Location: Quiet residential turning close to resort centre and beach. Ste Cecile, a family-friendly holiday location, is sandwiched between the famous seaside resorts of Le Touquet and Hardelot offering a huge number of leisure and sporting activities. Major golf courses at both resorts are of international standard.

Built in a cottagey style some 20 years ago the villa La Garenniere is surrounded by an established garden accessed via French doors from all of the ground floor rooms. The rear garden is particularly secluded and nicely shaded with mature trees that border heath land (or in French a Garenne). From the front entrance one looks down on rows of similarly well-kept villas and beyond to the distant hills of Camiers with their landmark turbine propellers.

The living room is furnished with comfortable armchairs around an open log burning fire that doubles as a convector heater in winter. In Summer open French doors at either end of the room allow for the passage of sea breezes. At the rear is a good size dining table and seating for 6.

The bright and cheery kitchen is equipped with fridge, gas hob, microwave and an electric convention oven/grill while still leaving enough space for another set of table and chairs. There is a washing machine housed in a under stairs cupboard and a WC off the hall.

Naturally, this being a French owned kitchen it comes well equipped with all the cooking utensils and crockery one could imagine – and then some! Here again double glazed doors lead outside onto a stone paved BBQ patio furnished with a picnic table and chairs and comfy sun beds that you can roll back into a shady nook when you’ve had enough of the hot summer sun.

All 3 double bedrooms are located on the first floor and retain the cosy feel of the ground floor with their dormer windows and sloping ceilings. The main bedroom is furnished with a double bed and the other 2 with single beds. There is a nice tiled bathroom with basin, bidet and a bath with hand shower.

Just 2 minutes walk from the villa is a public park (the Garenne) with tennis courts and mini golf. Also located in the park is the Pony Club where you can join a group and go hacking or hire a pony for a few hours walk. What small child wouldn’t thrill to the idea of being led around the quiet back roads and wooded pathways by his favourite grandad.

Ste Cecile has miles of sandy beach backed by natural dunes. Most of the action takes place around the public beach at the centre where you will find a large parking Place lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The parking Place is also home to 2 rival ice cream vans completing for custom with over 50 different flavours and combinations. Should you ever have the need to know: on the promenade at the end of the parking is a permanently manned first aid station situated next door to the Gendarmerie.

The villa is closest to the central public beach but slightly further to its left is the entrance to a more quiet section to which you can either walk, cycle or drive – there is plenty of parking. There are no facilities on this stretch of beach but this is more than compensated for by its wonderful position and natural beauty. You can sun bath here in seclusion amongst the dunes at the height of summer or when the tide is out on wide expanses of sand. This is also a very good place to search for cockles and other types of small shellfish. The central beach and all its facilities is only a short walk away.

Cycling is a great way to get around Ste Cecile. The flat landscape and quiet residential back roads make getting to and from the beach or shops and restaurants dead easy. If you don’t want to transport your own all types of cycles can be hired locally.

Andrée and Pierre will be waiting to greet you when you arrive and help you settle in. Andrée speaks good English and will be very pleased to answer any queries you may have about Ste Cecile and all that it has to offer.

Villa available July/August only.

Tariff  £735pw   now with linen included.

Sleeps; 6