Villa Cocoon

Tucked away in a walled garden, Villa Cocoon very much lives up to its name, and offers a charming retreat for a couple or smaller family in a fantastic location just a five-minute walk from the centre of Bois Plage village.

A complete renovation in 2022 has brought this lovely comfortable home bang up to date, decorated in natural seaside colours to get you straight into the holiday mood. Sliding glass doors open up the living space onto the terrace and lawned garden, complete with loungers for a lazy day by the pool and a dining table for quiet evenings in your own little cocoon. The refurbishment added some helpful little extras such as a laundry room so you can pack light, and optional pool heating so you can make the most of the outdoor space even in the early and late season. There’s also a convenient family suite, ideal if you have little ones that prefer to have mum and dad close by, whilst still allowing for a degree of parental privacy.

The other great appeal of this villa lies in its location: it’s so easy to wander into Bois Plage for a meal or a mosey around its celebrated market, which is open every morning during the summer season and is a real island institution. In fact, you can basically go car-free for a week if you wish; the superb Gollandières beach is a seven-minute walk, and if you bring or hire bikes locally, the whole of the island opens up via cycle paths for a healthier way to get around and the perfect excuse to enjoy fabulous Ile de Ré food and wine to the full.

Local area

Le Bois Plage sits in the middle of Ré, just a 10-minute bike ride from the island capital and UNESCO World Heritage site of St Martin, full of speciality shops and tempting restaurants in its cobbled old town streets. Sunset from Plage de la Conche (15km) is a romantic way to end the day, or take a bike tour round the salt marshes and oyster beds that are such a key part of the island’s heritage and landscape. The numerous local beaches each have their own particular character; some are deliberately untouched, while others have handy facilities that make a day out a breeze for families. For more organised activity, there are plenty of opportunities for sailing, windsurfing, paddle-boarding, surfing, kayaking and more.

Our choice of France properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.