Where To Stay, Eat & Visit In Provence

A great option if you’re planning a trip to the wider Riviera region, Château Le Cagnard is just a 20-minute drive from Nice and has panoramic views of Provence. Set atop a medieval village, you’ll see the town on one side and the Med on the other. During the summer, the hotel is surrounded by floral displays and wildflowers. Guests can stay in rooms with wooden beams, four-poster beds, local artwork and modern en-suites. There’s also a restaurant with a 200-year-old painted ceiling and an outdoor terrace. Ask the staff to help book wine tastings or vineyard tours. 

From £175 per night.

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With beautiful views over Provence’s Luberon valley, Airelles Gordes is set high on a cliff in one of Provence’s prettiest villages. You could easily spend a weekend lounging by the pool and exploring the winding streets around the buildings, but the lavender fields by the Romanesque Abbey of Senanques are just a ten-minute drive away and well worth the trip. Inside the hotel, the décor is regal and opulent, with antiques, stonework and period features. There’s a two-level spa in the old monastery, as well as eateries for all types of guest – imagine Michelin-starred food for dinner and lunch from the Italian trattoria. The concierge can help organise everything from lavender field picnics to bike tours.

From £605 per night.

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If you like the idea of staying on a vineyard, Ultimate Provence has guestrooms on its eco-friendly 100-acre estate in La Garde-Freinet. Billing itself as an ‘urban winery’ the vineyard uses modern techniques to harvest the grapes, while the hotel itself has mid-century styling and slick interiors. Guests can lounge by the heated outdoor pool while DJs play chilled music, rent bikes to explore the surrounding areas, book treatments at the spa and order drinks at the UP rooftop bar. You won’t find many eateries in the surrounding areas, but there’s a Mediterranean restaurant with plenty of options – and wine pairings, of course.

From £220 per night.

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Former Top Chef contestant Ronan Kernen recently opened Côté Cour as a traditional French restaurant with a buzzy atmosphere. Diners come here to see and be seen in the impressive dining room with its glass walls and open roof. The menu changes weekly, but expect dishes like tomatoes marinated in cumbava and lemongrass, squash gnocchi with a basil emulsion, and madeleine biscuits with almond mascarpone and apricot sorbet. 

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This family run café is a great spot for pastries and coffee or a quick lunch in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. There’s a small menu of healthy dishes that changes – choose from salads, open sandwiches and soups, followed by fruit desserts and patisserie treats. For €30 you can enjoy two entrées, an espresso and dessert. After your meal, browse the adjoining store for homeware and ceramics.

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This small French bistro is tucked away on a quiet street in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Set in a converted farmhouse, the restaurant serves a daily changing four-course menu made from local market produce. Book a table in the garden to try dishes like terrine with toasted bread and salad, grilled cod with butter and capers, beef tartare, and strawberry fontainebleau.

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Provence has over 400 vineyards to choose from and Château de Berne is among its most famous. Traces of vine cultivation have been found on the estate dating back to 200 BC and Berne’s reputation for good wine can be traced back to the 18th century. Today, the 370-acre organic estate on the Haut-Pays terroir produces reds, whites and rosés. Open year-round, the tasting room is where you can sample a selection of wines and shop Château olive oil, jam and honey at the on-site store.

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Mirabeau has won a string of awards for a reason. Its quaffable Provençal rosés are rated by experts for their fruity notes and mineral finish. You can find Mirabeau’s vineyard on its 30-acre estate in Cotignac. Surrounded by cork oak trees and chestnut groves, you can learn about the regenerative systems in place to protect the ecosystem (alpacas and sheep graze between the vines) and try its four vegan rosé wines. You can even stay at the villa on the estate if you’re after a 12-person guesthouse. 

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Château de Selle is a family run vineyard in Taradeau which benefits from mineral soils and an arid climate. Perched on high limestone inland slopes where it is sheltered from winter frosts, the estate has its own microclimate that produces excellent rosé wines only available in a few five-star hotels in France. Book a tour of the estate or visit for wine tastings to try its signature 2020 cuvée that blends the best grapes from its vineyards.

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Anthony and Carole Bamford purchased Château Léoube in the late 90s and restored the derelict 15th-century estate into a working vineyard with a range of organic and biodynamic wines. Set right along the coast, you could easily spend a day at the estate before walking along the beach and stopping for dinner at one of the oceanfront restaurants. You can find souvenirs at the estate’s adjoining boutique and farm shop.

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Gordes is one of the most beautiful villages in Provence with its stone hilltop houses and ancient underground caves. There are several art galleries, historic churches – including the Sénanque Abbey which attracts tourists from all over the country – and plenty of nearby lavender fields.

Valensole is a small and picturesque village in Provence – and one of the best spots from which to see the lavender fields during the summer months. Along its winding streets you’ll find small boulangeries, flower stalls and boutiques with locally made glassware and lavender beauty products. Look out for the beautiful town hall and the church of Saint-Blaise.

This quaint village looks like something from a fairy tale – cobbled streets with tiny cottages, narrow lanes and beautiful vineyards. Hike up the hill to see the historic church and get the best vantage point.

It’s worth driving towards Marseille to see Les Calanques, a series of unique geological formations made of limestone. A lovely spot for a picnic or afternoon swim, visitors can walk along the sandy beaches and look at the miniature fjords which overlooks turquoise waters. You’ll have to hike or take a boat to reach the rocks, but the journey is worth it for the spectacular views.