Exploring Provence

Integrated into a natural site that has preserved its untamed charm, The Pont du Gard has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1985. Two thousand years after its construction, this ancient edifice is still a veritable masterpiece, as much for the technical prowess involved, as for its simple beauty. The Pont du Gard made up part of the Roman aqueduct that brought water from Uzès to Nimes.

Between Avignon and Orange, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards dominate the plain. The village, clustered at the foot of a 14th-century castle, is dotted with wine cellars that offer the best way to discover this rich and complex wine. This is where the AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) concept was born: measures of quality that, when adopted in 1923, bestowed on Châteauneuf the status of a high-quality wine when it became one of the first AOCs in 1936.

Visit the village of Sault from where you will have a unique view of the lavender fields (in season). Situated on the border of a great wooded plateau, blooming with lavender, Sault is a health resort perched at 776m. All around the town lie immense blue fields alternating with fields of wheat for as far as you can see. While you are in the town, take time to enjoy the local food specialities such as nougat and lavender honey, or sit on the terrace of a local café as you blend in with the local population.

If you love Roman monuments, this tour is for you. The amphitheatre, the 20th largest Roman amphitheatre in the world, is a highlight, now restored to how it was during Roman times. You’ll also learn more about the painter Van Gogh who spent a year and a half in Arles. It’s here that he painted the Sunflowers and his Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. All over town, you will see reproductions of his paintings in front of the real sites, such as the yellow café of Café Terrace at Night.

The Camargue, a captivating area in the Rhone Delta is home to a wide variety of wondrous flora and fauna. On this safari you will have the opportunity to see the bulls and horses that roam the extensive marshlands and are only found in the Camargue. Explore the lagoons and marshes and spot pink flamingoes and flocks of wild birds.

Visit the charming village of Maubec where you will meet chef Jean-Marc Villard and his wife Alice. Together, you will head to the local Provençal market where the chef will help you select the perfect ingredients for your lunch. You will then go back to his house where you’ll prepare, and sit down to enjoy, a meal consisting of two amuse-bouches, a starter, main course and dessert.

Together with your private guide, head to the town of Cassis. This little seaside resort is snuggled at the foot of a tall cliff called Cap Canaille. It’s a wonderful place to stroll, with its picturesque fishing port lined with cafes and restaurants. The town has lovely old quarters with a shady square where locals cool off and play pétanque on summer nights. You will also discover the Calanques by boat, a series of limestone cliffs, fjords and rocky promontories plunging into the Mediterranean.

A visit to Bandol takes you to one of Provence’s most internationally recognised wine regions. Based around the fishing village of Bandol, west of Toulon, the Bandol AOC (Appelation d’origine controlee) covers the production of eight communes with silicon and limestone soils.