ferries do get quickly booked up for peak months of August and late July, so early booking is advisable to secure your preferred route.

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