Need help...Groups of gites/villas with shared pool in southern France and/or Portugal for next summer

[bayleaf]

Have spent hours on the Internet over the weekend but without much success as yet so I'm hoping there might be a Mumsnet recommendation that could help. My requirements are....

Gite/villa in a group maybe 4-10? so that dds aged 8 and 5 have somebody to play with/mess around in the pool
Not on a big holiday complex as dh wants privacy and calm ( and dd might find it hard to meet same person twice if very big!)
And just to complicate it I refuse to stay anywhere that looks like it was last updated in 1985 ....So tasteful interiors only please!

Oh and ideally not far from the coast! ['I know I'm being unrealistic now' emoticon!]

I can find plenty of these sort of set-ups in Brittany and Cornwall where we have been for the last 4 years but we've got fed up of being rained on and decided to go somewhere that will definitely be hot....

Prepared to pay up to about £1500 a week.

Anyone help???

Try Villas Ruffino in the Algarve. Book through Style holidays part of Thomas Cook. We have been there last 2 years. 20 Villas with large shared pool all with sea views. Kids club 5 days a week. Ours kids made friends both times so lovely and relaxing for us. 5 mins walk to the beach with 3 or 4 resturants within half a mile. Many other people there were on their 3rd or 4th visit. Villas clean and comfy 4+ star.
Hope this helps

Sorry it is Villas Rufino with one "f" not 2.

OOooooooo sounds lovely - am off to have a look!

Friends with DC went to this place this summer and came home raving about it.

Gosh yes that is exactly the sort of place slealth squiggle, just like we've had in Brittany but further south - only minor downside is that the voyage south seems to have inflated prices! Cheapest week in school hols next year is £1700. Worth considering tho as it does look lovely - thank you!
The villa rufino site looks interesting too ( can't get a price on it, will need to ring up tomorrow). It's less like anything we've been to before but does tick the 'near the sea' box !! I need to go and read my rough guide to Portugal a bit - France is a known enterty ( I'm a french graduate)- Portugal is foreign!

Glad to help - friend couldn't say enough nice things about it - she said it managed to be chic and minimalist and child friendly all at the same time, and that the play facilities were great and the pool really well secured against accidental intrusion by DC. She is trying to persuade us to go there with them next year so we might see you there .

OK ENTITY ! ( Thinks 'why do I always post in a hurry and never preview'?!

I look forward to it SS

Bayleaf.. we are looking for the same. I have spent ages looking and there are a few lovely gite complexes in Charente Maritime (near La Rochelle).

We had a fab hol this year in Wales on a small cottage complex, I am hoping to find similar but with sun!!!! The kids made friends and we managed to relax!!!

Try www.totstofrance.co.uk - they have quite a few gite clusters with shared pools and they're all fully kitted out for kids

Hi,
If you want to go self catering, we stayed at a great place this year in Itay umbria which is just over the tuscany border.www.aplaceinumbria.com/ which was fab and so relaxing. They have a cluster of 3 apartments and all ready for kids of all ages: - they had childrens play areas, all the facilities you need, its only a short haul flight and a heated swimming pool.
Babysitting available at short notice. Give iit a try we will certainly be going back.

We went here in July for 2 weeks www.leshiboux.com it was marvellous. It's rural and quiet, but we loved it. The properties were lovely and huge gardens for the kids to play in.

I hardly saw my 2 DC (age 9 and 5) for the whole time we were there. They had a great time and so did I.

Just ask if you have any questions about it.