Villa La Tosca

Overview

Villa La Tosca is an exclusive use, luxury villa, more intimate, more cozy than any hotel, where the only guests are the ones you personally invite...

Villa la Tosca is the perfect hideaway for; guests seeking time with their family or friends, physical and mental wellness, politicians in need of a change of environment to discuss their strategies, or even musicians/artists longing for the perfect location from which to compose their next masterpiece for the soul.

Made-In-Love by Marc Castagnet and Karin Broeksmit, Villa La Tosca, is considered to be one of the best examples of Arcachon Architecture with an Italian influence. Our guests receive the warmest welcome and indulge in the ambience of this elegant and historic, yet contemporary, renovated estate.Villa La Tosca is a haven of graceful calm, charm and quiet sophistication, its unique personality enfolding you in its warmth the moment you enter.

Only the century old stone wall and its heritage gate, separate the grounds from a stroll on the beach at low tide or a refreshing dip in the sea at high tide. Hidden on the sea shore, between pine forests and renowned Bordeaux Vineyards of France it’s a place where prestigious luxury meets exemplary service.

It is a place where prestigious luxury accommodation meets exemplary service in an environment of the reinvigorating atmosphere of marine life and pine forests. A place where guests receive the warmest welcome and indulge in the ambience of an elegant and historic, yet contemporary renovated estate.

At the heart of Bassin d’Arcachon, tucked between the sea shore, the pine forests and world renowned Bordeaux Vineyards of France, La Tosca is an exclusive country estate offering 8 chambers with en-suite bathrooms. 4 luxury rooms retain their original marble fireplaces, and the tower suite “La Tour” with its 360 degrees floor to ceiling windows offers breath taking sea and forest views, even for our most travelled guests.

Influenced by the style and expanse of French Culture, La Tosca entertains its guests in the refined tradition of the French wine makers. Enjoy your favorite vintage in our cozy club library, or relax watching your preferred movie in our movie theatre that, with the snip of a finger, can be turned into a meeting room for all your seminars. An especially built ramp that gives access to the outdoor covered terrace and dining room as well as to one of our rooms “La Verandah”, allows La Tosca to also receive guests with reduced physical mobility.

Accomodation:

Living Area

The spacious contemporary dining room with its magnificent sea and garden view is a perfect place for a romantic dinner, or to receive guests for seminars. Its floor-to-ceiling windows open up to a grand covered terrace and to the arched verandah. Indoors guests may delight in the crackle of fire in the 2-way open fire place, connecting the dining room with the kitchen area.

The dining room opens up to the generous living room. Here guests can find the perfect spot to read a book, catch-up with friends or colleges or stroll onto the verandah and watch squirrels jump from tree branch to tree branch with the spectacular sea view as a back drop.

Library

Taken back into time, guests can enjoy their favorite vintage, from a deep leather armchair, in front of the marble fireplace in our pinewood paneled library. They can simply let their fingers glide over the expansive selection of international books before picking the one of their choice, or seal that extensively discussed business deal. Located on the 1st floor, the magnificent garden and sea views are reflected in the mouth blown glass windows of the original heritage cupboards. Guests can use the office for meetings, workshop sessions, faxing, printing, and a retreat to prepare meetings, or simply take their emails.

Home Cinema & Meeting Room

La Tosca has WIFI throughout and every room is additionally equipped with a fixed internet access. Originally the snooker room, the Home Cinema is boasting a 55 inch flat screen TV and state of the art video system. Guests can settle down in comfortable plush chairs and watch their preferred movie in our movie theatre. With the snip of a finger the theatre, can be turned into a meeting room for any kind of seminar or conference.

Outdoor Tranquility

Gardens

The peaceful setting of Villa La Tosca, amidst the pine forests and sea shore, its quiet garden and magnificent sunrises and sunsets, promises guests an unforgettable stay. No matter if they seek relaxation, creation, brainstorming, wellness, a location for photo shoots, or just to reconnect with family and friends for any private party.

Only the century old stone wall, lined with Tamaris trees that have withstand the winds of all times, and its heritage gate separate the grounds from a direct stroll onto the beach at low tide, or a refreshing dip at high tide. The garden of the luxury seaside estate offers guests a unique experience in the ecological pool nourished with our own natural spring water, a petanque field and outdoor table tennis.

A pebbled garden path and wooden bridge lead to the organic vegetable garden, bathing in sunlight filtered through oak tree leaves. Here guests can accompany the chef to select a range of seasonal vegetables, herbs and berries for their own evening meal. Guests may pick their own fruits from the apple, pear, fig and cherry trees. But if they hear the chirping of the robin, chances are they will come back empty handed. Today the water is as pure as ever, and if they wish to do so, guests may lessen their thirst directly from the springhead.

Pool & Sea

Guests can cool-off in the infinite green waters of the pure natural spring pool, leaving their skin luxuriously smooth and silky soft, or settle down in one of our comfortable lounge chairs on the huge deck with a 180 degrees view of the garden and shore line. The rectangular minimalistic pool, with its natural filtering and regeneration ponds, rather resembles a genuine lake blending into the garden. The water is filtered and regenerated through plants, rocks, pebbles. The pool deck offers yet another site to organize romantic candle light dinners, group dinners, seminars or photo shoots. Boating outings to the magnificent Bande d’Arquin and L’ile des Oiseaux, or even a trip with a local fisherman to one of his oyster parks may be organized on demand. Guests may consume the delicious oysters they have harvested on the spot or share them for lunch with their friends, colleges or family.

Dining Al Fresco

In summer, guests dine on one of the outdoor terraces showered in sunset’s natural light-show of pinks, oranges, yellows and reds, and in winter they can admire the same with a roaring fire from the indoors relaxing dining room. On demand, a private chef will cook dinner using the finest fresh local ingredients to celebrate French cuisine at its best. Culinary experiences, such as cooking and wine classes, may also be organized on the property. Guests can indulge in a wide variety of French wines. La Tosca’s original but renovated wine cellar maintains an ideal temperature and humidity for the careful maturation of French wines. Guests may stock their own wines in our cellar to enjoy during returning visits.

Activities available (and may be at an additional cost)

Golf

We have 12 golf clubs with 20 courses between 5 minutes and 45 minutes away from La Tosca. Two great courses nearby are Arcachon International and Gujan Mestras, where the latter is being used for the European PGA Tour. The Golf du Medoc is internationally recognized and ranked amongst the best course of Continental Europe. Enjoy the French golfing heritage either on the courses built on sand dunes and curving through pine forests or based at the foot of the world renowned Bordeaux vineyards. Another plus...the courses of the Aquitaine are a lot less crowded than the ones in the South of France, Spain or Portugal.

Biking and Hiking

Meanwhile, there are excellent tracks for walking "around the Arcachon Bay", called the "TBA Arcachon Tour". It links each of the Bay's towns and villages and takes you through the exceptional natural sites like the protected bird migration park the Park Ornithologique du Teich, and the Domaine de Certes. Other popular options are strolls through the canals and Esteys at low tide, climbing up the highest dune of Europe the Dune the Pyla, and of course forest and beach walks.

The Bordeaux and Bassin d'Arcachon diverse land- and waterscape offers a chain of trails for walking and biking. Guests are offered the complimentary use of bicycles for exploring the nearby local fisherman villages and oyster ports. A stop for some delicious oyster tasting is a must! Alternatively guests may pedal through the immensity of the Landes Forest, the biggest forest in Europe.

Those guests who are in top shape might want to try the tour around the Bassin, closing the loop over the sea with a ferry that takes them from Arcachon to Cap Ferret and taking a refreshing dip in the roaring waves of the Atlantic Ocean before heading back to the relaxing tranquility of the Villa.

Tennis

Several tennis clubs are located between 5-10 minutes away from La Tosca. For guests who would like to play we are happy to make a booking.

Vineyard Tours

Less then half an hour east of La Tosca lays the world famous French Bordeaux Wine District. Guests can relish the renowned wines from Saint-Emilion, Graves, Sauternes, Medoc, Entre-deux-Mers and Pessac-Leognan to name but a few... Absorb the beauty of endless grape green wine fields from the air with a helicopter flight of the Bordeaux Vineyards crowned with some wine tasting. Or, soak up the infinite grape hills in a luxury car with private chauffeur giving you the freedom to taste as many appellations you like. Guests may stock their own wines in our cellar to enjoy during returning visits.

Fishing

Bassin d'Arcachon is a paradise for fishermen. At low tide fishing with hands and feet at the sand banks of the Bande d'Arguin, or the muddy waters of the Bay will reward you with delicious clams or use a pushing net to catch some grey shrimp. With a good guide guests might be able to harpoon eel or sole along the channels. Or try your luck at the river the L'Eyre that finishes its route into the Bay. The waters are shallow, but fast moving, a great spot to catch lots of different white fish.

Boating

Sail or take a motor boat to your favourite picnic spot at the sand banks of the Bande d'Arguin, situated between the Cap Ferret headland and the Dune the Pilat, or stop half way at the island of natural treasures, the Isle aux Oiseaux, with its famous and protected Tchanquee huts, oyster parks and migrating birds...fish, cool down in the refreshing waters, admire the unique land- and seascape whilst getting a healthy tan.

Several nearby sailing clubs offer different courses

Guests may rent a canoe, small boat or sea-kayak and peddle towards the Ile aux Oiseaux, along the peninsula, on the Leyre delta or come back up around the Ile de Malprat. The Leyre River is a beautiful stream to explore with canoe...start at high tide and let yourself drift on the water out towards the Bay. Waterskiing, Wakeboarding, Scuba diving and Surfing are again more activities to choose from.