Maison Guignol

The villa

Whether visiting vineyards, pottering around markets, swimming in the local lake or canoeing along the Dordogne, Maison Guignol is a charming holiday home with a gorgeous garden and swimming pool, perfect for your relaxing holiday in the Dordogne and Gironde regions of south - western France.

This stylish Dordogne maison welcomes up to 10 guests across its main house and connecting annexe. On the edge of a rural Dordogne village, wander to the boulangerie and bring back fresh bread each morning bread to enjoy on your picturesque terrace. Gather in the chic open - plan lounge with its exposed stone and tiled floor juxtaposing modern features including a Smart TV with Netflix and Bluetooth music speaker. The kitchen - diner is just as impressive whilst there is an inviting ground floor bedroom with a super king - size double alongside a bathroom with a designer bath tub.

The striking steel staircase leads up to a mezzanine landing where two guests can sleep, next to a double bedroom beneath the eaves. A separate annexe sleeps four more guests across an impressive double/twin bedroom with an en suite shower room and sauna, and stairs leading to a loft mezzanine - style bedroom.

Outside, the hot tub is surrounded by verdant plants and the heated swimming pool awaits at the end of the garden with a shallow ‘ plage ’ area and decked terrace. Relax with a glass of local Montravel wine on the outdoor lounge by the olive tree whilst there are two al - fresco dining areas for delicious meals using fine produce from nearby markets. There is plenty of space to play or simply swing in the hammock on the garden lawn.

Discover the lake within a short drive with its sandy beach and picnic areas, a lovely place for nature walks as well as summer water - based activities and supervised swimming in July and August. You will find canoeing and kayaking along both the Dordogne and L’Isle rivers within a short drive as well as idyllic cycling routes and walking trails passing orchards, vineyards and other glorious landscapes.

Visit the wonderful Saturday morning market in Sainte - Foy - la - Grande, spend the day exploring the historic town of Bergerac and be enchanted by hilltop Saint - Émilion and its world - famous vineyards. A wealth of other Dordogne, Gironde and Lot - et - Garonne villages and market towns await or venture west and spend the day in the grand city of Bordeaux or admiring the surfing shores and dunes of the incredible Atlantic coast.

Maison Guignol is on the edge of a small rural village in the Dordogne, not far from the Gironde border and around a 20 - minute drive north of the Dordogne River. If flying, the nearest airports are Bergerac Airport (40km) and Bordeaux Airport (80km) whilst a fast train service from Paris arrives at Libourne (32km). Car hire is necessary in this part of rural southwestern France.

The house is close to a park with a small football pitch and ping - pong table and there is a tennis court in the village centre. You can easily stroll to the heart of the village in around 400m with its pretty church and bakery/village shop (closed Mondays) for bread, fruit/veg, basic groceries and pizzas (as well as oysters and roast chickens on a Sunday). The owners will give you recommendations for local restaurants within a short drive and a large supermarket can be found just outside Montpon - Ménestérol (8km). Visit Montpon on a Wednesday morning to experience its vibrant weekly market.

Indeed, there are so many wonderful markets across the Dordogne, Gironde and beyond. One of the region’s largest and most beautiful markets takes place in Sainte - Foy - la - Grande (18km), a medieval town by the banks of the Dordogne, whilst other local markets to consider include Saint - Seurin - sur - l'Isle (15km) and Castillon - la - Bataille (20km). There is a lively food scene in Libourne (33km), Bergerac (35km) and Bordeaux (75km) of course, not to mention so many opportunities for wine - tasting across the Montravel, Pomerol, Duras, Bergerac and Bordeaux wine regions.

Another great highlight of this area is Saint - Émilion (27km), a must - visit for wine lovers with its historic vineyards, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its enchanting village centre with such a rich heritage and maze of fascinating catacombs.

For leisurely days admiring the surrounding nature, visit the glorious lake around 4.5km away for wildlife walks, shady picnics and relaxing on its sandy lakeside beach. In July and August look out for paddle - boarding, canoeing and supervised swimming. Discover more canoeing and kayaking along the Dordogne River near Sainte - Foy - la - Grande or slightly closer to home near Montpon - Ménestérol by the banks of the L’Isle. Keen cyclists and walkers can experience a range of routes and trails passing vineyards, orchards and other idyllic landscapes of the Dordogne and Gironde.

Bordeaux is another great day out, easily reached by train from Montpon or Vélines. Heading further west, venture to the Atlantic coast in less than two hours whether you are hoping to climb Dune du Pilat (135km), surf around the shores of Lacanau (124km) or simply enjoy a lunch of oysters and white wine overlooking the incredible scenery at Arcachon Bay.