A Kiwi-owned country house in southwest France
Le Bruyères is a Belle Époque mansion in Maillères, known locally as le Petit Château, with a heated pool, a pétanque court and 3 hectares of private grounds in the Landes, between Bordeaux and the Basque coast.
Request your datesNZ$7,000 a week · whole house · sleeps 9
Welcome to Le Bruyères
A grand family house, built in the Belle Époque and fully renovated. You have the whole place to yourselves: four bedrooms, a heated pool, a pétanque court and 3 hectares of grounds. It’s quiet and rural, yet close to the surf beaches, Bordeaux’s wine country and the Basque coast.
We fell in love with southwest France for the great cycling, the warm climate, the surf beaches and the amazing food and wine. We hope you love it as much as we do.
The house, pool and pétanque court sit in about 3 hectares of private grounds, surrounded by fields and forest.
Built in the Belle Époque, the house keeps its original oak staircase, ornate ceilings, herringbone parquet and tall arched windows. It has been fully renovated with a new kitchen and bathrooms, and sleeps 9 comfortably. You have the whole house and grounds to yourselves.
What’s included
Heated swimming pool (May to October), pétanque court, private gated grounds with parking, fully equipped kitchen, Wi-Fi, all bed linen and towels, and the final clean.
Good to know
A hire car is essential. Check-in from 2pm, check-out by 10am. No smoking inside. Children are welcome. Sorry, no pets.
The Landes
Maillères is a small village in the Landes, in the southwest corner of France. The area is defined by its pine forest, the largest planted forest in western Europe, which runs right down to more than 100 km of open Atlantic beaches. It’s quiet, rural and very French, and still mostly undiscovered by overseas visitors.
Surf and beaches
Hossegor, Seignosse and Capbreton have some of Europe’s best beach breaks. Long sandy beaches, warm water in summer, and none of the crowds of the Riviera.
Food and wine
Weekly village markets, duck and foie gras from local farms, and Armagnac made just down the road. Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion make easy day trips for wine tasting.
On your bike
Flat, quiet roads through the forest and the Vélodyssée cycle trail along the coast.
Getting here
From New Zealand, fly into Paris, then take the fast train to Bordeaux (about 2 hours) or a connecting flight to Bordeaux, Biarritz or Pau. Pick up a hire car and drive the rest.
- Bordeaux Airport
- 1 h 30
- Bordeaux city
- 1 h 30
- Pau Airport
- 1 h 15
- Biarritz Airport
- 1 h 45
- Mont-de-Marsan
- 25 min
- Hossegor surf beaches
- 1 h 15
- Saint-Émilion
- 2 h
- San Sebastián
- 2 h
Approximate driving times from the house.
Close by
Places worth visiting, with approximate driving times from the house.
Within an hour
- Roquefort10 min
- A medieval village on the Way of St James pilgrim route, with a fortified Romanesque church above the river. Good for a coffee, a baguette run and a wander.
- Mont-de-Marsan25 min
- The local town, where two rivers meet. Markets, cafés and supermarkets, and the Fêtes de la Madeleine every July with music, bull-leaping and street parties.
- Labastide-d’Armagnac30 min
- A 13th-century fortified village built around an arcaded square. Taste Armagnac at family estates nearby, and see Notre-Dame-des-Cyclistes, a chapel dedicated to cycling.
- Eugénie-les-Bains1 h
- A small spa village named after Empress Eugénie, and home to Les Prés d’Eugénie, one of France’s most celebrated restaurants and spa hotels.
Day trips
- Pau1 h 15
- Walk the Boulevard des Pyrénées for views of the mountains, and visit the château where King Henri IV was born.
- Hossegor1 h 15
- France’s surf capital, with powerful beach breaks, long sandy beaches and a lake for calmer swimming.
- Bordeaux1 h 30
- A UNESCO-listed city of grand 18th-century streets, the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool, and the Cité du Vin wine museum.
- Bayonne1 h 30
- The capital of the French Basque Country. Half-timbered riverside houses, a Gothic cathedral, and the best chocolate and ham in the region.
- Lourdes1 h 30
- One of the world’s great pilgrimage sites, with the grotto and sanctuary drawing millions each year. Worth seeing whatever your beliefs, and the gateway to the high Pyrenees.
- Biarritz1 h 45
- A Belle Époque seaside resort, made fashionable by Empress Eugénie. Surf at the Grande Plage, then walk out to the Rocher de la Vierge.
- Dune du Pilat1 h 45
- The tallest sand dune in Europe, rising over 100 metres above Arcachon Bay. Climb it, then eat oysters straight from the bay.
- Saint-Émilion2 h
- A UNESCO-listed medieval wine village, with a church carved from solid rock and some of Bordeaux’s most famous vineyards.
- San Sebastián2 h
- Just over the Spanish border. La Concha beach, pintxo bars in the old town, and more Michelin stars per head than almost anywhere.
- The Pyrenees2 h
- Mountain walks, lakes and villages, the Cirque de Gavarnie, and the Col du Tourmalet, one of the Tour de France’s most famous climbs.
The minimum stay is one week. All bed linen, towels and the final clean are included. No extra charges.
How booking works
- Send us your dates using the request form.
- We’ll get back to you within 3 working days to confirm availability.
- Pay a 20% deposit to secure the dates, with the balance due 4 weeks before arrival.
This is a request, not a confirmed booking. We’ll reply by email to confirm availability and next steps.