About this property
Rich in both history and tradition, this wonderful chateau is a far cry from the glitz and glamour that this coastline can be famous for. Within ten-minutes of the beaches of Ciboure and St-Jean-de-Luz, with both sea and mountain views, this is an incredible place to spend your days when staying in this beautiful part of the Pays Basque.
It’s thought that the chateau and its chapel were built around the 16th century although the exact dates are not known. What historians are sure of is that the castle was a home to many important residents over this period, including a famous cardinal who is said to have lived here during the reign of Louis XIV.
The grand chateau is quite remarkable with much of its original style and character still intact with antique furnishings, impressive paintings and ornate features across the house. The ground-floor living space with its library and dining room includes a wonderful lounge with French windows opening out to the patio overlooking the town and sea. Each of the nine bedrooms over the top two floors differ in size and style yet some have wonderful sea-views and they all benefit from their own bath or shower room.
Step out onto the patio for leisurely lunches with friends and family looking out towards the sea or explore the glorious parkland surrounding the chateau, where you’ll discover the heated swimming pool and pool house. From here you can gaze at the impressive Pyrénées mountains and you can see La Rhune on a clear day.
It’s only a ten-minute drive into charming Ciboure with its pretty streets, picturesque cafes, lovely harbour and beach or head over the river to nearby St-Jean-de-Luz with lots of family-friendly activities, golf courses and more. Keen walkers can follow the magnificent coastal path all the way down to Hendaye on the Spanish border whilst to the north there are some of this coastline’s most famous surfing beaches from Bidart to Biarritz.
Indeed, the glitz and glamour of beautiful Biarritz is only half-an-hour away or you may simply prefer to discover some of France’s Plus Beaux Villages inland such as Ainhoa with its pretty Basque houses and Sare, where you can take a wooden train up to the summit of La Rhune. Whether the majestic mountains or the dazzling coastline, this part of south-western France is a captivating region to explore. Chateau du Cardinal offers a wonderful location elevated just behind Ciboure with wonderful views of the town and bay of Saint Jean de Luz in front of you. From the heated swimming pool you have majestic views of the Pyrénées afar.
With easy access to the motorway only a couple of minutes away, you can be on the Spanish border in under twenty minutes or as far north as Biarritz (22km) in 25-minutes.
It’s only a ten-minute drive down to the village of Ciboure, once lived in by artist Henri Matisse. It’s a quiet and relaxing place where you can visit the old town with its stone and timber-framed houses, wander along the pretty fishing port, find a picturesque café or restaurant or experience the bustling market on a Sunday morning.
Head to the Fort de Socoa where you’ll find water-based activities such as diving, paddle-boarding, catamarans, water skiing and more. Keen walkers can follow the magnificent coastal path around Ciboure which stretches all the way to Hendaye (11km) on the Spanish border.
Across La Nivelle river, only 4.5km from your chateau, is the pretty seaside town of St-Jean-de-Luz. Originally a small fishing port, St-Jean-de-Luz later became a fashionable resort for well-to-do French, English and Spanish tourists in the late 19th century. Explore the pretty streets filled with shops and restaurants before heading down to the port, known for its tuna, anchovies and sardines.
The town’s beach, La Grande Plage, is a lovely place to spend the afternoon, especially with children. Across the town there are lots of family-friendly activities such as trampoline parks, mini golf and a road-train along the coast to beaches featuring playgrounds and games.
Additionally, the surf here is gentler than further north, so an ideal place for those budding surfers to learn whilst experienced surfers should head north to Acotz beach for some impressive waves. Further north, head to the surfing hang-outs of Guéthary (10km) and Bidart (13km) where you can ride the waves amongst some of the world’s finest surfers or just sit back and take in the magnificent beaches and landscapes.
This region is a paradise for golfers with this area having two beautiful golf-courses, the nearest one being only 3km away plus a wide range further north around Biarritz, many with stunning ocean views including the prestigious Chiberta Golf Course (23km) by some of Biarritz’ most stunning northern beaches.
Indeed, you’ll find the glittering gem of Biarritz just 22km away, an elegant seaside resort dating back to the 19th century when aristocracy built their summer residences along this part of the coast. Dine in excellent restaurants along the beach, sip cocktails in trendy bars or shop in the wonderful Les Halles market full of Basque specialities to take home and cook.
For a change of scene, head inland towards the majestic Pyrénées where you will find characterful Basque villages, including two of France’s Plus Beaux Villages; pretty Ainhoa (20km) and Sare (14km), where you can take the old wooden train up to the summit of La Rhune, one of the most dominant peaks of the Pyrénées.Chateau Interiors
Ground Floor
- Living room
- Dining room
- Library
- Kitchen, well-equipped including dishwasher, oven, fridge, freezer, Nespresso machine
- Back kitchen
First and Second Floors
- 8 double and twin bedrooms with bath/shower room
- Single bedroom with bath/shower room
Outside Grounds
- Heated swimming pool
- Pool house
- Parkland (several hectares)
- Parking
Facilities
- Lift
- Wi-Fi
- TV
- Washing machineChateau du Cardinal offers a wonderful location elevated just behind Ciboure with wonderful views of the town and bay of Saint Jean de Luz in front of you. From the heated swimming pool you have majestic views of the Pyrénées afar.
With easy access to the motorway only a couple of minutes away, you can be on the Spanish border in under twenty minutes or as far north as Biarritz (22km) in 25-minutes.
It’s only a ten-minute drive down to the village of Ciboure, once lived in by artist Henri Matisse. It’s a quiet and relaxing place where you can visit the old town with its stone and timber-framed houses, wander along the pretty fishing port, find a picturesque café or restaurant or experience the bustling market on a Sunday morning.
Head to the Fort de Socoa where you’ll find water-based activities such as diving, paddle-boarding, catamarans, water skiing and more. Keen walkers can follow the magnificent coastal path around Ciboure which stretches all the way to Hendaye (11km) on the Spanish border.
Across La Nivelle river, only 4.5km from your chateau, is the pretty seaside town of St-Jean-de-Luz. Originally a small fishing port, St-Jean-de-Luz later became a fashionable resort for well-to-do French, English and Spanish tourists in the late 19th century. Explore the pretty streets filled with shops and restaurants before heading down to the port, known for its tuna, anchovies and sardines.
The town’s beach, La Grande Plage, is a lovely place to spend the afternoon, especially with children. Across the town there are lots of family-friendly activities such as trampoline parks, mini golf and a road-train along the coast to beaches featuring playgrounds and games.
Additionally, the surf here is gentler than further north, so an ideal place for those budding surfers to learn whilst experienced surfers should head north to Acotz beach for some impressive waves. Further north, head to the surfing hang-outs of Guéthary (10km) and Bidart (13km) where you can ride the waves amongst some of the world’s finest surfers or just sit back and take in the magnificent beaches and landscapes.
This region is a paradise for golfers with this area having two beautiful golf-courses, the nearest one being only 3km away plus a wide range further north around Biarritz, many with stunning ocean views including the prestigious Chiberta Golf Course (23km) by some of Biarritz’ most stunning northern beaches.
Indeed, you’ll find the glittering gem of Biarritz just 22km away, an elegant seaside resort dating back to the 19th century when aristocracy built their summer residences along this part of the coast. Dine in excellent restaurants along the beach, sip cocktails in trendy bars or shop in the wonderful Les Halles market full of Basque specialities to take home and cook.
For a change of scene, head inland towards the majestic Pyrénées where you will find characterful Basque villages, including two of France’s Plus Beaux Villages; pretty Ainhoa (20km) and Sare (14km), where you can take the old wooden train up to the summit of La Rhune, one of the most dominant peaks of the Pyrénées.Chateau Interiors
Ground Floor
- Living room
- Dining room
- Library
- Kitchen, well-equipped including dishwasher, oven, fridge, freezer, Nespresso machine
- Back kitchen
First and Second Floors
- 8 double and twin bedrooms with bath/shower room
- Single bedroom with bath/shower room
Outside Grounds
- Heated swimming pool
- Pool house
- Parkland (several hectares)
- Parking
Facilities
- Lift
- Wi-Fi
- TV
- Washing machine
Chateau du Cardinal offers a wonderful location elevated just behind Ciboure with wonderful views of the town and bay of Saint Jean de Luz in front of you. From the heated swimming pool you have majestic views of the Pyrénées afar.
With easy access to the motorway only a couple of minutes away, you can be on the Spanish border in under twenty minutes or as far north as Biarritz (22km) in 25-minutes.
It’s only a ten-minute drive down to the village of Ciboure, once lived in by artist Henri Matisse. It’s a quiet and relaxing place where you can visit the old town with its stone and timber-framed houses, wander along the pretty fishing port, find a picturesque café or restaurant or experience the bustling market on a Sunday morning.
Head to the Fort de Socoa where you’ll find water-based activities such as diving, paddle-boarding, catamarans, water skiing and more. Keen walkers can follow the magnificent coastal path around Ciboure which stretches all the way to Hendaye (11km) on the Spanish border.
Across La Nivelle river, only 4.5km from your chateau, is the pretty seaside town of St-Jean-de-Luz. Originally a small fishing port, St-Jean-de-Luz later became a fashionable resort for well-to-do French, English and Spanish tourists in the late 19th century. Explore the pretty streets filled with shops and restaurants before heading down to the port, known for its tuna, anchovies and sardines.
The town’s beach, La Grande Plage, is a lovely place to spend the afternoon, especially with children. Across the town there are lots of family-friendly activities such as trampoline parks, mini golf and a road-train along the coast to beaches featuring playgrounds and games.
Additionally, the surf here is gentler than further north, so an ideal place for those budding surfers to learn whilst experienced surfers should head north to Acotz beach for some impressive waves. Further north, head to the surfing hang-outs of Guéthary (10km) and Bidart (13km) where you can ride the waves amongst some of the world’s finest surfers or just sit back and take in the magnificent beaches and landscapes.
This region is a paradise for golfers with this area having two beautiful golf-courses, the nearest one being only 3km away plus a wide range further north around Biarritz, many with stunning ocean views including the prestigious Chiberta Golf Course (23km) by some of Biarritz’ most stunning northern beaches.
Indeed, you’ll find the glittering gem of Biarritz just 22km away, an elegant seaside resort dating back to the 19th century when aristocracy built their summer residences along this part of the coast. Dine in excellent restaurants along the beach, sip cocktails in trendy bars or shop in the wonderful Les Halles market full of Basque specialities to take home and cook.
For a change of scene, head inland towards the majestic Pyrénées where you will find characterful Basque villages, including two of France’s Plus Beaux Villages; pretty Ainhoa (20km) and Sare (14km), where you can take the old wooden train up to the summit of La Rhune, one of the most dominant peaks of the Pyrénées.
Accommodation
Chateau Interiors
Ground Floor
- Living room
- Dining room
- Library
- Kitchen, well-equipped including dishwasher, oven, fridge, freezer, Nespresso machine
- Back kitchen
First and Second Floors
- 8 double and twin bedrooms with bath/shower room
- Single bedroom with bath/shower room
Outside Grounds
- Heated swimming pool
- Pool house
- Parkland (several hectares)
- Parking
Facilities
- Lift
- Wi-Fi
- TV
- Washing machine