Villa Sardou is pleasantly situated just a short walk from a picturesque village with a renowned French bistro. It is ideally located for visiting many of the fantastic places in Les Alpilles Natural Park and Provençal delights further afield. This air-conditioned holiday house, with its four comfortable en suite bedrooms, has been sensitively designed and furnished to create a peaceful home with some lovely touches. The wide table in the well equipped kitchen-diner overlooks an enclosed garden and an archway welcomes you into the relaxing living room. You will love sharing al-fresco evening meals on the elegant stone terrace beneath the pergola. Take a refreshing dip in the heated pool or enjoy a ball game on the lawn so prettily interspersed with small Provençal trees and shrubs. The charming village has a café-restaurant, a grocery store, a bistro adored by Rick Stein and is only a short drive from Maussane-les-Alpilles, a lovely village with a weekly market, surrounded by olive plantations and renowned for its olive oil. The idyllic hilltop village of Les-Baux-de-Provence is also one of your closest neighbours and the nearby lively artistic centre of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence should not be missed. There are some lovely local walks and hikes to enjoy straight from Villa Sardou, passing expanses of olive groves set against the region’s vibrant white rocks. Indeed, the whole of the Alpilles Natural Park is a paradise for hikers and cyclists as well as offering plenty of opportunities for horse-riding, rock climbing and golf. This is such an amazing area of small mountains, picture-perfect villages and summer swathes of sunflowers. Slightly further afield is the historic city of Avignon where you can take a boat trip on the Rhône and visit its famous bridge and Pope’s Palace, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. A visit to Nîmes is always memorable with its Roman sites and the chance to chill out afterwards in the beautiful Jardin de la Fontaine. It’s a shorter drive to the sunshine of Arles, beyond which is the outstanding landscape of the Camargue, with its pink flamingos, black bulls, wild white horses, rice fields and beaches. Features: Villa Interiors (120m2, one level with some steps) -    Open-plan lounge -    Open-plan kitchen and dining area, well-equipped including electric oven, induction hob, fridge, freezer, wine cabinet, dishwasher and microwave. Doors lead to terrace -    Laundry cellar -    Bedroom with double bed (160x200cm) and shower room with Italian shower, sink and WC -    Bedroom with double bed (160x200cm) and shower room with Italian shower, sink and WC -    Bedroom with double bed (160x200cm) and shower room with Italian shower, sink and WC -    Bedroom with twin beds (90x200cm each, can be joined as a double) and private shower room with WC Outside Grounds (1600m2, enclosed) -    Heated swimming pool (8x4m, depth: 1.5m plus ‘plage’ area of 1x4m) with sand-filtration and safety shutter -    Pergola -    Barbecue -    Boules court -    Private parking -    Electric gate Facilities -    Wi-Fi -    Air-conditioning -    TV -    Children’s outdoor toys -    Hairdryers -    Washing machine Location: Villa Sardou is within walking distance of a small Provençal village situated at the foot of the Alpilles mountain range in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France. The village has beautifully restored houses and colourful gardens, a lovely boulangerie, a grocery store and two places to eat - for a treat, book a table at the village’s renowned French bistro so loved by Rick Stein.  Its close neighbour, Les-Baux-de-Provence (6km), is one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages, scenically perched on the hilltop with fine views towards Arles, the Camargue and the mountain range of Les Alpilles. Maussane-les-Alpilles (3km) is another pleasant nearby village surrounded by olive plantations and famous for its production of olive oil. Buy some to take home with you and then book a Baux Valley or Saint-Rémy vineyard tour to purchase more bottles to return with! It is a 20-minute drive northwards to St-Rémy-de-Provence with its shops, galleries, high-end restaurants and famous Wednesday morning market - it’s so enjoyable to stroll around the cobbled lanes of the car-free town centre. This town was much loved by Vincent Van Gogh and many local artists still live here and sell their artwork every summer Sunday on the lively Route des Artistes. There are some lovely local walks to enjoy - the whole of Les Alpilles Natural Park is a wonderful area, the home of small white rocked mountains, olive groves and forests and a popular place for family activities such as rock-climbing, horse riding, hiking and mountain biking. Keen golfers should head to the splendidly situated 18 hole course at Golf de Servanes, only 10km away near Mouriès. The historic city of Avignon is less than 40km away and a great place for a fabulous boat trip on the Rhône, a visit to its famous bridge and a tour of The Pope’s Palace, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. A similar length of trip westward bring you to Nîmes, a city memorable for its Roman sites where there is a chance to chill out afterwards in the Jardin de la Fontaine. It is worth taking the 16km trip to the sunshine of Arles, which was another source of inspiration to Van Gogh. Visit the famous Roman amphitheatre or lunch at a restaurant terrace beneath the plane trees in Place du Forum, where Van Gogh once painted “Café Terrace at Night”. Book a safari jeep tour to explore the outstanding landscapes of the Camargue with its iconic pink flamingos, black bulls and wild white horses. Terms & Conditions: Security deposit? €1000 charged to client’s credit card as a pre-authorisation one month before arrival and refunded two weeks after departure, subject to full inspection. Arrival time? 5.00 p.m. Late arrivals after 9.00 p.m. may be charged a late arrival fee of €120. Departure time? 10.00 a.m. End of stay cleaning included? No. €150, payable locally. This is for a standard changeover clean. Guests are required to leave the accommodation clean, tidy and in the same condition as on their arrival. Any extra cleaning, laundry, maintenance and/or rubbish disposal required will be charged against the security deposit. Linen & towels included? Yes. Pool towels included? Yes, changed once for stays over 14 nights. Energy costs included? Extra cost based on consumption, payable locally. Minimum stay? 7 nights. All other durations on request. Changeover day? Saturday. All other changeover days on request. Pets welcome? On request only and with prior agreement with the owner. If accepted, a pet supplement of €50 per pet will apply (payable locally). Smoking Allowed? Outside only. Pool heating charge? Included. Please note that like all heated pools, pool heating and water temperature are reliant on weather and outside temperatures. Tax? French Visitors Tax payable locally (typically costs €1-€5 per adult per night- please enquire if exact amount is required). Insurance? Guests are required to be in possession of a valid insurance policy, which covers them for cancellations, loss of personal belongings, personal liability and any accidental damage caused during their stay. Pool opening dates? Please note that pool opening dates are subject to local weather conditions and pool maintenance requirements and that cooler months may not be suitable for swimming. Other Ts and Cs? Please note that your booking will only be confirmed once we have checked availability with the owner or their property manager.