The House

Magnificent five bedroom 1830's spacious family home in Gascony with private swimming pool.  L'Airial is a charming remote house in peaceful Gascon countryside.  This lovely country manor house is a real get-away-from-it-all location, yet only 3 km to the pretty village of Moustey.  5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, modern kitchen, dining room with open fireplace, and a large living room with woodburner.  Private and securely fenced gardens. 5x11m swimming pool. 45 mins to Bordeaux.

The space.

L'Airial, Moustey in rural Les Landes, Aquitaine.  3kms to the authentic village of Moustey with its 2 churches, 4 restaurants, local grocery shop, and amazing boulangerie.

The upstairs of house comprises three good-sized bedrooms, a central hallway (with sofabed) and two bathrooms, each with shower, toilet, and sink (one bathroom may, or may not, be used as an ensuite).  Downstairs there are a further two double bedrooms, a bathroom (toilet, bath/shower and sink), a well-equipped modern kitchen with Smeg appliances, a welcoming dining room with open working fireplace (the real heart of the house), and a large living room with woodburner.

Outside the 1 acre mature gardens with grand old oak trees and tall pine trees are very private and securely fenced.  The 5x11m private swimming pool (unheated) has comfortable pool loungers.  Pool has corner steps to 1m shallow end with a slope to 2.3m deep end.  The pool's electric hard cover keeps the water warm at night and is also for safety and peace of mind when pool unattended.

Immediately on the boundary of the property is the forest which is ideal for hikes and all manner of outdoor activities.  The property is located between the Grande Leyre and the Petite Leyre rivers.  These small calm rivers are great for kayaking/canoeing (available for rent locally), a paddle or a bracing dip.

Plenty of activities for groups of friends or families.  Swimming (pool, rivers, lakes, and sea), kayaking (local rental), biking/hiking/jogging on forest trails, hiking, dog walking, horse riding (local stables very close at end of forest track).  There are numerous games available in the house including, a whole trunk of boardgames, badminton set (net plus 6 rackets), table football, and garden lawn darts.

Just 45 mins from Bordeaux airport it is easily accessible by plane, train and automobile.

The bedrooms & bathrooms

Each bedroom and bathroom is named after a local town.  The sleeping arrangements are listed below (photos of each room can be found in the Photo Gallery).  White 100% cotton bedlinen, duvets, pillows and towels provided at no extra cost.

Bedroom 1 | Mano | Upstairs | 1 Queen Bed | 3 windows | 20m²

Bedroom 2 | Ychoux | Upstairs | 1 Queen Bed, 1 Double Bed | 2 windows | 23m²

Bedroom 3 | Sabres | Upstairs | 1 Queen Bed, 1 Double Bed | 1 window | 22m²

Bedroom 4 | Luxey | Downstairs | 1 Queen Bed | 1 window | 13m²

Bedroom 5 | Mimizan | Downstairs | 1 Double Bed | 1 window | 10m²

Loft Hallway | Upstairs | 1 Double Sofabed | 1 Window | 20m²

Bathroom 1 | Lüe | Upstairs | Shower, Twin Sinks, Toilet | 1 Window | Option to configure as an ensuite for Bedroom 1 - Mano.

Bathroom 2 | Lugos | Upstairs | Shower, Sink, Toilet | 1 window

Bathroom 3 | Pissos | Downstairs | Accessible for infirm/disabled (see below) Bath, Shower, Sink, Toilet | 1 window | There is the option to configure as an ensuite for Bedroom 5 - Mimizan.

Accessibility ♿︎♿

The house was built in 1830 so regrettably has some limitations in making the space fully wheelchair accessible, nevertheless considerable effort has been made to enhance accessibility.

Flat path from parking to front door, enter home through double wide doorway with small step (ramp over step can be arranged by prior request).  

Step-free access to common areas.  

Internal doorways are approx 82cm width.  

The two downstairs bedrooms are level with no step.  

Accessible downstairs bathroom:-  Step-free access, entryway is level and 83cm width;  Fixed grab bars for shower, toilet, and bath;  Accessible-height toilet;  Roll-in shower (no threshold/step between the shower and bathroom floor);   Shower chair (small freestanding stool that allows a guest to be seated in the shower);  Handheld shower head on both bath and shower;  Wide clearance to bath/shower/toilet/sink - each have at least 90cms of clearance to access them.  

Floors are largely original terracotta tiles and can be a little bit uneven.  The staircase to first floor is steep and not wheelchair accessible; the elderly and infirm may also be uncomfortable using this staircase.  I am happy to discuss in detail if required - please contact me or by email info@airialmoustey.com

Guest access

You will have the entire property, swimming pool, and gardens entirely to yourself!

Host interaction with guests

Sorry - I am usually out of country and unavailable in person, but I will always be contactable by email or phone to assist you and check that everything is going well.  A friendly and helpful neighbour (speaks French and German) has keys for the property, will do your check-in/check-out and is available in case of any issues with the house.  My neighbour is also a wealth of local knowledge and may, on request, be able to help with your local excursion arrangements - eg vineyard tours.

Minimum stay

Based on past experience and guest feedback in order to properly enjoy your holiday in L'Airial, Moustey there is a minimum stay of 14 nights.  Sometimes a stay of 7 nights is available - please contact me for details. 

Getting around

Car essential.  The approach to the house is along an unpaved forest track (chemin)  https://youtu.be/x1ld1yGzhj4  It is not necessary to have a 4x4/SUV; any normal car will be sufficient - but I suggest to avoid very low clearance sports cars like a Ferrari, McLaren, or Porsche! 

        Nearest Airport : Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (45 mins drive) at 69 km
Nearest Barpub : Le Gascon, Moustey at 3 km
    Nearest Golf : Golf De Biscarrosse at 45 km
        Nearest Train : Ychoux at 22 km
        Nearest Motorway : A63 / E70 at 7 km
        Nearest Restaurants : Le Domaine, Le Gascon, Le Haut Landais, A Ma Guise at 3 km
        Nearest Bakery : Boulangerie Pâtisserie Les Douceurs de Mia at 3 km
        Nearest Grocery Shop : Moustey Village "Proxi" shop 3 km
        Nearest Beach : Biscarrosse Plage at 48 km

The area: Moustey, Landes

L'Airial is located in Moustey, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, South West France.

L'Airial, Moustey is a great base for exploring the Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne. The beaches of the Atlantic coast and two large lakes (Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet and Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis) are less than an hour away. The fantastic vineyards in SW France are a great attraction; Léognan in the Graves area of the Bordeaux county has 6 chateaux and is 44kms from the house. Bordeaux city can be reached in under an hour by car or train (from Ychoux station). Bordeaux, renowned for its wines (considered amongst the best in the world) is also an exciting metropolis. The cultural, artistic, and music scenes in the city are very vibrant.

Plenty of local activities for groups of friends or families. Swimming (pool, rivers, lakes, and sea), kayaking (local rental), biking/hiking/jogging on forest trails, dog walking, horse riding (local stables very close at end of forest track), badminton (net and rackets provided at house).

Landes is located in the Aquitaine region and one of the original departments created in the French Revolution. Its straight coast stretches for more than 100km and is famous for its beaches and sand dunes while lakes and forests fringe the shoreline. This is a department in which world-class surfing and a deeply traditional rural culture sit side by side. Popular seaside spots include Biscarrosse, Capbreton and Hossegor. Landes' best assets are its natural ones: professional surfers come to ride the waves while three of the department's golf courses have been noted as among the best in Europe. The flat, forested landscapes are great for family cycling trips while the abundance of lakes and coastline make fishing a popular pastime. There's plenty to appeal to wildlife lovers here too: birdwatchers should flock to the Arjuzanx nature reserve, which is home to many thousands of migrating cranes for several months of the year.

Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne. Situated in the north of Landes and the south of Gironde, to the east of the Atlantic coast and the banks of the Arcachon basin, the Gascon Landes Regional Nature Park covers at least 315,000 hectares. Planted by man in the 19th century, with the aim of reclaiming the marshes and stabilising the moving sands of the coastal dunes, the Gascon Landes forest, mainly made up of maritime pines, is the most extensive forest in Europe.

In the heart of the Landes forest you can explore the Grande Lande Ecomuseum, constructed on three sites which are open to visitors.. The Marquèze Quarter is accessible by train from Sabres station, and is arranged around the airial – a vast lawn shaded by oaks - including mansions, smallholdings, sheep folds, bread ovens and a watermill, which show the agricultural, pastoral way of life in the 19th-century Landes countryside.

As to leisure sports, you have the choice between walking on woodland paths, cycling along the forest trails, a mountain bike ride along signposted paths, a horse ride or a trip down the Leyre in a canoe-kayak.
Graine de Forêt, at Garein, is an entertaining and educational discovery centre, which has an interactive museum area dedicated to the Landes forest, a nature trail in the forest, and a nursery where everyone can sow a pine seed.
A 25 minute drive from the house lies the departmental estate of Hostens, a must for those who want to recharge their batteries, relax or enjoy a walk. As well as a leisure centre, this Natura 2000-listed natural area of 600 hectares has five lakes with pleasant green banks. An ideal place to take a nap on one of the two white sand beaches of Lake Lamothe, enjoy a refreshing swim, ride a canoe or go fishing, picnic quietly in the shade of the pines, discover the geological history, flora and fauna of the site by following a route lined with information signs, or go hiking, riding or cycling along the tracks and trails.

Gascony is famous for it local culinary specialities including: foie gras, confit de canard (conserved duck), maigret de canard (grilled duck breast), poulet Landais, garbure (a rich, Gascon soup), sanglier, (wild boar), palombes (wild pigeons), tourtieres (a light pastry dessert with prunes or apples and Armagnac), plus all the fruits, vegetables, crepes, patisserie etc you would expect from such a gastronomic area of France. The Atlantic coast offers seafood lovers all the delights of les fruits de mer, including lobster, langoustine, oysters, prawns together with a wide variety of fresh fish.Local wines include Tursan, Madiran, Saint Mont, Chalosse with the ever popular Bordeaux and St Emillion in evidence everywhere.

For my personal local suggestions and recommendations see my Guidebook on Airbnb.