Le Mas des Oules

Rooms

The houses and apartments are located within one huge converted outbuilding and are named after plants found in the garden. Ranging from 2 to 5 bedrooms, they have white-washed walls, exposed stonework and soft grey Farrow and Ball floors. Open-plan living-dining-kitchen areas are bright and airy, and bathrooms come with either powerful showers or enticing bathtubs, plus each house has its own terrace for alfresco dining.

Interiors are industrial-inspired and feature mismatched items from international designers. You may find metallic tables by Madam Stoltz, wire storage by House Doctor DK, dark sofas by Bloomingville, or crate-style shelves by Chehoma. These are paired with splashes of colour in the form of vintage French Rossignol school maps, vibrant 1950s Jung-Koch-Quentell botanical charts, printed cushions and fresh flowers. It’s clear that care has been poured into every space.

Jasmin overlooks the gardens, with 2 mezzanine sleeping areas and a shower bathroom; due to the layout it's only suitable for children over 8 years old. Clematite is a split-level house with a double and a single bedroom that looks out over the communal courtyard, and a beautiful wisteria-covered terrace. Agave, a first-floor courtyard-facing apartment, sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms (1 double and 1 twin) and has stunning views across the plains to the Cévennes hills. Genet has a secluded outside space and airy mezzanine lounge, while Dahlia boasts a suntrap terrace.

Best for larger families are delightful 3-bedroom Belle de Nuit (where we stayed during our 2018 visit), 3-bedroom Amaryllis or 5-bedroom Magnolia. Amaryllis is set entirely on the ground floor, overlooking the hills; palatial Belle de Nuit feels like a genuine home from home, complete with a courtyard-facing wisteria-covered terrace; Magnolia is enormous and comes with its own garden and private pool.

Features include:

• In-room treatments available
• WiFi

Eating

Sleek kitchens flow into bright living rooms and come stocked with all you need to cook. You get smart dining tables inside and out, so you can eat on your shaded terrace overlooking the courtyard or garden, or inside the cool mas if the temperature is too high.

All the essentials such as tea, coffee, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper are provided, and the local baker comes by daily around 9/10am, sometimes with croissants, so you can buy freshly baked goodies that morning (excluding Sundays). Other than that, the nearest supermarket is just a 5-minute drive away in the neighbouring village of Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie. All the nearby villages have market days where stalls groan under the weight of local produce; Saint-Quentin’s is on Tuesdays and Fridays, while Uzès has a small market on Wednesdays and a huge Saturday market that is widely considered the best in all of Provence. Stock up on olives, pâtés, succulent fruit and veg, cheese and fresh fish - including some juicy-looking oysters - as well as crusty bread and meat calling out for the barbecue (available to borrow at the mas).
In summer tapas and wine may be available some evenings. Please ask when booking for further details.

There are numerous local restaurants: just let Christophe know what you feel like and he’ll book you a table (and even a taxi if you’d prefer not to drive). Otherwise head into Uzès and explore its many restaurants and bars - we ate at Terroirs A Uzès in La Place aux Herbes (the main square) and found the atmosphere to be really relaxed. Our meal was bursting with fresh, local produce: an open sandwich topped with olive tapenade, pélardon cheese and ham, along with a trio of homemade dips and a fresh salad, followed by a huge slice of tiramisu (so impressive it prompted the lady on the next table to order "Whatever they’re having!").

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Coffee maker
• Dishwasher
• Fridge
• Hob or stove
• Kids' meals
• Kitchenette
• Microwave
• Toaster

Activities

• Pop into Uzès on Wednesday or Saturday for market day - we'd recommend the latter, but go early! We arrived at 9am and within the hour the streets were fit to burst. The stalls sell everything from linens and pottery to food and flowers. While in town, stop by the impressive home of the first duchy of France
  
• The extraordinary UNESCO-listed Pont du Gard is just a 15-minute drive away. Built in the 1st century, this 360m-long, 50m-high aqueduct helped provide Nîmes' citizens with fresh water for 5 centuries. Walk over it, kayak under it, or sit on the riverbank and marvel at it
  
• Visit the nearby town of Tavel to sample the famous Tavel rosé, a former favourite of the royalty in court at Avignon. It's strewn with wineries, each selling the sweet pink tipple straight from the source. The wine fields of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are close by, too
  
• Browse the dozens of pottery workshops and ateliers that line the quaint, hilly streets of Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie (a 5-minute drive away). The village has had an international reputation for ceramics since the 14th century, and you'll find everything from decorative sculptures to functional garden pots
  
• Take part in a pottery or jewellery making workshop, which run weekly at the hotel during the summer
  
• Day-trip to the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world. Or head to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to see the asylum where Van Gogh painted his famous 'Saint-Paul Asylum, Saint-Rémy' series. Avignon, Montpellier and Arles are also within 1 hours' drive
  
• There are numerous Mediterranean beaches within an hour and a half’s drive - just head south!
  
• Back at Le Mas des Oules you can read on your terrace, sprawl on a lounger by the pool, play boules and table tennis on the lawn, or catch the sunset from the communal terrace

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Wine tasting

Kids

Christophe and Christine have 4 sons of their own, so they understand just what families are looking for. Houses and apartments are well equipped, the pool is fenced, the lawn is perfect for games and running around, and there are plenty of things in the region for kids of all ages. Boules, the sandpit and the swimming pool were highlights for our kids.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

All of the apartments and houses are well suited to families. Clematite sleeps 2-3 in a double bedroom and a second single bedroom; Agave, Genet and Dahlia each sleep 4 in 1 double and 1 twin room; Jasmin also sleeps 4, but its mezzanine rooms mean it is only suitable for children aged 8+. Amaryllis and Belle de Nuit each sleep 6 (1 double and 2 twin rooms). Magnolia sleeps 11 in 5 bedrooms (3 doubles, 1 single, 1 twin and 2 drawer beds) and has a private pool. Bear in mind that Genet, Dahlia and Jasmin have bathrooms with showers only.

Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes (Nîmes)
• Hospital / pharmacy: 10 minutes (Uzès)
• Village shop: 5 minutes (Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Le Mas des Oules is located in the village of Saint-Victor-des-Oules, 8km north of Uzès and within an hour’s drive of Nîmes and Avignon, in Provence, southern France.

By Air:
Fly into Nimes (40km), Montpellier (80km), Marseille (137km) or Beziers (141km).

From the Airport
We’d recommend hiring a car to make the most of the area (see below). Alternatively, bus services are available from the above airports to Uzès, and from there you could take a taxi.

By Train:
Avignon is served by high-speed TGV trains from Paris, Lille and other French cities, as well as some seasonal Eurostar services from London (the journey time is around 6 hours). You’ll then need to take a taxi to the mas, or a bus as far as Uzès. See Seat 61 for more information.

By Car:
Ideally, you'll need a car while staying at Les Mas des Oules as it's on the edge of a small village with no restaurants or supermarkets within walking distance. You can pick up a hire car at the airport or TGV station; see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.