Per week
from 861.00 to 2765.00 EUR
Anyone who has been on holiday and wanted to stay forever may be a little envious of Emerald Coast Gites owners and hosts Simon and Lesley Willis who did exactly that. The Willis’s fell in love with the gite lifestyle on holiday in Spring 2005 and moved to France 3 months later! No mean feat with toddler Sam in tow.
What was once a run down farm complex is now home to seven fantastic 1-4 bedroom gites sleeping 2-8 plus cots. As Simon and Lesley are parents of young children themselves (Sam’s younger sister Evie was born in 2006) it’s unsurprising that the gites and surroundings have been designed very much with the needs of little ones at the forefront.
Each gite has a selection of toys and books, stairgates; blackout blinds crockery and cutlery, plus a comprehensive list of extras that can be arranged in advance (see grey box below). The grounds are kiddie heaven with adult and toddler heated swimming pools (both enclosed). Under 3s will be in their element with swings, slides and ride-ons plus an under cover soft play centre (coming in 2010).
Older kids have the multi-activity play centre with swings, slides, and a climbing wall. If that doesn’t exhaust them try the mini football pitch, basketball hoop and trampoline. There’s also an indoor games room with pool table, table tennis table, table football, electronic dartboard (with plastic safety darts) and a Nintendo Wii for evenings or when a break is needed from the sun.
Mums and dads feeling a little worn out reading through that list of activities will be relieved to hear Simon and Lesley’s ethos that parents need a holiday too! Catering to this ethos is the positioning of the well stocked bar which overlooks the play area! The bar is also a great place to mingle with other parents and sports fans will be delighted to know all major sporting events are screened here, particularly with World Cup 2010 fast approaching!
No.1, La Vieille Grange - Is a pretty cottage with 2 bedrooms, 1 double and 1 twin. There is a family bathroom with bath and overhead shower ,a well equipped kitchen and airy living room. Outside there is a private garden ideals for little ones to play in or for adults to enjoy a glass of wine or a spot of dinner in the evenings. Plus there are communal laundry facilities on site.
In addition to the on-site facilities there are plenty of things in the local area to occupy even the most energetic guest or demanding child. Just a short drive away guests will find gold courses, pony treks, sailing clubs, tennis courts, bowling alleys and much much more- guests will never be short of things to do. For a good old fashioned day at the beach, the gites handily lie on the Côtes-d'Armor, which is a beautiful part of France that is dotted with quaint, medieval towns and picturesque villages and most importantly miles of ragged coastline and unspoilt beaches. Many of the beaches even have a range of adults and kids clubs during the summer months which is perfect for those who don't like simply lying in the sun.
Getting There: The gites are 30 minutes drive from Dinard-Pleurtuit airport, 1 hour from Rennes St Jacques airport, 1.5 hours from Brest airport and 2.5 Hours from Nantes airport.
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Check-in time: 15:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 30%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
Check-in time: 15:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 30%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
10% discount will be applied to full weeks after the first week
10% discount for bookings between 7 and 21 nights for bookings placed between 23 Aug 2026 and 23 Aug 2037
Check-in time: 15:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 30%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
10% discount will be applied to full weeks after the first week
10% discount for bookings between 7 and 21 nights for bookings placed between 23 Aug 2026 and 23 Aug 2037
click to view full-size image
Simon, Lesley, Sam (nearly 6) and Evie (3 going on 13!) own and live at Emerald Coast Gites. In their previous lives they lived in London where Simon and Lesley both worked for Banks in IT. Once Sam came along they decided to do something completely different which would hopefully enable them to spend more time with the children and give their children a really happy childhood. Their idea was to create a holiday environment where children could explore, run, jump, play and generally be happy, whilst being safe and at the same time not forgetting the parents. Simon and Lesley are both very outgoing, enjoy meeting people, having nice food and great wine. This coupled with having a great family living space is what you get when you stay at Emerald Coast Gites; hence the bar which sits nicely alongside the soft play area and is populated most evenings by parents discussing where they have been, what the kids have been up to and which are the best beaches! The bar is Simon's little hobby and it is difficult to get him out of there in the summer!
Simon and Lesley say they love it at Emerald Coast Gites because they have achieved what they set out and the clean fresh air, views, slower pace of life and the benefits for the children are second to none. Both our children go to school in the local village and speak fluent French. The space and freedom the children have is fantastic. Where they lived in London they had a garden the size of a postage stamp so to see the children bombing up and down the driveway on their bikes is fantastic. They also love the beaches - Lesley reckons that they are the best and least busy in France! Undiscovered to the majority. Clean, big, sandy and full of seafood if you catch the tides. They love going crabbing and picking up oysters directly from the rock pools and will gladly give you tips on the best places to head for to get really fresh seafood.
Sam and Evie, and every child which has stayed here love it at Emerald Coast Gites. The space, the swimming pools, the play areas, the ride-ons, the dens and the impromptu dads and kids footie match in the field goes down a treat. It is just so nice for the children to have the freedom to run around in a safe environement and to explore on their own. They can collect the eggs for breakfast, climb trees and generally be kids!
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Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms |
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 | The gites are 30 minutes drive from Dinard-Pleurtuit airport, 1 hour from Rennes St Jacques airport, 1.5 hours from Brest airport and 2.5 Hours from Nantes airport. |
 | Many beautiful beaches within 15 minutes drive including St Cast le Guido, which has great family facilities in high summer including trampolines and kids clubs. Also the very beautiful Sable d'Or les Pins |
 | 10 minutes walk from the picturesque local village of Hénansal, which boasts its own bar, church and a small supermarket providing fresh bread and general groceries. |
 | There is a heated toddler pool alongside the adult heated pool (all pools are in a fenced enclosure) |
 | See ganmes room |
 | Babysitting can be pre-booked prior to arrival. |
 | The gites come with black out blinds, toddler steps in all bathrooms, toys, books for under 3's, plastic crockery, cutlery and beakers. Extras can be provided in the from of travel cots and bedding, baby baths, high chairs, walkers, potties, sterilisers, blenders, bed guards, baby/play mats, changing mats, socket covers, monitors, stairgates and a full size cot. |
 | There are a range of toys and books for children in both the gites and in the outdoor play areas. |
 | Games room with a pool table, table tennis table, table football, electronic dart board (with plastic safety darts, suitable for children) and a very popular Nintendo Wii. |
 | Meals can be delivered to guest's gites as can fresh pastries for breakfast. Arrival night meals can be requested on booking these are 15per adult for 3 courses & 1/2 bottle of wine pp. Child's meals are free for under 5s & 5 for 5-14 year olds. Pureed organic veg & fruit will be included with meals if there's a baby in the party. |
 | Kids will love the outdoor trampoline with safety net, the toddler pool, sand pit, swing sets, ride-ons, slides,playhouses, seesaw and a covered soft play area on the terrace. |
 | Fresh meals can be ordered and either eaten in guest's gites or in the bar or terrace. Also fresh pastries for breakfast can be delievered to guests to save the morning walk, however guests are more than welcome to walk to the bakery themselves should they be fans of the fresh air and french countryside. |
 | Stairgates provided |
 | Outside there is a private garden ideal for little ones to play in. |
 | Free WiFi available |
 | multiple cot and highchairs available on request |
Please click the text to scroll through reviews.
The gite had toys, a cot, high chair, outdoor toys etc which were all good. However, the building itself wasn't as toddler friendly as it could be. There was a step to the front door where my daughter tripped and hit her head on the door. There was a shower screen fixed in place over the bath and it was hard to bathe a wriggly toddler. There wasn't a secure stair gate at the top of the stairs, which could be dangerous for a less obedient child.
We thoroughly enjoyed our family holiday with Emerald Coast Gites. Leslie and Simon have done an excellent job at creating an environment so that children and adults all have a great holiday. We will definitely return in the future.
Overall ExperienceChild-FriendlinessLocationHospitality / Welcome
Interiors*Ratings by verified BFB guests who stayed here with young children.
Rated by 5 guests.
