Canicule Hot in the South of France this Summer.

Summer in the South of France and it's hot, hot, hot. In France we call this heatwave a 'Canicule' which is when the day time temperatures are above 30 degrees and it stays above 20 degrees at night.

If you're on holiday in one of our South of France villas to rent then here are our top 5 tips for staying cool this summer

1. Drink Water - Wine and cocktails are great but they can dehydrate you so keep the water levels topped up at all times and make sure the younger and older members of your party are doing the same

2. Mid Day Sun - Mad dogs and Englishmen are renowned for being out in the midday sun. Stay out of the midday heat - retire to a cool and dark room inside, if you have air-con then this is really the time to use it and if not then all the shopping centres and cinemas are air-conditioned, go out and enjoy the cool

3. Keep it Closed - During the day keep all your doors, shutters and windows closed to avoid letting in the heat. Then, as the sun goes down and the air is cooler open the house and let in the refreshing breeze.

4. Pool Time - If you're spending a day around the pool then dip in and out as much as you can and sit in your damp swimwear all day, cool and relaxing.

5. Sun protection - Hats, cream, t-shirts and more....we all love the sun but covering up is the best way to enjoy your holiday.

The team at Cote d'Azur Villas wish you a wonderful holiday in the South of France this year.

A Busy January in the South of France with Cote d'Azur Villas

So we've all eaten far too much, the diet has been started and almost instantly forgotten and perhaps where you live it's grey, damp and rather depressing. Well it's all very different here in the South of France.

The sky is blue, it's crisp and clear and there is a whole calendar of events to enjoy.

Monte Carlo Rally - This year the rally will actually begin in Monaco on Monday 13th January at 8.15pm. The rally is tough on competitors and takes in mountains, snow and ice and will finish with the closing ceremony in Monte Carlo on Sunday 19th January.

Monaco Circus Festival -  Roll Up! Roll Up! 2014 sees the 38th edition of the Monte Carlo Circus Festival featuring circus performers and acts from around the globe. The big top is on the port at Fontvielle and performances take place between 16th and 26th January 2014.

The Sales - Strictly controlled in France, in our region the sales start on the 8th January. Look out for the post Christmas bargains.

Winter Sports - The ski stations have now been open for a few weeks and the 2014 snow is looking good. The resorts of Auron and Isola 2000 are a 90 minute drive from the coast and both offer great winter sports facilities.

We hope that has wetted your appetite for a winter break to the South of France, it's a great time to visit and many of our villas offer great rates for winter villa rentals in the South of France.

South of France Villas Get Active

So you've booked one of our wonderful villas to rent in the South of France and you're planning your holiday, what if you want to do more than relax by the pool?  For those of our guests who are looking for a truly active holiday here on the French Riviera then there are many activities such as cycling, mountain biking, kite surfing and more.

In the winter then we are only a short drive from the ski slopes and many of our guests book a South of France villa with us and take the opportunity to drive up to the slopes for skiing, snow-boarding and mountain walks.

Try organising your activites with Active Azur who offer everything form kite surfing on the beaches of the South of France to snow boarding up in the French Alps.

So for your next visit to the French Riviera, book your holiday villa with us and then get 'active' with Active Azur.

Vacation Homes Rentals in Theole Sur Mer by Cotedzaurvillarentals

Theole sur Mer is the picture perfect Riviera seaside village situated between St Tropez and Cannes, but closer to Cannes. It has wonderful sandy beaches, one of which allows nude bathing, from Pointe de l'Aiguille and Pointe St-Marc, some great beach restaurants such as the Marco Polo, huge rocky escarpments, loads of water sports and is ideal for swimming.  Fabulous views both up to the mountains behind or from the mountains over the village and the sparkling Mediterranean sea.  It is sheltered by those Esterel Mountains behind, which are fantastic in the summer as they offer some shade on the beaches in the late afternoons, but have the effect of making it a bit less sunny in the afternoons in winter, although none the less beautiful for all that in the winter months.

The small harbour is delightful, with its red rock lighthouse standing out and there are other fascinating buildings here such as the crenellated castle château des Mineurs which was originally used as a soap factory and is now accommodation.  The walks are also very beautiful, but more of a hike than a walk given the mountains (the Grosses Grues is 440 metres in altitude, that's nearly 1400 feet high) that surround this ancient village which can trace its history back to the 5th century, having always been a safe haven port.

The drive along the coast in the direction of sttropez villa rentals if one of the most beautiful in the world, with its rocky outcrops, untamed sea and the sparkling blue waters, set against the backdrop of the mountains, which are covered in bright yellow mimosa in January and February make this a truly breathtaking spectacle.  Continuing on you come to Agay, a sleepy beach village much beloved by campers and then on to the delights of St Raphael and if you feel the need St Tropez.

In the other direction is Mandelieu La Napoule and the Cannes, There are a number of restaurants in Mandelieu and two very nice golf courses, the Riviera and The Mandelieu Old Course, which is particularly pretty as most of the fairways are made up of parasol pines and it is close to the sea.

Cannes itself is a fantastic vibrant festival town.  The Cannes Film Festival takes place in May each year and attracts film stars and media types from all over the world who swarms around the Palais des Festivals and fill up the Carlton, The Martinez and the Majestic hotels, plus most of the others as well.  the shopping here is delightful if you are a designer hound, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and many others have shops here, most often on the Croisette, the road along the sea front and the beach restaurants are amongst the best in the world. The old town of Le Sucquet has any number of great restaurants as well, especially those congregated up the Rue St Antoine, the road that winds up from the port area to the old town.

 Some hotels are available in Theole Sur Mer, but by far the best way to stay and explore the area is to rent a private villa, which is surprisingly easy to do.  There are several companies offering this type of accommodation, some speak English some are English, and in Theole Sur Mer there is good chance that you will get a fantastic sea or mountain view together with the almost inevitable swimming pool.

Villa Rental, The Do’s And Don’ts of booking a villa

Villa rental as opposed to hotel is a question that usually starts to be discussed as soon as the embers of Christmas and the effects festivities over indulgence are coming to an end.  But once you have decided on villa rental, what should be your criteria to find what you want?


The first thing to consider is whether to drive of fly.  If you fly then of course you are much more restricted in what you can take with you, whereas if you take the car there is any amount of extra stuff you can take with you, whether you need it or not.


First, if you are going somewhere exotic, although that is unlikely when you are driving, you need to check if any inoculations are required.  Booking the ferry or tunnel is also important to do reasonably soon after you have booked the property, as prices are lower in the winter even if booking for a peak week.


Once you have researched and booked the villa rental you want, the first thing to check is how to get there.  Satellite navigation is a boon, but some of the more obscure parts of Europe may not yet been on tom-tom or google maps, so ensure you have a decent paper map with you.


So all the preparation is done, and you are on your way. You need to check what time you can get in to the villa you have rented.  This is normally 4pm but can vary.  It is as well to ask if there is a welcome pack provided, or whether you need to schedule a stop at the nearest supermarket.  Checking where this is and opening times is also worthwhile, many a holiday maker has underestimated the time needed to get to somewhere on a Saturday afternoon, and then discover that all the shops are shut on a Sunday.


Once there, and settled, it is too late to decide that there are not enough bedrooms, or that granny has to go up three flights of stairs, so be sure of the configuration of the villa before you set out and that it conforms to the size of your family! Good Villa Rental Agencies generally have lots of photographs of each villa on their web site with details of each room of the villa you are renting. If they don’t, ask yourself why?


Research into the local area before departure is always worthwhile.   Knowing where the best beaches are, restaurants, places of interest and for the kids, the nearest amusement parks are all tasks that can be undertaken ahead of departure.



 Once in the villa, you need to know where the electricity switch is and read about the facilities provided.  Many don't bother and then when a fuse trips in the night are unable to fix the problem.


 Leave some time to clean up.  Most villa rental companies ask you to leave the property in the state that you found it. Normally a deposit will be taken to be held against damages and breakages that might occur, so don't mistreat the place and if you do break something expect to pay to replace it although most companies will not charge for the odd glass or plate.


This all comes down to choosing the right villa, which in most cases is down to talking directly to the owner or the agency looking after the house.  Most agencies know the houses that they are renting and can usually alert you to facts that you had not considered, such as wheelchair access or Granny upstairs as I have mentioned.  But discovering in advance what is around the house, is it on a main road for instance, and where are the nearest local shops and restaurants,  is all vital knowledge and the villa rental agency are usually only too happy to point out the pitfalls and suggest possible entertainments that you had not considered.


Overall then, it is best book a villa through an agent that speaks your language, better still if you are English, find an agent that is English, then nothing can get lost in translation.  But most of all enjoy your selves!