Aquitaine, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

Stunning 4 bedroom hillside villa nestling in half an acre of beautiful landscaped gardens with pool, while enjoying panoramic countryside and mountain views from its peaceful location near Saint Jean Pied de Port.

Built in 2008, this magnificent property of 206m2 is in an isolated setting, yet is within easy distance of the shops, schools and amenities. There is also a small grocery shop, a bar-restaurant and a primary school in the local village (1.5km). The villa blends perfectly into its countryside setting.

Using a combination of floor-to ceiling picture windows and covered terraces, the property has been conceived to feel cool and fresh during the summer months and warm and cosy during the winter months. In addition, it has double glazing and reversible air-conditioning throughout.

Other luxurious features include a spa room with a Jacuzzi and a sauna, a ceramic wood-burning stove, underfloor heating and a magnificent heated swimming pool.

The villa is set on a quiet country lane, which winds up the hillside from the local village below. Electric gates open into an outdoor parking area at the side of the house, from where you can also access the garage, which adjoins the villa.

From the parking area, a paved path leads around to the front door, which opens directly into the main living space of the villa, which comprises a dining area, an adjoining kitchen area and a sitting area, which is a few steps down from the dining area. The sitting area (30m2) has two sliding picture windows - one facing south-east the other facing south-west. Both open out to the covered terrace, cleverly ensuring that the sitting area is shaded from the heat of the sun during the hotter months.

For the cooler months, this sitting area has a large ceramic wood-burning stove. From the sitting area, a few steps lead up to the dining area (40m2), which has a double-height ceiling, a sliding picture window out to the terrace with the barbecue, a staircase up to the first-floor bedroom and an archway into the kitchen area.

The light and airy kitchen also has a sliding picture window out to the barbecue terrace, along with an island unit and fabulous mountain views from the window above the sink. Adjoining the kitchen is a utility room/boiler room, which has access to the garage (20m2).

With permission, the garage could be converted into more living space or a self-contained studio apartment/B&B suite to rent out. Also accessible from the kitchen is a fabulous spa room, which is equipped with a Jacuzzi and a sauna.

The villa has four spacious bedrooms - three on the ground floor and one on the first floor. The ground floor bedrooms are accessible via a corridor from the front door, which also leads to a family shower room with a walk-in shower, vanity unit and WC and a "secret" room, which could be used as a small study/office.

At the far end of the corridor is a master bedroom, which has a sliding picture window out to the parking area and grounds. This bedroom also has a small walk in wardrobe and an en suite shower room with a walk-in shower and a bidet. It might be possible to add a WC to this shower room, if desired. On the other side of the corridor are two further bedrooms, each with a door out to the grounds and splendid mountain views. There is also a guest WC with a vanity unit adjacent to the the front door.

A wooden staircase in the dining area leads up to the fourth bedroom. This loft-style bedroom has two lockable storage spaces under the eaves. Just behind the bedroom is some currently unused loft space, which could be used for creating an en suite shower room.

Outside, the villa has two splendid covered terraces, where one can enjoy panoramic views of the Pyrenees. The main terrace is accessible from the villa's sitting area and leads round to the swimming pool; the second terrace overlooks the pool and is accessible from the dining area and the kitchen. This terrace has a built-in barbecue and is the perfect spot for alfresco dining with family and friends.

There is a small grocery shop in the local village or there are several supermarkets in the historic town of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (15 minutes). The town is popular with visitors all year round and is the main departure point for pilgrims following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle into Spain. St-Jean-Pied-de-Port has a large outdoor market every Monday, along with a smaller farmer's market every Thursday. It also has a great choice of amenities, including primary schools, secondary schools, a swimming pool, a cinema, trains to Bayonne and buses to St-Palais. During the summer months, you can catch a bus to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port from the village.

Perfect for a family home or holiday home, this immaculate villa can be moved into straight away. It also has excellent rental potential for long-term or short-term rentals. For families with children, there is a primary school in the village; for older children there are college-lycees in

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (15 minutes) and St-Palais (30 minutes). For anyone who works from home and would need an office/consulting room, one of the ground-floor bedrooms could be perfect, since they are all accessible from the grounds.

For those who commute to the coast, Bayonne and Biarritz airport are about 60 minutes away.

Currently used as a holiday home, the current owners have previously rented out the villa as a gite with great success. Tourists visiting the Pays-Basque hope to find top-quality accommodation with wonderful mountain views and a tranquil location, making this an ideal holiday rental property.

Should you prefer to offer B&B accommodation, you could consider adding a WC to the en suite shower room adjoining the master bedroom, which would make it completely self-contained and with its own private entrance. Alternatively, it might be possible to create a self-contained B&B suite/studio apartment in the garage (permission required).

With such a peaceful setting and so many amazing views of the mountains, you could host painting and photography holidays for your B&B guests. and with your very own spa room, you could even offer wellness, mindfulness and yoga retreats. Although the villa is not directly on the GR10 or the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle pilgrim trail, both routes pass nearby, so you could offer overnight accommodation to hikers and pilgrims.

There is a year-round demand from these walkers - and they will be particularly delighted if you can offer them a hearty supper when they arrive and a delicious breakfast before they set off again, although they might be reluctant to leave your little corner of paradise.

SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Cable internet connection, electric entrance gate with interphone house alarm and CCTV, double glazing throughout, solar panels, heating, reversible air-conditioning, underfloor, ceramic wood-burning stove, heat pumps, and septic tank (conforms with regulations).

There is a rainwater recuperator (7,000 litres), pond, and heated saltwater swimming pool (8m x 4m) with removable telescopic cover + heat pump (air-water).

This wonderful villa is located in the Basse-Navarre province of the French Basque Country. The property is 60 minutes inland from beaches on the Atlantic coast and just 30 minutes from the Iraty ski resort, where you can go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The nearest ski resort for downhill skiing is about 90 minutes away.

The inland Basque Country is a true delight. The rolling hills are dotted with pretty white houses with green or red shutters - and the fields are grazed by sheep, which produce the milk for the area's famous "Brebis" cheese, which you can buy direct from farms in the village.

Airports: Biarritz, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes Train: St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Biarritz, Bayonne Coach: Biarritz, Bayonne, Orthez Ferry: Bilbao, Santander.

Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor.

Ski: Iraty, Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Eaux-Bonnes, Artouste, Gourette, Val-d'Azun, Formigal (Spain).

Attractions: Le Train de La Rhune, Le Petite Train d'Artouste, Grottes de Sare, Grottes d'Isturitz et d'Oxocelhaya, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d'Holzarte, Aqua Bearn, Parc'Ours, GR10, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

REFERENCE: 257808