Guide to Provence

Why Visit Provence?

Provence is one of those rare destinations that exceeds its own reputation. The images that define it, rolling fields of purple lavender, ochre-washed hilltop villages and long lunches under plane trees are real, but they only capture a fraction of what the region offers. There is remarkable variety here: a vibrant, historic city in Marseille, extraordinary Roman ruins at Arles and Nîmes, the natural drama of the Camargue, the wild beauty of the Luberon and the gentle pleasures of Aix-en-Provence. As Lonely Planet puts it, Provence is a region you fall in love with and want to return to again and again.

As our Product Manager Marion Mensah says: "Provence sums up the French way of living – incredible food, delicious wines, exciting markets and lovely weather. It's no surprise it is a hot spot for holiday makers, with charming villages providing so much to see and do."

And our Destination Expert Nuria Chatelus agrees: "Provence is the jewel of France, boasting a charming allure and hundreds of traditional villages that host a range of vibrant summer festivals. Picturesque rivers meander through the countryside, providing opportunities for kayaking and exhilarating white-water adventures. The region is also perfect for cycling and horse riding, making it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts."

For villa guests in particular, Provence rewards the unhurried approach. A private pool, a market haul from the nearest village, a long afternoon in the shade: this is a region that actively encourages you to slow down. But it is also rich enough that there is always somewhere worth the drive, an abbey, a vineyard, a canyon, a Michelin-starred restaurant tucked into a village square. Whether you are here for the lavender season, the wine, the Roman heritage or simply the extraordinary light that has drawn artists to this corner of France for centuries, Provence delivers in a way that few destinations can match.

Best Time to Visit Provence

Provence is blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, making it a rewarding destination in almost any season. That said, the timing of your visit will shape the character of your holiday considerably.

Spring (April to May) is one of the finest times to come. The landscape is lush, the crowds have not yet arrived, and temperatures are comfortable for cycling, walking and exploring. Wildflowers carpet the hillsides, the markets are full of fresh asparagus and cherries, and you have the hilltop villages largely to yourself.

Summer (June to August) is when Provence is at its most iconic. This is lavender season, the fields on the Valensole and Luberon plateaux typically peak in late June to mid-July, with higher-altitude locations such as the Sault Plateau in bloom through to late July. Temperatures regularly exceed 30°C, the evenings are long and the region is at its most vibrant. It is also the busiest and most expensive period, so early bookings are essential, and visiting major sights first thing in the morning is strongly advisable.

September is many visitors' favourite month. The sea is at its warmest, the vendange (grape harvest) brings the vineyards to life, and restaurants are still buzzing without the intensity of the peak summer crowds. According to Kimkim, the shoulder months of May and September are the best times to visit Provence if you want warm weather and clear skies without the crowds, a sweet spot that suits villa guests particularly well.

Autumn and Winter have a quieter appeal of their own. October is truffle season in the Luberon, and the Marché des Truffes in Carpentras runs from mid-November to mid-March. The villages are atmospheric and unhurried, and prices are considerably lower.

Getting to Provence

Getting to Provence is straightforward. Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is the main international gateway, around 25km from the city centre, with direct flights from major UK airports in approximately two hours. Nice Côte d'Azur is a useful alternative for stays in eastern Provence or the Luberon.

By train, Avignon TGV is around two and a half hours from Paris Gare de Lyon, and a direct Eurostar service runs from London in the summer months, one of the most civilised ways to arrive.

Car hire

Once in Provence, a hire car is essential for most villa guests. The region's greatest pleasures, its hilltop villages, lavender fields, vineyard estates and hidden gorges, are spread across a wide landscape that public transport cannot fully connect. A car gives you the freedom to follow the scenic D roads at your own pace, to stop at a village market on a whim, and to find the abbey in the olive groves that isn't in any guidebook.

CV Villas can arrange car hire through trusted suppliers including Avis, Hertz and Sixt, with unlimited mileage as standard and collection available directly from the airport. For those travelling more sustainably, the regional Zou! bus network and train lines from Marseille and Avignon do connect many of the main Provençal towns.

Culture & History in Provence

Provence has one of the richest historical layers of any region in France. The Romans arrived in the second century BC, the word Provence derives from Provincia, the first Roman province outside Italy and left behind some of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Europe.

Arles is the most evocative of the Roman towns, known as the "little Rome of the Gauls" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two-tiered Roman amphitheatre (the Arènes d'Arles) still hosts events today, while the Alyscamps necropolis, the ancient theatre and the thermal baths of Constantine offer a remarkable walk through two millennia of history. Arles was also where Van Gogh spent some of his most productive months, producing over 300 paintings and drawings.

Avignon is the region's grandest city. The Palais des Papes, one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe and the famous Pont d'Avignon together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has excellent restaurants, a thriving arts scene and a superb weekly market.

Aix-en-Provence is Provence at its most elegant. As Lonely Planet describes it, the city is all class: leafy boulevards and public squares lined with 17th and 18th-century mansions, punctuated by moss-covered fountains. The cours Mirabeau is one of the most beautiful café-lined avenues in France, and the city's deep association with Cézanne, who was born here and returned obsessively to paint the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, gives it a particular cultural resonance.

Marseille, France's second city and oldest, is rougher around the edges but endlessly rewarding. Founded by Greek settlers around 600 BC, it has a fierce identity quite distinct from the rest of Provence. The MuCEM (Museum of the Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean), the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Château d'If and the extraordinary Calanques, dramatic white limestone fjords on the outskirts of the city – make it one of the most compelling urban destinations in France.

The Luberon offers a different kind of cultural wealth: perched hilltop villages with medieval histories, ancient lavender distilleries, ochre quarries at Roussillon, and the landscape that inspired Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence and continues to draw writers and artists today.

Another key aspect of Provence's character are its beautiful lavender fields. The Valensole Plateau is the most famous lavender landscape, vast, almost surreal expanses of purple stretching to the horizon. Arrive early morning for the best light and to avoid the crowds that gather through the day. The Sault Plateau sits at higher altitude, with a longer season that peaks in mid to late July. Sault village hosts its lavender festival on 15 August.

The Luberon offers the most varied and intimate lavender experience. The Abbaye de Sénanque near Gordes, a 12th-century Cistercian abbey set among its own lavender fields is among the most photographed scenes in France. The hilltop villages of Bonnieux, Roussillon and Gordes sit against backdrops of medieval stone and rolling lavandin fields. As Le Long Weekend notes, the Luberon valley is where hilltop villages collide with dramatic scenery and history is ingrained in its soul. A note on responsible visiting: some farmers have erected fences to protect their crops from overtourism, and visitors are asked to walk only between rows, never over the plants, and never to pick the flowers.

Beyond the lavender, Provence's natural landscapes are extraordinary. The Calanques National Park between Marseille and Cassis is a network of dramatic limestone inlets with turquoise water that rival anything in the Mediterranean. The Gorges du Verdon, often called the Grand Canyon of Europe, offers spectacular walking, kayaking and road trips along sheer 700-metre cliffs. The Camargue, in the Rhône delta to the southwest, is a unique wetland wilderness of flamingos, white horses and black bulls, unlike anywhere else in France.

Food & Drink in Provence

Provençal cuisine is among the most celebrated in France, rooted in the Mediterranean larder of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables. Markets are central to the culture here, most towns have a weekly market, several have daily ones, and they remain the best way to understand what the region actually eats.

Bouillabaisse is the dish most associated with Provence. Authentic versions use at least four types of local fish, and are served in two stages: the broth first with rouille and grilled bread, then the fish. As Frommer's describes it, bouillabaisse is an exquisite fish soup claimed to have been invented by Venus, and Marseille's old port is the right place to experience the real thing.

The Provençal table is generous. According to Frommer's, between Avignon and Aix expect lamb from the Sisteron hills, truffles from the Luberon and river trout from local streams. Daube de boeuf,  the slow-braised beef stew made with wine, olives and orange peel, is a winter staple, while ratatouille, soupe au pistou and salade Niçoise are the essential dishes of summer. Tapenade, aioli and pissaladière appear on every table. Sweet treats are well catered for too: patisseries, macaron shops and market stalls piled with sun-sweetened fruit are found in most towns and villages.

Wine is inseparable from eating in Provence. According to Vins de Provence, the region is the leading producer of rosé wines in France, supplying around 6% of world production and the pale, dry Grenache-Syrah-Cinsault blends of the Côtes de Provence appellation are genuinely excellent, pairing perfectly with the cuisine du soleil. For reds, the Rhône Valley appellations, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, produce wines of real authority, full of garrigue character: wild thyme, lavender and dark fruit. Bandol produces some of the most age-worthy reds in France. Cassis whites, with their minerality, are the natural companion for bouillabaisse and fresh seafood.

For villa guests, cooking in is one of the great pleasures of the trip. Markets provide everything you need: freshly caught fish, ripe tomatoes, local goat's cheese, cured meats, honey and lavender products. For those who would rather leave the cooking to someone else, our range of villas with cook service is well worth exploring.

Where to Stay: Our Villas in Provence

Our Provence villa portfolio is thoughtfully set across the Luberon and Alpilles, within easy reach of hilltop villages, local markets and vineyards, so each day feels effortlessly Provençal.

Here are a few suggestions to inspire your search:

• Maison l'Hirondelle - In a raised position with restful views of Lubéron countryside and Les Alpilles, this very comfortable family villa is a beautiful blend of old world charm and 21st century facilities.
• Mas Cardinal -  A quintessential Provençal retreat, Mas Cardinal pairs rustic elegance with modern luxury, just a short drive from the charming village of Saint Remy de Provence — offering spacious, stylish interiors, a large saltwater pool, and serene gardens rich with lavender and olive trees.
• Le Mas d'Isabelle - An airy and attractive former farmhouse, Le Mas d’Isabelle makes a very comfortable villa in Provence, with a pool in its tranquil garden, and picturesque Saint Rémy-de-Provence just 12km away.

To find out more about Provence, make sure to speak with one of our Villa Specialists or make an enquiry today.