Urrugne, between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean
Radia Amar - 27 February 2017
Occupying an area of about 12,500 acres, Urrugne is the largest commune on the Basque coast. It is comprised of seven neighbourhoods along the shoreline, playing host to 9,000 year-round residents. Very close to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and near the border with Spain, Urrugne draws home-hunters in search of space and lovely views of the ocean and the Rhune.
Since 2016, Urrugne has witnessed a lively property market, chalking up a good number of transactions. Faced by a saturated maket in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, many buyers re-orient their search for a holiday home towards prized areas on this commune facing the ocean. Here, for the same budget, they can acquire a property twice the size of what they would find in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Many properties offer very beautiful views of the sea and/or mountains. Furthermore, it is still possible to find vast properties here set in generous grounds, some consisting of several acres.
”Seventy per cent of our clients thinking of buying a home in Urrugne see it as a good fall-back market for Saint-Jean-de-Luz. With a budget of 1 to 2 million euros, they can set their sights on lovely villas in beautiful airy settings,” says Nicolas Descamps of Côte Ouest Immobilier, an agency affiliated to Christie’s, specializing in prestige properties. By way of example, he mentions a villa of 260 m2 in grounds of over 4,000 m2 at the edge of a protected shoreline area. On three floors, it offers a view of the sea and the coastal stretch of Les Landes. Just a few minutes from the centre of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, it is up for sale at 1,378,000 €. Nicolas Descamps insists, however, on the need to enlist the services of a real professional in this complicated market. “Urrugne is in fact crossed by the motorway, so certain areas suffer from quite a lot of noise. Then, in the near future, the LGV rail project (”Ligne Grande Vitesse”) could well have an impact on some residential areas. Even so, as it covers a very vast territory, the commune has many protected neighbourhoods offering high potential.”
”Urrugne is, in fact, an excellent fall-back market for clients looking for large houses in either Basque or contemporary style,” says Philippe Thomine Desmazures, associate director of the Barnes Côte Basque agency based in Biarritz. “It is however important to pin-point one’s search, as prices vary considerably depending on the location. The Corniche between Ciboure and Hendaye is a very desirable address. Here, beautiful villas offer highly-prized viewpoints. It is a highly protected area, and therefore not very built-up. Its residents enjoy a real atmosphere of quietness and space.” The Barnes agency even proposes here a few outsize properties such as a listed residence of 850 m2 in a 12.5-acre park. Enjoying a magnificent 360° view of the sea and Pyrenees, this villa built in 1911 by the renowned architect Henri Godbarge blends the traditional Basque style with an English ambiance with a neo-Gothic chapel. Well-maintained, it is up for sale for several million euros. However, the majority of properties presented by Barnes range from 1 to 1.5 million euros. Prices enabling buyers wanting to escape from the bustle of the town to treat themselves to villas of quality with a corresponding level of amenities and appointments.