Great house among pine trees, nature with beautiful dominating view , provence

“We just spent the most wonderful week at this charming country house in Aubagne, not far from Cassis, Marseille and the sea. There were six of us, and the house was very well outfitted and comfortable for all of us. The pool provided hours of relaxation and the peaceful setting and outstanding views from the house provided one of our best vacations ever. The owners provided us with a nice booklet, showing features of the house and attractions in the area. We took a boat tour of the Calangues, as well as an easy drive to beautiful St. Tropez. We would recommend this home to anyone looking for a beautiful, relaxing vacation in the Bouches du Rhone area of France - Provence at its best!”

“This is a great family home, sheltered by pines, set on a hillside above the town of Aubagne, backing up to Ruissatel, a mountain that features in those classic movies, “Jean de Florette” and “Manon of the Springs,” that are compulsory viewing for anybody planning to visit this area. A wonderful feature is the broad terrace overlooking the valley, where we ate most of our meals, with a delightful swimming pool, greatly appreciated in hot weather. We were warmly welcomed by our hosts and their two energetic dogs—and with somewhat more reserve by the three cats. We enjoyed the fresh produce from their vegetable garden, which they generously invited us to share. Aubagne itself is a pleasant, if undistinguished, southern French town, a distant suburb of Marseille. There is a market three times a week and Aubagne is notable for its pottery and for the creation of santons. But it is the surrounding areas that are most captivating. The splendid coast, with the famous fjord-like calanques, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, the Camargue, the Luberon, the lavender fields, the Verdon Gorge and even the Côte d’Azur are all within day-trip reach. But be warned, the beaches and coastal towns are crowded in summer. The home exchange included a car exchange, which was a great asset. We found some fine restaurants, and enjoyed the rosé wines of the region. Our hosts provided us with an extensive library of maps, and guidelines for enjoying our stay. They are very tech-savvy and sustainability-minded people and the house has many amenities, including photo-voltaic panels on the roof, solar water heating, LED lighting, a sophisticated home theater set-up and modern kitchen appliances.”