The Villa: Maison Jasmin:
We fell in love with this villa in the first 5 minutes and bought it the same afternoon, three years ago. We hope you will love it as much as we do. If you have children and teenagers we know it works for them too. This is a family home and we invite you to enjoy it as a base from which to explore the many delights of the surrounding area. It has been thoughtfully furnished, and provides a variety of sitting and eating areas on balconies and on garden terraces which are lit at night. Start the day with croissants on the breakfast terrace watching the sun rise across the valley. After a day spent being as adventurous and active- or as lazy- as you like, round it off dining al fresco watching the moon and stars and the lights of the villages and distant firework displays while you listen for nightingales, frogs and sometimes wild boar. Maison Jasmin is named after the scented jasmine in our gardens that flowers in summer and sends out a heady perfume at night.
The Area:
All you need for your stay can be bought in the village superette 5 minutes away, or the big supermarket, at ten minutes drive. The surrounding private domain is scenic for a pre- dinner stroll, with tennis courts available free to our guests. Five minutes away at the huge freshwater Lac St Cassien, you can swim, canoe, sail, ramble or fish, then picnic or lunch in a lakeview restaurant. The surrounding countryside is lovely for walks, horse riding, mountain biking (if you do hills) or gliding. A string of 'perched' medieval villages , such as Montauroux, Callian, Tourrettes, Fayence, St Cezaire and Mons, is scattered along the hilltops. Each has lovely views and friendly restaurants. Golfers can choose from 10 courses in the area, including the spectacular new one at Four Seasons, down the road. There is a huge range of music, art, drama, film and cultural festivals, from the local to the international ones at Cannes and Nice, as well as the Monte Carlo rally and Monaco Grand Prix.
Day trips and childrens' activities:
Nearest beaches: La Napoule or Cannes La Bocca (30 mins) : Frejus (40 mins).
Aquatica, a large water park at Frejus,with flumes etc. Take a picnic for the day out.
Marineland, Antibes, has an aquarium with dolphins, killer whales etc. and an Aqua Park in summer months.
Boat Trips go from Cannes port to the Iles de Lerins off the coast, St Tropez or around the Esterel Coast. Also from St Raphael port to St Tropez. (Avoids the traffic!)
Take the coastal train to/from Nice, or from Nice up into Digne les Bains in the mountains. Very scenic, and cooler.
Visit caves with stalagmites and stalactites at St Cezaire. Also quite cool.
Visit the spectacular gorges du Verdon, the largest gorge in Europe. Walk, canoe, kayak or white-water raft it, starting from Castellane– go early.
In winter, the ski slopes start one hour away and the Alps beckon.
We have an apartment in Serre Chevalier if you are serious about skiing or hiking the Alps.
Other Activities:
gliding, watersports,
