Property Description
This charming cottage is also associated with several other holiday homes which are available for separate rentals, so if you want to increase the accommodation capacity to beyond what is on offer here, or would like something bigger but on the same enchanting grounds then consider another of the hideaways on the estate, accessible also on our home website, such as:
• Bastide Coriandre
• Studio Apartment Cassis
• Cabane Noisette
or any combination thereof. For those who would like to additionally rent a teepee, just ask the owners.
The large estate is mainly wild, comprising meadow and woodland, offering limitless pottering opportunities for both oldest and youngest generations. There is heaps of space for children to play. In the meantime you yourself can duck below the radar for a week or more, while others chafe away at world politics and corporate affairs. Order some massage and a splendid meal on-site for after your hike, or discuss several other options offered by your charming host, including cookery classes and wine-tasting.
Cottage Myrte itself is a stone cottage which has been painstakingly restored by the owner to embrace original features, using soft attractive colours which reflect the Provençal countryside. During the day you may want to sunbathe or read (outdoor furniture is provided). It is set within its own garden plot on the estate. The thick light-coloured limestone walls with rustic grouting provide for a cool interior, even though the climate in this part of the Var wooded hinterland, at over 300m elevation, rarely overwhelms the visitor: it is systematically more than 3°C cooler than St. Tropez. The ceilings expose the original wooden beams. This cottage radiates cosiness, and provides an open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen. There are two double bedrooms, one bathroom, and one shower room. Outside you can absorb the peace and quiet of a covered terrace, relax with a pastis, prepare a barbecue or just dine elegantly.
Property Features
FACILITIES
Open-plan living room/dining and kitchen area: The rectangular layout of this open-plan room is comfy with warm, muted colours, beamed ceilings and terracotta floor tiles. Sofa, chairs and coffee table are at one end of the room and the dining area at the other. Both ends have French doors onto the garden, allowing light to stream in. A wood-burning stove can be lit for the cooler evenings. The fully functional kitchen, including oven, a generous range of copper pots and pans, fridge freezer and dishwasher, is located in a corner. A television (French channels) and wifi are provided, as well as a selection of DVDs for when the sun goes down or should it, God forbid, even rain!
Master bedroom: (upstairs) Sizeable with king-size bed and attractive antique furniture. Metal-framed bed in the early 1900s style.
Second bedroom: (upstairs) Twin beds which can be bolted into a double bed; room for a small child’s bed if needed.
Bathroom: (upstairs) Washbasin and toilet, bathtub with shower attachment.
Shower room: (downstairs) Shower, washbasin and toilet, washing machine.
Outside: The cottage is set in its own 1 ha garden with ample garden and terrace furniture, and a covered terrace. It is surrounded by the estate (a further 3 ha), on which the other buildings are located. The prairie and trees, mostly left "à l'anglaise" can be used as well, all this providing a guaranteed cabin-fever remedy for children of all ages to play in, without the need for supervision. A barbecue is available. Coniferous and deciduous trees leads up to the Manor; limitless parking for the cottage and other guests is available.
Swimming pool: . N.B. The pool is shared with the guests in the other buildings on the estate (see above). It may not be available during the period of your stay. PLEASE CHECK before booking.
The pool is a large rectangular structure (15x4 metres), and available without seasonal restriction. Contrary to popular anglo-saxon beliefs relating to Provence, you will find this only minimally attractive in March and earlier! It is security alarmed. Sun loungers and a hammock are for use on the pool surround.
Internet/telephone: A fixed telephone line is not available, so use the Wifi internet connection free-of-charge to connect up to friends, family and business. You might also find it convenient to buy a local SIM card at a tourist tariff in the village.
Baby facilities: Please inquire.
Supplementary services: the owners can organise or carry out themselves a large variety of additional services, including cooking your dinner/BBQ parties and providing cookery classes à la Provençale, massage and yoga classes. Outside activities include wine-tasting at the local vineyard, pottery classes, accompanied walks to the markets and complete activities packages. Ask the owners for a tailor-made programme.
Disabled-friendliness: Only the gound floor (open-plan living area) and gardens are wheelchair-accessible.
Environmental features: none
CONDITIONS
Damage deposit: 600 € cash in Euros on arrival, refundable less the replacement cost of any breakages.
Bed & bathroom linen: weekly change included in rental cost. Pool towels also provided if the pool is made available.
Gas, electricity & water: all included in rental cost.
Cleaning: included in rental cost.
Holiday tax: included in rental cost.
Change over day: Normally on Saturdays, but contact us to find out if another day is possible. Arrival 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. or by special agreement. Depart before 10 a.m.
Pets: May be accepted by prior request only
Smoking: This is a no-smoking estate.
HOW TO GET THERE
By Car: The roads and autoroutes in France are a pleasure, so driving can sometimes make a good alternative to flying – at least you’ll already have your car with you! From the UK you have the choice of using the ferries or the Eurotunnel for your crossing. Once in the South of France, this property can be easily accessed via the A7 and A8 autoroutes.
By Air: Toulon is the closest international airport (90km, 1h25m), but Nice (104 km, 1h32m) has more flights and connections, and Marseille Provence (115km, 1h45m) offers additional alternatives.
By Train: Eurostar runs from London to Paris city centres and then the high speed TGV service runs from Paris to Nice. The nearest TGV station to this property is Draguignan - Les Arcs.
• Full directions will be sent to you once you have made a booking.
About the local area
LOCAL AREA INFORMATION
Once you leave the pearly gates of this estate find yourself on the borders of two well-known regional parks (Park naturel régional du Verdon, and Park naturel régional des Préalpes d'Azur). You will be in the middle of hilly, wooded countryside at 300m above sea level, but climbing steeply to over 1000 m at la Grande Nouguière within 14 km of your new home. Even if you have to leave a clear berth to the military camp (they also seem to know the best places to play and rest!), there are just unlimited areas to walk, cycle and ride horses. The most dramatic attraction will certainly be the Verdon Canyon and its tributary Artuby, forming a large arc 20 km to North of the Bastide: this is Europe's answer to the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Stay cooler here and safely away from the frenetic hustle of the coastal strip of St. Tropez and Co. to the South, but if you must join in then drop down to the sea in 65 minutes by car.
If you are not overwhelmed by the need to conquer the topography of the area, then feast your eyes on the markets of the three surrounding medieval villages of Villecroze, Tourtour and Salernes. Or feast your stomachs on the many restaurants....or your delicate palates and olefactory senses on the wines directly from the vineyards of the area, or on the locally grown olives.
Our wisest guests come with few preconceptions: they drift happily and ad-hoc from one activity to another, absorbing sport, culture, history and high-life as they come, and then combining them to a wonderfully stress-free holiday.
Local shops, restaurants and butchers are located in both Villecroze and Salernes, less than 5 minutes’ drive away, but a baker and supermarket are just 15 minutes' walk. If you get more serious about shopping, then drive to Aups (8 km), Draguignan (21 km), St. Maximin (48 km) or to the Mecca of St. Tropez (65 km). You may not get as far as the last one because of the many attractive sites along the way...
Local markets in Villecroze, Tourtour and Salernes will provide all you would like to dream of for tasty nibbles, solid food, heavy drinking, and more. Provençal markets are well known for their tapenades and brandade: if you don't know how to interpret these terms then just book this holiday and try them out at first hand.
Sporting activities are abundant: hire bikes, donkeys and horses in more or less each of the three surrounding villages. Or work out in the gym at Salernes. Play golf at the small course at Salernes nearby, or select one of 6 other golf courses within 47 km of your holiday home (including that of St. Tropez). Hire a dinghy on the gorgeous artificial lake of Ste. Croix, or kayak along the Verdon River hundreds of metres below the vertical cliffs propping up the rest of the world.
Beaches will not be your first port of call on this holiday, but they are accessible from the Manor: as you will see from the map, the Med coast forms a gentle arc equidistant from Villecroze, from Fréjus via St. Tropez to Hyères. As the crow flies, the many sandy beaches for which the Côte d'Azur is famous lie between 45 and 65 km away, so allow a good hour by car.
Ski resorts within the French Alps are within reach. The closest serious station is Gréolières, so get up early and take a two-hour drive for a day or two's breakaway.
Getting around requires a car, unless you are devoted to your bike or horse, or like using public transport for the sake of it. Buses to the three villages will be rare, so take a taxi to Draguignan and then a train or bus to the rest of the world from there.
Sightseeing knows no bounds: Tour the serpentines of the Verdon Canyon, take the magic waters to heal your gout at St. Barthélemy springs at the foot of the cliff above the Braque, and order a guided tour around the local caves. Visit the artificial lake of Carcès 15 km to the South, smell the horse stables around Hyères, "do" the Côte d'Azur from the Calanques of Marseille and Cassis along the windy, tricky roads that lead to Fréjus via the Bay of Tropez. Plan your own house purchase in a bar in each of the pretty coastal villages on the way.
Other entertainment includes shopping, the nightlife of the Bay of Tropez, boat trips, cinemas, wine tasting, dining out in village squares, boat trips out to the islands or just talking to the locals. Bring your phrase book!
