Cote d Azur holiday apartment, France
| country: | France |
| location: | Montauroux, Cote d Azur, Provence |
| price: | From €400 - €750 per week for apartment (sleeps 2). Price includes linen, electricity and shared pool. Deposit required |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
description
This comfortable garden apartment is in the grounds of the French owners’ property, to the side of their house and set slightly back. It has a large secluded terrace, and a pretty garden with level grassy area and flower beds. There is a private barbecue and garden furniture for outdoor meals and two loungers, and parking space for one car. Our tenants share the owners’ beautiful swimming pool. It has a rigid cover which is very effective in keeping the water temperature high in mid-season. The property is well maintained and the interior is newly decorated and very well-equipped for a small property.
The best known of the nearby natural areas is the Lac de St Cassien. This beautiful wild lake is almost surrounded by forested hills and the shoreline is undeveloped, retaining its natural ambience. There are hiking trails all the way around its edge, although they do follow the roads for some of the way. To the east the Bois de Callian goes over the hills towards Tanneron, where the oak forests merge into the mimosa forests.
To the west of the lake is a much wilder area. There is a circular walk that takes about 3 hours, starting at the parking area for the Réserve Biologique de Fondurane. The first part is along the Grande Randonnée 49, then it loops back over the hills back to the start. (The Réserve Biologique de Fondurane is a 43 hectare protected area which is superb for watching wildlife, especially waterbirds.) Late spring is a particularly good time for this walk due to the abundance of wildflower species, including the Violet Bird’s Nest Orchid (Limodorum abortivum).
We think this apartment is excellent value for money and is in a lovely rural location, ideal for exploring the region of the Haut Var. We always have happy tenants at this property!
The best known of the nearby natural areas is the Lac de St Cassien. This beautiful wild lake is almost surrounded by forested hills and the shoreline is undeveloped, retaining its natural ambience. There are hiking trails all the way around its edge, although they do follow the roads for some of the way. To the east the Bois de Callian goes over the hills towards Tanneron, where the oak forests merge into the mimosa forests.
To the west of the lake is a much wilder area. There is a circular walk that takes about 3 hours, starting at the parking area for the Réserve Biologique de Fondurane. The first part is along the Grande Randonnée 49, then it loops back over the hills back to the start. (The Réserve Biologique de Fondurane is a 43 hectare protected area which is superb for watching wildlife, especially waterbirds.) Late spring is a particularly good time for this walk due to the abundance of wildflower species, including the Violet Bird’s Nest Orchid (Limodorum abortivum).
We think this apartment is excellent value for money and is in a lovely rural location, ideal for exploring the region of the Haut Var. We always have happy tenants at this property!
rooms, food and facilities
The house is situated about 2.5km from the picturesque village of Montauroux which has a couple of restaurants, a boulangerie and some other local shops. There is also a colourful local market on the village square.
The nearest supermarket is 5km. There are tennis courts 2.5km, horse riding 4km and golf 20km in Grasse. Saint Cassien Lake, which is great for windsurfing and bathing, is about 6km. Montauroux is well placed for exploring the ancient villages of the Var such as Callian, with its ancient streets and castle and views over the flower fields to the Lac de Saint Cassien. Fayence is another nearby little town which has many artisans such as artists, painters and potters. It also has a wonderful market three times a week. The property is about 30km from the coast, either Fréjus or Cannes.
There is an L-shaped open-plan living room which has a dining area, comfortable seating, CD player and satellite television. This leads into a pleasant garden room which acts as a second sitting room. The kitchen area is well-equipped and has a 4-ring mixed hob, small oven, microwave oven, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, a toaster and an electric kettle. There is one bedroom with a double bed, 160cm, which may be split into two single beds if required, and there is a shower room with shower, W.C. and a washing machine. An extra single bed is available on request.
The nearest supermarket is 5km. There are tennis courts 2.5km, horse riding 4km and golf 20km in Grasse. Saint Cassien Lake, which is great for windsurfing and bathing, is about 6km. Montauroux is well placed for exploring the ancient villages of the Var such as Callian, with its ancient streets and castle and views over the flower fields to the Lac de Saint Cassien. Fayence is another nearby little town which has many artisans such as artists, painters and potters. It also has a wonderful market three times a week. The property is about 30km from the coast, either Fréjus or Cannes.
There is an L-shaped open-plan living room which has a dining area, comfortable seating, CD player and satellite television. This leads into a pleasant garden room which acts as a second sitting room. The kitchen area is well-equipped and has a 4-ring mixed hob, small oven, microwave oven, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, a toaster and an electric kettle. There is one bedroom with a double bed, 160cm, which may be split into two single beds if required, and there is a shower room with shower, W.C. and a washing machine. An extra single bed is available on request.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Holidays in France are largely about enjoying the culture of another country and we promote this in every way we can. This property is 2.5km from the perched village of Montauroux which has been designated as a ‘Station verte de vacances’. This national award is given in recognition of the village’s support for open spaces and floral displays, respect for the environment and nature, maintenance of cultural sites and leisure facilities, (eg waymarked walks, sports, swimming etc) and promotion of local products.
Visitors to Montauroux are able to enjoy a stunning, unspoilt environment and appreciate traditional village life at the same time as supporting the local economy. The owner provides detailed information about the local shops, markets and restaurants in Montauroux and nearby villages as she is keen for visitors to sample the delicious locally produced food. She is happy to accompany people on local walks and show them the area, as well as advising on non-touristic places of interest. A list of local festivals is available at the property for the clients’ information. The Festival de Transhumance is held every June. This is a celebration of the annual trek of the sheep to the high mountain pastures, and involves displays by working sheepdogs as well as related rural crafts (sheep shearing, horse shoeing), period music played on authentic instruments, food stalls and local produce for sale. On August 24th the festival of St Batholémy is held in Montauroux. Locally sourced materials were used as far as possible in the building and furnishing of this property, and some works of local art and craft are on display. A local person is employed to do the cleaning - this, along with renting the property, injects money into the local economy and supports life in rural France. The owner is a keen gardener and recycles rain water for irrigation purposes and composts garden and kitchen waste. She grows vegetables and keeps chickens and likes to share the produce with our tenants. The swimming pool at this property has a rigid cover conserving heat and reducing evaporation. Paper, plastic and glass are recycled and the owner will point out where the collection point is for your sorted rubbish. She will also explain how to use the timer switch. Environmentally friendly cleaning products are provided. Our office in Devon is in a redundant agricultural building which we re-built using reclaimed, traditional materials. We support the Devon Wildlife Trust and we have nest boxes and feeding stations in the office grounds to encourage the birds. Our water for the office comes from a spring and is pumped by a water-powered ram. We do not produce a paper brochure; our bookings and enquiries are handled by email and all our office paper and printing cartridges are re-cycled. Our shredded documents go on the compost heap. We support a range of charities and projects in France and worldwide which provide aid to vulnerable communities and habitats, e.g. ASSOHUMA, a French charity which organises trips taking humanitarian and medical aid to women in Afghanistan and families in remote Sénégal; Shared Interest, a co-operative lending society which provides funding for Third World producers. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |