Find a perfect villa

Ok so you’ve decided to come and stay in the south of France – that’s a good start. But what kind of accommodation are you going to choose and how will you find it? The main choice is between a hotel or a villa.

A hotel is good if you want to stay a couple of days in a city centre, perhaps catch the best of the Cannes Film Festival…but it is much more French to stay in a holiday rental property – and a villa is also a much better way to appreciate the countryside, and to have the freedom that is all-important for a relaxing holiday.

So what do you need? Great property, swimming pool, views from a terrace, maid service perhaps? The property location is equally important of course – you need to decide whether you are looking for something quite and rural, or just minutes from the local beaches and restaurants.

You could do a lot worse than check out the choice at south of France villas – selected properties that all just look perfect for a great holiday. OK so I already live here in southern France, but even so I’d be very happy to find myself in any of these villas for a week or two…or three.

Imagine yourself sitting on the terrace of your villa, glass of wine in hand, looking out over Cannes. Or perhaps ambling through the grounds of your mini-chateau in the Dordogne, after a day spent exploring the medieval villages.

And of course day-dreaming, as everyone does who visits the region, about what it must be like to live all year round in one of these beautiful houses.

See you soon!

Forest fires in Provence

Each year there are numerous fires in the hot Provence sun, often due to lack of care and attention. On average, 3000 fires each year destroy 15,000 hectares of forest.

As a result, there are rules and regulations to follow, and times when certain areas are closed to the public. Since these anti-fire measures will be useful to anyone vising Provence, here is a quick guide:

Forbidden

• Smoking or discarding cigarette butts in forest and wooded areas
• Barbecues and campfires are banned within 200 metres of a wooded area
• Use of matches and fireworks is forbidden

Read more

Visit the Var

The coastal section of the Var department is quite well known, with the resorts including Toulon, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Raphael attracting very large numbers of visitors. But what lies inland in the Var department?

Heading towards the centre of the region you pass first through the forested (or deforested, where fires have destroyed the ancient woodlands) hills of the Massif des Maures. Head for the remote Chartreuse de la Verne, or follow the road between Cogolin and Collobrieres for some of the highlights.

Changing from forests to vineyards, we have the the attractive countryside of the Cotes de Provence wine department – you’ve seen it on the wine bottle labels, come and see where it is produced! The region around Les Arcs and Lorgues is the heart of this wine producing region, and offers ample opportunities to sample the wine.

Continuing north you come to Haut-Var, the Upper Var region. Quiet towns and villages, typically Provencal in nature, dot the landscape of olive trees and lavender, as the landscape becomes more rugged and more remote. the villages of Aups, Entrecasteaux and Tourtour (a classified most beautiful village) are representative of the region – steep streets, ruined castles, belltowers with wrought iron campaniles, the trademark fountains of the region…sleepy dogs and tightly closed shutters, washing hanging out to dry on high balconies…this is perhaps Provence as it was before being ‘discovered’.

Continuing even further north, to the border with the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, we find one of the great natural wonders of France at the Gorges-du-Verdon – but that is another department, and perhaps a different visit, to this special part of France, because Var itself has more than enough to entertain you for one holiday.