House

Rural gite, own garden,on sunny Smallholding in quiet valley, with private pool

Rural gite, own garden,on sunny Smallholding in quiet valley, with private pool

Photo gallery for Rural gite, own garden,on sunny Smallholding in quiet valley, with private pool

Pool in its own lawns with wisteria covered pergola.
Pool with flowers
ool again!P
Shady poolside pergola
View down the valley, Gaillardet in the centre of the photo

Overview of Rural gite, own garden,on sunny Smallholding in quiet valley, with private pool

9.0 out of 10 Wonderful
3 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 73 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Outdoor space

Check out the area

Rivel, Occitanie
  • Popular LocationChâteau Chalabre11 min drive
  • Popular LocationPuivert Castle11 min drive
  • Popular LocationLac de Montbel19 min drive
  • AirportCarcassonne (CCF-Pays Cathare)81 min drive

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 7)

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Rural gite, own garden,on sunny Smallholding in quiet valley, with private pool

Summer is here! Gardens are magnificent. June is one of the best times to come. Good weather and not too hot. Perfect for relaxing here or walking in the surrounding hills.
Gaillardet Garden is located in a beautiful, wide valley in the foothills of the Pyrenees. A traffic-free location, cowbells and crickets are the loudest noises you will hear. This is an underpopulated so no crowds. The four acre smallholding is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday at any time of year. The owners, Anni and Gary, live in the adjoining, converted barns. Seasonal fruit, vegetables, new laid eggs and babysitting available. Above Gaillardet is the Grottes de l’Homme Mort, totally uncommercialised, you can safely go and explore the caves with the spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. The property is 10 minutes from the charming market town of Chalabre providing shops, banks, bars, restaurants and a garage. The area is perfect for outdoor activities especially walking, cycling, horse-riding, canoeing, rafting, tree top rope ways and fishing. Many places of historic and cultural interest are within easy access and the region is the heart of Cathar country with many castles to explore. One of the most popular opportunites is the boat trip on the underground river - it's quite amazing. Another favourite is the nearby natural rock maze. For winter visitors the ski resorts are only a short drive away, and Les Monts d'Olmes is famous for its powder snow. Many places offer tobogganing, husky mushing and cross country skiing.

2022 is our seventeenth holiday season and we have had many happy families having great holidays with us. Our visitors book is full of enthusiastic comments, and we are always being told that you get exactly what you see on the website. Children of all ages have a wonderful time here and love the freedom of being in the countryside, seeing the animals and chickens. All of them are fascinated by the farm machinery - old and new, and perhaps the possibility of a ride on something under strict supervision by Gary and parents. There are pool toys including the popular pool volleyball, plus lilos for floating and admiring the views. Lots of swimming games and challenges feature highly. There is a grass badminton court and a basketball post.

There are a number of toys/games either in the private gite garden, we supply a sandpit and paddling pool for younger children with appropriate toys, or elsewhere in the grounds, such as badminton, mini golf, croquet.

We only accept one family group, ie parents and their children but we welcome grandparents, and a friend of a child as long as this does not exceed the maximum of 7 persons. We would accept a baby of up to 12 months as well. We do ask that it is not two couples with children.

We would like to encourage people without the need to come in school holidays to visit us in the wonderful months of May, June, September and October. these are some of the best months for pursuing outdoor activities such as walking or horseriding. Our gardens are at their best and it is very warm without being too hot to do anything. The pool is still a great attraction at these times, and the whole area offers many opportunities for exploring. WE OFFER A SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT FOR COUPLES ONLY AT THESE TIMES.

We have contact for wine tours run by a wonderful lady which leads a very informative day out with visits to vineyards, tastings and lunch and a possibility of a visit to another venue such as olive oil factory, honey farm and chocolatier. I highly recommend her tours.

Property manager

anni

Languages

English, French, Italian

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs and cats less than 55 lbs per pet (limit 3 pets total)

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking allowed in the gite garden, using ashtray

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit

We should mention

Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 1000, due to national regulations; for further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation
A car is required for transportation to and from this property

About the area

Rivel

Located in Rivel, this cottage is in a rural area and on a river. Château Chalabre and Puivert Castle are local landmarks, and some of the area's attractions include The Nature Trail And The Green Labyrinth and Musee des Dinosaures 'Dinosauria'. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

What's nearby

  • Puivert Lake - 8 min drive
  • Château Chalabre - 11 min drive
  • Puivert Castle - 11 min drive
  • Lac de Montbel - 19 min drive
  • Montsegur Castle - 24 min drive

Getting around

  • Couiza-Montazels Station - 30 min drive
  • Carcassonne (CCF-Pays Cathare) - 82 min drive

Restaurants

  • Hôtel de France - 10 min drive
  • Camping la Régate - 22 min drive
  • Le-Tresor - 14 min drive
  • Le Moulin de l'Eveque - 6 min drive
  • Palais Cathare - 9 min drive

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 9 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 18 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.2/10

Communication

8.8/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Crask H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good relaxing time .... and a great host!
Firstly Anni is an excellent host. Great communications throughout with plenty of ideas and local information.... and more when you meet her! We had a couple of minor issues whilst staying there, but once again she was fantastic and sorted them out quickly! The Gite is what I would describe as typical for the area. Quite dark inside, but lots of character. Clean on arrival and had all we needed. Pool was well used by us, better on hot days.... bit nippy on moderate days! All in all a good relaxing time in the country.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Anna L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Relaxing break
Quiet and relaxing stay at this lovely house.
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

mathieu d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Très bon séjour à Gaillardet Garden
Charmante petite exploitation agricole en pleine nature, les propriétaires Anni et Gary sont très accueillant. Le confort est simple mais suffisant, le gîte décoré avec gout, la piscine au top. La chienne popi est très caline
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Fabienne H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
British hospitality in South of France
We felt very welcome! We hope a lot of other families will experience this in the future!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Mieke R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely
We had a lovely stay at the gite and got a warm welcome by Anni. We loved the quiet surroundings, the pool and the garden and of course the dogs, Bess and Poppy! And lots to see and do in this region. One small thing that might be good to improve: a table and comfortable chairs in the garden in stead of the picknick bench! Thanks Anni & Gary
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

About the host

Hosted by anni

Host profile image
Gary and Anni were happily living in South East England but a love of France and the more relaxed way of life spurred them to leave the crowds, traffic, parked cars and general phrenetic way of life for this rural bolt hole. Gary had his own property maintenance company in UK and was able to use his experience to totally transform a tumbledown farmhouse and barns, overgrown meadows into the lovely property we have here today. It was a crazy project but we love it all. Anni is able to use her degree in Art History by giving lectures and tours on C19 French art, she also works as a couturiere creating wonderful outfits with another Rivel resident who imports wonderful vintage Japanese kimono material. And the prettiness of the valley is sheer heaven for artists like Anni.

Why they chose this property

We travelled around France for a number of years and eventually found the Aude/Ariege and immediately felt this was It. The surrounding region is so diverse - from dramatic to pretty and fully of cultural or outdoor actvities. The possibilities are plentiful and being undiscovered by marauding hordes is a joy. Although a rural backwater it is easily accessed from the rest of France and the UK. The difference in property prices allowed us our dream of a smallholding and the animals are a constant source of amusement. Being able to produce our own food is such a revelation and one that we can share with our clients. Anni is an excellent cook and can provide popular and tasty menus. We love the light and clear air, summer heat, blue skies, sunshine and longer days of winter.

The deal was Gary could have a tractor if Anni had a swimming pool! The tractor has been put to good use transforming the field into beautiful flower gardens, and lawns. The vegetable garden provides us with year round produce, as do the chickens. The dogs are just decorative! Sheep are residents from time to time and some charming little piglets which grow into thumping great boars! We have very kindly neighbours in the shape of cows and horses.

The swimming pool is a dream, the sun shines on it for 16 hours a day, it is surrounded by lawns and flowerbeds, there is a decking area for relaxing, and a poolside pergola covered in wisteria for shade. It's a rare opportunity to swim in a pool while watching the soaring buzzards and griffons and admiring the magnificent views, to the sound of cow bells and crickets.

How often do you have poolside aperitifs at house martin-o'clock?

What makes this property unique

Gaillardet is tucked away under the Pyrenees in a open empty valley, but is easily accessible. It is a working smallholding, but we have fitted the gite to a high standard, made pretty gardens, a wild flower garden and a fabulous pool with decking and a pergola.

We can offer a chance for children to see animals at close range and learn a little about country life during your stay with us. We have nutured friendships with all our clients, and have an innate sense of leaving alone or having fun barbecues or aperitifs. Many clients have said how they have enjoyed the peace and quiet and how nice it is to have family time. Two weeks at Gaillardet gives time to relax and enjoy the pool and gardens, and to explore this undiscovered area.

Languages:

English, French, Italian
Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback

More Vacation Rentals ideas

People also search for