Nearby : tourist sites, leisure and sports activities, local events, local products.
Cities to visit
You can visit Marseille, (15 mn driving):
• its "vieux port" with its quays of seafood-restaurants and its breweries,
• its superb coast-drive along the sea,
• its large Prado beach,
• the small fishing port of the Vallon des Auffes,
• the small streets of the old quarter du"Panier",
• the famous "Notre Dame de la Garde",
• the Saint Victor abbey,
• the Mucem
• boat trips to the island of Frioul or to discover Marseille by the sea.
Aix-en-Provence (15 mn driving) will seduce you with its historical heritage, its numerous fountains, small streets and very lively squares, its charm of city of art and of thermal springs, its designers and stylists boutiques , Its youthful atmosphere.
The surrounding small towns
Other small towns, (from 40 min to 1h15 travel time) with a very Provençal atmosphere, such as Arles and Nîmes, will make you discover Roman vestiges. Avignon, surrounded by its ramparts is both famous for its bridge and the grand Palais des Papes.
Smaller, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, with its famous antique fairs, invites you to hunt for second hand treasures or stroll along its canals with its large water mills and to enjoy its numerous art galleries and decoration shops.
The small hilltop villages of Provence
You will be able to cross the hinterland (from 50mn to 1h30 of travel time) in the direction of Alpilles, Lubéron, the Gorges du Verdon and the Alpes de Haute Provence to discover pretty and old villages perched on the hill, like the Beaux de Provence, Gordes, Roussillon, Lourmarin, Bonnieux and Moustier Sainte-Marie. Within these areas, you can visit Ocher facades, faience, grand canyon, and the lavender route in bloom (at the end of June and July).
Museums and festivals
Many museums (Arles, Marseille and its
famous Mucem, Aix with the Cézanne museum) or historic sites like the medieval abbeys of Montmajour, Sénanque, Silvacane or the castles of Lourmarin, Ansouis, Beaux, La Barben, also give you opportunities for cultural outings.
July, August and September are the months of many and famous festivals: lyrical art in Aix, piano in Roque d'Anthéron, pictures in Arles, theater in Avignon, book in Fuveau ...
Sports and leisure activities
You can visit the vast expanses of the Camargue by foot, bike or horse-back, and enjoy its wide sandy
beaches (Saintes-Maries de la mer).
For hiking enthusiasts, many paths are offered to them ( you must check the prefectural instructions of prevention against fire during very hot periods): several circuits in the Sainte Victoire mountain, dear to Cézanne, in the calanques of Cassis in Marseille, in the Garlaban massifs made famous by Marcel Pagnol, on the customs path of the seaside, and various other trails of the region.
For water sports: windsurfing and various sea sports, canyoning in the river.
Many golf courses are nearby (from 10 to 30 mn).
Local products
Provence is also full of local products that can be discovered or tasted along the wine roads: Aix 's coast, Lubéron, Côtes du Rhône, Var wines,
Gard ..., visiting the many olive oil mills, participating in festivals linked to local productions: truffles, chestnuts, Lavender, olives, discovering the manufacture of soap, santons ...
Many typical restaurants offer menus , with all the flavors and perfumes of Provencal cuisine.