Stylish Luxury Holiday Villas in Lourmarine

Lourmarine is a small village deep in the Luberon about 50 km's easy of Avignon and is surrounded by olive groves, almond trees and vineyards, and epitomizes what we all love about Provence.It is officially designated one of the prettiest villages in France.A busy village in summer, it has those lovely leafy terraces and cafe's dotted around the village, some great medieval houses, a castle with some most peculiar Renaissance stairs and loads of winding streets, archways and nooks and crannies to explore.

In the summer there is a range of activities on offer for the visitor, the vineyards offer tastings, there are a number of pretty walks through the forested valley, fishing 4 km's away in the Durrance, horse riding, even mini golf.There is horse riding available and swimming plus you can even have a go at Archery but watch where you point those arrows!  For me though, it is the typical Provencal existence that attracts me, a glass of the local rose or a pasts in the late afternoon sunshine or lunch, the magical word in Provence when most things stop for 2 hours.

Lourmarine has also a famous inhabitant, sadly now deceased, Albert Camus lived and worked here and won the Nobel Prize for literature.He is buried in the Lourmarine grave yard, and tribute is paid to him all over the village.

Several other villages in the surrounding area are also worth a visit.The unfortunately named Puyvert is a small hamlet just 2 km's away and Cadenet has a really interesting classified feudal site with views over the Durrance River, the Alpilles Mountains, and the St-Victoire.There is a chateau which has been turned into a gallery and an outdoor theatre which stages shows from time to time.There are some troglodyte cave dwellings which you should go and see and there is also a basketwork museum, dedicated to a sadly dying art as the growing of willow trees has reduced a great deal since 1978.There is a Monday morning Provencal market all year around and a summer market on Saturdays. Bikes for mountain biking can be hired and there is walking, hiking and swimming available, plus a man-made lake which is only open in summer.

There is a 12th century Romanaesque church at Vaugines, plus a couple of other buildings to view, the Renaissance style Capitanerie and the 13th century Commanderie.In Cucuron there are a number of attractions;The Mark Deydiere Museum, the countryside of Saint Victoire, so loved by Cezanne, and an oilmill built into the 13th century village ramparts.The village is busy all the year around, especially in November and December when the picking and the pressing of the olives starts.

There is the odd hotel in the area, and odd is the operative word!The hotels here, if you can find one, are slightly quirky and pretty but do not always adhere to what might be expected by a discerning traveler.For the best comfort and ease of exploration, it is far better to consider renting a private villa as there are a number to choose from, often with great views, many with swimming pools and other attractions, such as their own boule courts.A number of companies are dedicated to find that perfect villa rental for you and many speak English or indeed in some cases are English and that can be important if anything goes wrong!

Getting to the area is not that difficult but you will need a car, Avignon is the biggest town and that's 50 km's away, but the drive is so pretty it will be over before you know it.The nearest airport is Marseilles but allow up to 2 hours to get there.Marseilles airport has a number of destinations on offer, London and several European destinations benefit from daily flights.

Stylish Luxury Holiday Villas Cottages in Maussane Les Alpilles

Maussane les Alpilles is a lovely Provencal village that is situated on the old Roman Aix to Arles road, but there is very little left in the village otherwise to connect it with the Roman occupation.  It is thought that the Romans began the tradition of collecting olives and this tradition has multiplied to the point where at one stage there were 12 oil mills in the village, and although there are fewer nowadays, Maussane together with its neighbor Mouries, are at the heart of the most important olive oil producing region in France.  You will not be surprised to learn about the beautiful landscape being dominated by olive trees!  These trees are particularly attractive to us Brits, as we love the gnarled features of the oldest ones and I think we love the sense of history as some olive trees can be over 1000 years old.

Maussane is the first step on "the Olive Trail" and if you want a suggestion as to how to taste the oil, you can make a "peche mignon" simply by drizzling some olive oil on some bread or even some goats  cheese and add a slice of tomato, delicious!

It has 4 historic monuments the you should check out, the 18th century chapel of St Croix, the 15th century chapel de Monblan, the 18th century chapel of St Roman and the 14th century château Querry.  There are also ancient communal washing areas, the Quatre Saisons fountain, the oratories and the Santon Museum.  Santons are rather gaudy ceramic figurines made in the area and much loved by the French.

Maussane can also offer walking, hiking, a swimming pool, and even has its own bullfighting ring that is used for more than just bullfighting nowadays.  However, they do still stage the odd bull-fight, which many Brits feel a little strange about, the deliberate baiting of an animal for sport and spectacle is not necessarily my idea of holiday entertainment, however I guess you must respect the traditions, which are more entrenched to the south in the Camargue area than this area.  There is also fishing, the inevitable petanque also known in the rest of France as boule, arts and crafts festivals from time to time, and even a horse show.

About 6 km's away is the charming village of Le Baux De Provence.  It has the most fantastic views from the top of the village, commanding the high ground as it does, and the village is busy with craft shops, santon makers, olive oil producers and all sorts of surprises to find through exploration. It boasts of over 20 historical monuments and also claims to host over 1.5 million visitors each year, so don't expect it to be tranquil!

There are a couple of interesting hotels in Maussane, but they are interesting rather than conforming to most international standards.  Far better to seek to rent a private villa in or around the area, as there are many to be found and several agencies dedicated to finding you the right one for your needs.  Views are offered almost without exception, many have pools and the cost can be surprisingly reasonable for the features offered compared with a hotel. There is also a campsite in the village.

Getting to Maussane is a little tricky. You will need a car because the idea of public transport does not seem to have occurred to the people of deepest Provence. The nearest airport if Marseilles about 70 km's distant with a number of regular services into London, many of the bigger French towns and cities, such as Paris, and some flights to many centers in Europe.  Nimes also has an airport serviced by Ryan air but with only Liverpool, London and Brussels to choose from as a destination it is a bit limited.

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.

Cereste: A Perfect Villa for Holidays

Cereste is a pretty Provencal village nestling beneath the Luberon mountains. Mostly 15th to 18th century, it is a  delight to walk around to explore all the art galleries, shops selling local produce and crafts, or stop at one of the many cafe's for a glass of rose, a pastis or a coffee.  Walking is a theme of the village as there is an ancient walking route which is also now a cycle path that links Cereste with Forcalquier region to the Rhone Valley.

The village itself has an interesting selection of gargoyles to admire, although I find them all rather unattractive, their historical antecedents are interesting. These are in the Place Verdun, which has many fine houses, one of which has been turned into a hotel and several others into art galleries. Going east out of the village is the Nid d'Amour, a walk taking in the old pigeon coups, pigeons were once big business in this village, and although you can find it in some restaurants locally, it is a very gamey almost an acquired taste. The path then leads on through some lovely fountains and leads to the Roman church built in the 13th century and the Priory Carluc.  


Cereste has an unusual microclimate that they claim makes it cooler in the evenings in summer than anywhere else in the area, which may not be what you want to hear if you are reading this in England in winter, but trust me, the evenings in Provence in summer can be very warm.


Other attractions include the 18th century St Michael Church, a ruined abbey, a Roman bridge and swimming, mountain bike hire, hiking are all available, plus there is an interesting market every Thursday morning.


Once you have seen all there is to see in  Cereste , and if you are more ively than I tend to be when going for a relaxing break in deepest Provence, then the nearby village of Viens is worth visiting.  It is a 13th century perched village which at 630 metres above sea level, nearly 2000 feet, provides fantastic views across the Provencal countryside, and over the border into the Alpes Maritimes where it is possible to see in the distance fields of lavender at the right time of year, which I guess means the summer!  Enter the village by way of the Saracen Gate and have look at the clock tower, which inevitable dominates the village skyline. The village has history going back over a thousand years, and there are still several 13th century houses to see, plus it has a restored 14th century Renaissance Chateau.  It is at the end of the so called "route d'ochre" which leads to the famous Provencal "Colorado Cliffs"


Another village which is just as pretty and offer the same wonderful outdoor summer experience of flowers, forests, woodlands, walking and mountain biking is St Martin de Castillion about 8 km's away.
Staying in the area in a hotel can be tricky, there is one hotel In Cereste, and as far as I can ascertain, no others in the area.  There are of course a few gites, but to be comfortable for a week or a fortnight, a better bet is to look to hire a private villa, as there are a number to choose from.  There are several agencies offering this kind of Rentals , some speak English and some are in fact English.


Getting to this part of Provence is pretty difficult unless you have access to a car, which to my mind is imperative, especially if you want to take in the whole area, as public transport hardly exists and taxis are scarce.  Nearest airport is Marseilles, which has flights going to many destinations in Europe and the UK plus you can get too and from several provincial French cities plus Paris quite readily. The airport is some 75 km's distant but allow up to 2 hours as the back routes are not conducive to fast driving, and in any event the route is pretty and worth taking in.