This charming stone villa in St Paul en Forêt (near Fayence), Cote d'Azur is the perfect location for exploring the beautiful Côte d'Azur, Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez and the heart of Provence.
The villa has south facing terraces and a beautifully large (12m x 6m), mirror pool catching the full Mediterranean sun. Inside the villa is cool, spacious and very comfortable. It is situated on the edge of the charming village of St.Paul en Forêt which is a five minute walk. The village has a bakery, village square bar and two great restaurants. With views of the mountains it is a peaceful woodland setting. It is perfect for you if you are seeking a blissful Provençal retreat while exploring the regions stunning scenery.
On your doorstep are six medieval perched villages (Seillian, Fayence, St Paul en Forêt, Tourettes, Callian and Montauroux.)
Set high on the mountains they are steeped in history and tradition with stunning senic views and many incredible restaurants at their centre. They are all served by many more bakeries, food and gift shops further down the mountains. Outdoor concerts and events are common in the centre of these villages in the summer.
The glamorous and sophisticated Nice, Cannes, Antibes and St Tropez are all easy journeys from St Paul en Forêt.
The villa is beautiful, traditional with a modern twist. It is built entirely from a warm coloured local stone with a very large open plan living/dining room including a vaulted ceiling (of the same local stone). There are two sets of french doors opening from the living/dining area onto the outside terrace.
There are three large ground floor bedrooms running along the south side of the hall, each with a king sized bed surrounded by full canopy netting with air-conditioning throughout the villa.
On the other side of the ground floor hall are two bathrooms and a large utility room. One of the bathrooms is the ensuite for the master bedroom.
The master bedroom has French doors leading into the garden and also has a separate dressing room. Each of the bedrooms has a large built-in wardrobe.
The well equipped kitchen is in a vintage style with modern appliances. The kitchen easily serves both the inside dining room and the outside terrace.
The pool is a particularly large, modern, mirror pool and forms a striking feature being so close to the villa. There is a solar shower by the pool which provides a lovely warm shower after your swim.
You have a pergola to provide shade on the south facing terrace for part of the day.
There is a full sized Boules court in the grounds of the villa and hammocks to wile away the hours relaxing.
The garden attracts lots of wildlife, including unusual birds - Eurasian Jays (with bright blue patches on their wings) and Eurasian Golden Oriole (which are bright yellow), wild Hermann Tortoises (which are native to the area) and the local forests have plenty of Wild Boar (Sanglier in French).
There may be discounts available for smaller parties, early birds, longer stays & late flexible bookings, please enquire.
For our British guests here is a link with advice on travelling to France since Brexit
https://au.france.fr/en/holiday-prep/brexit-travel-rules-uk-france/amp
I’d recommend these local restaurants for a meal - sometimes they get very booked up so you may want to book in advance
http://www.restaurantlefrance.fr/ (Fayence)
https://www.restaurantletempsdescerises.fr/en/ (Fayence)
https://traiteur-echappeebelle-com.webnode.fr/ (St Paul en Foret)
http://lagloiredemonpere.fr/fr/ (Seillian)
http://www.auberge-fleurie-fayence.fr/ (Fayence)
The Markets
There's a bustling Provencal market in nearby Fayence 3 days a week Tuesday, Thursday and the busiest day, is normally Saturday where you can buy freshly picked vegetables, locally pressed olive oil, cheeses, clothes, gifts and all manner of other local produce.
It is set in the Church Square where you will find the beautiful Church, one of the local bars, and various small restaurants, cafes and local shops. Fayence also hosts many specialist markets, for example: the Antiques Market 4 times a year; An Art Fair 3rd Sunday in July with over 60 artists and Artisans and an Exhibition of Provence Gourmande on Sunday in mid August. For more information on Fayence contact or visit the local tourist office which is in the centre of the village.
The South of France also offers several much larger markets at St Raphael, Antibes and Nice on various days of the week and Le Muy on Sundays. There is also a vibrant market in Ventigmiglia just over the border into Italy dubbed the bargain shopping of Italy on Fridays and Saturdays.
Gliding
The small airfield in Fayence/Tourrettes is reputed to be the home of the best gliding in Europe and is a good place for a drink or a meal. For lessons and courses see www.aapca.net. . Or call. It is a peaceful sight to sit on one of the terraces at Le’chappee Belle and watch the silent graceful fights of the gliders as they fly over the valley.
Spas
The Four Seasons Spa at Terre Blanche is one of the most stunning and luxurious of its kind in Europe, whilst the Spa and beauty centre at the Domaine de Fayence is much less expensive.
Both spas are a very short drive away
The Four Seasons hillside, two-level, 3,200-square-metre facility boasts 12 treatment rooms complete with showers and heated blankets in addition to two VIP couples' suites. Each has a double whirlpool bath, steam shower and large outdoor terrace with cabana. It opens between 7am and 9pm every day and also offers a variety of massage, body and facial treatments a salon and health/well-being assesments.
Lac de St Cassien
Lac de St Cassien is about 15 minutes drive away. It is a very large and beautiful fresh water lake, surrounded by forest. The fresh water fishing is reputed to be one of the best carp fishing lakes in Europe: day fishing licences can be obtained. The lake also is a fun spot for families offering water sports, horse riding, sailing, swimming, kayaks and pedalos and lakeside eateries. Top tip is to arrive by 10am to get easy parking, your choice of pedalos and most importantly to catch the gentle early morning sun and blissful peace of the lake.
Chateau and Wine tasting.
There are a wealth of vineyards, tours and wine tasting in the Var region of Provence, which is predominately known for its Rose Wines. One of them, Chateau Sainte Roseline at Les Arcs, near Draguignan is well worth a visit. It has organised tours in, English and French, of the wine production facilities, cellars and tasting opportunities including a visit to the Roman Chapel which in itself is of major interest.www.sainte-roseline.comfor more information and directions. Our local vineyard is called Domaine Grande Bastide, great Rose wine. See link below.
Or call in at the local tourist office for details of other vineyards in the region.
Other activities
Horse riding, hiking and local hill waking are available locally and there is a laid back tennis club at the bottom of the hill in Fayance (by the public pool) for the really energetic.
To find out more about the largest nearby village Fayence, visit the official websitewww.ville-fayence.fr
Over the last weekend of every October, St Tropez holds a Grand Braderie- a big sale, where the tiny streets of St Tropez are full of stalls whilst all the shops reduce their prices too, attracting many thousands each year.
Festivals and Events
Over the summer, there are extensive festivals and concerts in Fayence, often in the Cultural Open Air Theatre- Espace Culturel de Fayence. The Fayence Classical Music Festival, for lovers of music, takes place in October each year. For more information, visit the tourist office.
The smaller villages Tourrettes, Callian Montauroux, and Seillans also host various events and of course, the Cote D’Azur itself has innumerable splendid events ranging from the Cannes Film Festival , the Jazz festival at St Raphael, The Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, and magical festivities over the Christmas and New Year for those seeking winter breaks.
The Cote D’Azur
TheCote D’Azur (a.k.a the French Riviera) with its beaches, restaurants, night life and all the various attractions of the coastline is a short drive away, the closest, Mandelieu La Napoule and Theole sur Mer are about 30 minutes, followed by Frejus and St Raphael around 35 minutes, St Maxime is about 40 minutes whilst St Tropez is just over an hour, as is Monte Carlo.
