Hotel Mas de Peint

An ancient farmhouse in deepest Camargue, with smart bedrooms, white horses and superb dinners cooked in front of your eyes

White horses, black bulls: the Camargue is a wild chunk of floodlands and huge lagoons which attract millions of birds each year. On the eastern flank, this 1602 stone farmhouse is surrounded by its owners' 550-hectare estate. Roam free and lose yourself in simple beauty and magnificent silence.

The farmhouse is also a terrifically smart hotel, combining gorgeous French elegance with crisp English minimalism. There is a big pool for sun worship and a vine-clad terrace where you can breakfast with nature. Inside are yellow-washed walls, flagged floors, saddles on the walls, upholstered armchairs and a bull’s head mounted in the airy lobby. You'll find an honesty bar and a huge stone fireplace in the beamed drawing room. Bedrooms have uncluttered richness: excellent beds, smart linen, polished wooden furniture, pillows piled high. Most wonderful is the dining room, which is in the kitchen; your food is cooked in front of you, with a dollop of theatre thrown in for good measure.

Highs

• The peace and beauty are addictive
• Elegant interiors without the slightest hint of clutter
• The dining room, where they cook quite confidently in front of your eyes - the reason so many people come here
• There are horses to ride; the family are famous for their bulls; the birdwatching is excellent and wild sandy beaches are a short drive away

Lows

• The Camargue is pretty flat, but if you like watery wilderness, you’ll love it
• The restaurant is closed Wednesdays and for lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's popular with outsiders so best to book ahead