Le Mas Couvaloup

Cypress Spires and Old Stones

A traditional French farmhouse backed into a verdant hillside in Provence, this Ventoux valley gem is framed by a leafy aisle of shade trees, a field of fragrant lavender, and a sparkling pool in a bright green lawn. Wisteria spills across its blonde stone façade stretching toward its prim, white shuttered second story and tiled roof.

Picture book pretty, this Provence classic hits all the region’s architectural high points—old stones and earthen tiles, neat rows of lavender in the garden, a wisteria-covered pergola, and interiors with simple natural furnishings in tones from white to flaxen to bone, crossed overhead by original wood beams. A row of 200-year-old lime trees in front of the house offers shade for lazy afternoons, and a 12x5m pool is another place to cool off. At night, take a recliner into the garden to admire the starry sky. Provence is well known for its lack of artificial light.

The mas has three ensuite bedrooms and a children's playroom, making it ideal for six adults and a baby or toddler. Its privileged location is within the boundaries of a protected regional park, and the country retreat sits on the outskirts of a traditional southern French village with a bakery, two restaurants and hills striped with vineyards.

Around

The farmhouse sits on a peaceful manicured lot within the confines of the Parc Naturel Régional du Mont-Ventoux. It’s located only a kilometer from a small traditional village, with 19 other classic Provencal perched villages nearby, each offering its own farmer’s market, village services, and local artisan outposts. Lyrical vineyards, olive groves and Mediterranean scrub-covered hills spread across this storied region. This country home lets you experience deep, poetic Provence, where cobbled hamlets occupy chalky limestone outcroppings, lavender fields bloom in June and July, and Gallo-Roman and medieval villages offer un gout du terroir in AOC wines, prolific farmstands, Cote du Rhone tasting rooms, and restaurants ranging from the homespun to the Michelin starred. The small city of Avignon is a 40-minute drive away, with its UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Place du Papes. The small, jagged Dentelles de Montmirail mountain chain offers hundreds of hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking trails.

Location

Entrechaux, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Nearest airport: Avignon (40 minutes)

Best time to visit

March to November