overview
No other region of France stirs the imagination and stimulates the senses as strongly as Provence. From the soft light and vivid landscapes of pastel colours that inspired Van Gogh, Cezanne and Picasso, to the beach resorts of the Côte d'Azur, Provence has a special allure that has been drawing people from far and wide for centuries. The fragrant countryside is scattered with historic fortified medieval towns to explore, and if all you want to do is relax, there can be few better places than the South of France, with its glorious weather, delicious food and fine wines.
For the British aristocracy of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century this was the place to escape from the cold and damp English winter. The impressionists rented cottages and huts in tiny fishing villages drawn to the light and colour of the area, but it was in the 1950’s that the area became more generally well known, when Brigitte Bardot wore the first bikini, Princess Grace held court, and the fashion cognoscenti spent their summers in St Tropez and Cannes.
This trip places you in the heart of Provence in the village of Ramatuelle, where you will find an authentic, peaceful French way of life within easy reach of the glamour of the coast from the Cape of Saint-Tropez to Cape Camarat. Ramatuelle is a picturesque and quiet medieval village overlooking the fabulous vista of the very glamorous Bay of Pampelonne. Enclosed by ramparts it is built from the centre out in ever increasing circles. Shops and cafés hide in secret alleyways with their ochre façades and pastel coloured shutters decorated with jasmin, honeysuckle and bougainvillea providing an aromatic sensual feast! There is a twice weekly market, jazz and musical festivals and an excellent theatre and little cinema.
Spread over 9,000 acres, Ramatuelle boasts wooded hills, forests of oak trees and umbrella pines, vineyards dotted with traditional Provençal farmhouses, and a seafront spreading from Cape Pinet to Cape Taillat, with the rocky granite shorelines of Cape Camarat and Cape Taillat, and the white sandy beaches of Pampelonne, Bonne Terrasse and l'Escalet.
The beach of Pampelonne became a favourite destination for the international jet-set in the 1950’s and 60’s and for over half a century this beach has seen many a show-biz star from Errol Flyn in the 50's, to Brigitte Bardot, Roger Vadim, and Jane Fonda in the 60's, and many more famous faces since. It is a beautiful spot and as such continues to attract visitors from all over the world to its crystal clear waters.
Despite the popularity of its pretty coast, Ramatuelle has managed to maintain its original beauty and culture, and is the perfect place to relax, unwind and soak up the Provençal way of life, within easy reach of the beach resorts of the Cote D’Azur.
Stay at the Villa Marie set amidst a pine grove on a hillside in a tranquil spot overlooking the Bay of Pampelonne. The villa is reached uphill through a parkland of tamarisks, cypresses and olive trees. It offers easy access to all that St Tropez is famous for as well as a location secluded enough to offer a private escape for guests who desire one.
A glorious house party style hotel for people who want to feel as though they were staying at a friend’s private residence, the villa is furnished with fanciful baroque furniture, and treasured objets trouve from local flea markets. It is this juxtaposition of the simple and grand, a play between luxury and informality, echoing the Riviera’s appeal of ‘fishing boats and yachts’, ‘sandals and diamonds’ that typifies the style at Villa Marie.
Colour schemes are warm and drawn from local sights such as honeybees and lavender, and the food is light, fresh and very tasty. The spa offers treatments using Villa Marie’s own range of fantastic natural honey and rose-based products in ‘ecological’ cabins among the pine trees.
It is the perfect place to stay for romantic long weekenders, or those who love the fun of St Tropez but don’t want it twenty-four hours a day!