Gîtes and Villas in Provence

Provence is the sun-soaked wedge of southern France that runs from the Rhône valley east towards the Italian border, taking in lavender fields, ochre cliffs, vineyards and some of the most painted light in Europe. It's a region where Roman ruins stand beside medieval abbeys, where weekly markets sell everything from Cavaillon melons to raw-milk cheese, and where the rhythm of the day still follows the heat.

Self-catering here means you can shop at morning markets, cook with olive oil from cooperative mills, and settle into the slower pace that makes Provence feel less like a holiday destination and more like a temporary way of life. It suits families, couples, and anyone who prefers a kitchen and a terrace to a hotel dining room.

About Provence

Provence isn't a single landscape. The northern Vaucluse has wheat fields and cherry orchards; the Luberon rolls with vines and oak woods; the Alpilles are all white limestone and cypress. What ties it together is the quality of the light—clear, angled, merciless in summer—and a culture built around food, wine, and an almost defiant attachment to local tradition.

Villages here are built from honey-coloured stone, shuttered against the midday sun, with fountains that run year-round. Many date back to the Middle Ages, perched on hillsides for defence or clustered around a church square. The rhythm is still dictated by the seasons: asparagus in spring, tomatoes and aubergines in summer, grapes in September, truffles when the mistral blows cold.

Staying in a gîte gives you access to that rhythm. You can follow the lavender harvest in June and July, visit domaines for wine tastings without watching the clock, and cook what you've bought at the market that morning. It's a region that rewards slower travel, where three days in one village will teach you more than a week of driving between postcards.

Things to do in Provence

The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is a twelfth-century Cistercian abbey still home to a community of monks, famous for its lavender fields that bloom purple against pale stone each summer. Le Sentier des Ocres takes you through the old ochre quarries near Roussillon, where the cliffs glow red, orange and yellow depending on the angle of the sun. Château La Coste is a working vineyard with a contemporary art collection scattered across its grounds, including pieces by Tadao Ando and Louise Bourgeois.

In Aix-en-Provence, the Musée Granet holds a strong collection of French painting, including works by Cézanne, Ingres and Granet himself. The Paroisse Cathédrale Saint Sauveur is a jumble of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque, with a fifth-century baptistery still intact. The Gorges de la Méouge offer swimming in clear, cold water between limestone walls, popular with families in July and August. Zoo Barben, near Salon-de-Provence, is a well-maintained zoo set in wooded parkland, suitable for younger children.

Food & drink

Provence runs on olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and herbs—thyme, rosemary, savory—that grow wild on the hillsides. The markets are central to the rhythm here: Apt on Saturday, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on Sunday, Aix-en-Provence daily on Place Richelme. You'll find Cavaillon melons in summer, early-season asparagus in spring, and cheeses like Banon wrapped in chestnut leaves.

Wine is everywhere. The Côtes du Luberon and Ventoux appellations produce reds, whites and rosés that suit the climate—crisp, not too heavy, made to drink young. Château La Coste offers tastings in a striking setting. For a meal out, Capelongue in Bonnieux and Coquillade Provence near Gargas are both hotel restaurants with serious kitchens and Luberon views, though you'll want to book ahead.

Getting there

Marseille Provence airport is 56 kilometres away and serves most major European cities, with car hire available on site. Nice Côte d'Azur airport is 140 kilometres east if you're approaching from that direction. From the UK, you can fly into either, or take the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord—603 kilometres north—and pick up a TGV south to Avignon or Aix. The drive from Caen/Ouistreham (Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth) is 739 kilometres, roughly seven hours if you push through, though most people break it into two days with a stop in the Loire or Burgundy.