Le Mas de Peint

near Arles, Provence, France
Book from GBP Book from £221 per night

An ancient farmhouse in the deepest Camargue, with sumptuous suites, a sprawling pool, a harras of white horses and superb French fare

An ancient farmhouse in the deepest Camargue, with sumptuous suites, a sprawling pool, a harras of white horses and superb French fare

The Camargue is a mesmerising wilderness of floodland, salt flats, wildflowers and lagoons, edged with pristine sandy beaches, and home to white horses, black bulls and pink flamingos. On the eastern flank, this 1602 stone farmhouse is surrounded by its owners' 550-hectare estate, which is still actively farmed today. Roam free and lose yourself in simple beauty and magnificent silence.

The farmhouse effortlessly combines Provencial elegance with crisp, English minimalism, and is filled with splashes of modern art and French antiques. There are flagged floors, saddles on the walls, exposed stone fireplaces and wooden-beamed ceilings. Bedrooms have uncluttered richness: excellent beds, smart linen, polished wooden furniture, pillows piled high. Start your day with breakfast on the vine-clad terrace, then explore the landscape on horseback, before lazing by the pool for some serious sun worshipping and feasting on a delectable 4-course dinner with all-local ingredients. Your soul will thank you.

Highs

  • The peace and beauty are addictive
  • Elegant interiors without the slightest hint of clutter
  • All ingredients are sourced from within a 50-km radius of the property, and dishes are delectably creative
  • You couldn’t get more of an authentic Camargue experience: there are horses to ride, and the family are famous for their bulls and their rice
  • The birdwatching is excellent, and wild sandy beaches are only a short drive away

Lows

  • The Camargue is pretty flat, but if you like watery wilderness, you’ll love it
  • You need a car to make the most of the area
  • Note that the restaurant is closed Sunday evenings, and in spring and autumn also on Mondays and lunchtimes Tue-Fri; it's popular with outsiders so best to book ahead

Best time to go

Late spring and early autumn are perfect as the weather is warm and the area is quiet, plus you can watch the hordes of migrating birds pass overhead. In June there’s a horse-riding festival, while in July there is the lively 5-day 'Feria du Cheval' (parades and dressage), both in Saintes Maries. The Abrivado (bull-marching) festivals are in March (Le Grau du Roi) and November (Saintes Maries).

Our top tips

Start the day by riding one of the farmhouse’s white horses. Walking across the salt flats watching the morning mist play over the rugged landscape, revealing black bulls and wildflowers, was simply mesmeric.

We’d also suggest you pack a picnic and borrow one of the hotel’s bikes to pedal to Plage de Beauduc, which can’t be accessed by car. No matter the time of year, you’ll always be able to find a quiet, unspoilt spot.

Great for...

Beach
Eco
Foodie
Great Outdoors
  • Boutique Hotel
  • 15 rooms
  • Breakfast (+ other meals)
  • All ages welcome
  • Closed: 2 Nov - week before Easter
  • Outdoor Pool
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach Nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car recommended
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
Room: Junior Charm Suite

Rooms

All rooms wear the same clipped smile; some are bigger than others, but so are their prices. The smaller Charme Rooms and their larger counterparts, Elegance Rooms, both come with claw-foot baths, terracotta-tiled floors, bathrobes and big white towels in the bathrooms, though colours differ. Those at the back of the house come in green and may have a brass bed; those at the front come in rose and have raw beamed ceilings. Some have steps up to galleried bathrooms, others are furnished with heavy old chests of drawers. All rooms are dressed in crisp cotton, linen curtains, trim carpets and old rugs.

Move up to the suites, which are sprinkled about the farm - thus more private, and you get more space and a private terrace. We stayed in the Charme Junior Suite L’Alcove, which had one of the prettiest bathrooms we’ve ever seen: a white stand-alone tub stood atop terracotta tiles, plus there were his and hers sinks, both with their own gilt-framed mirrors. The Duplex Suite Le Pigeonnier is spread over 2 floors and has a sitting room with an open fire. Our favourite room, however, was the Elegance Junior Suite La Terrasse, on the other side of the farmhouse, which has high ceilings, rugs on coir matting, greedy windows hungry for light, 1930s chairs that slipped out of a chapel and a stunning rattan bench; utterly contemporary in style, but dating back to the early 1900s. The other Junior Elegance Suites (L'Atelier and Loft) are decorated in a similar, elegant style.

Features include:

  • Air conditioning
  • Bathrobes
  • Central heating
  • Cots available
  • Minibar
  • Safe box
  • TV
  • WiFi

Eating

At Le Mas de Peint, you can eat breakfast wherever you please: in your room, on the drawing room terrace, or – heaven forbid – in the dining room. It's traditionally French and includes hams, saucisson and cheeses, as well as freshly-squeezed OJ, baskets of croissants, pain au chocolat and baguettes; Madame makes the jams.

The hotel serves 4-course dinners in the dining room every day except Sunday (and Mondays in the spring and autumn). Our meal here was one of our highlights, taken outside on the terrace with views of ancient olive trees. There is only 1 menu (and all dietary requirements can be catered for) as all the ingredients are sourced from a 50-km radius of the property. Our starter of butternut squash spaghetti with olive tapenade and pesto looked like modern art, and we loved the simple yet powerful flavour of the red Camargue rice with roasted vegetables and fillet of beef – all from the hotel’s farmland.

Three-course lunches are offered all week in summer and Saturday and Sunday only in spring and autumn. Choose from a selection of salads and sandwiches, or opt for the cote de taureau grilled on the barbecue (don’t miss it). For eating out, there are plenty of restaurants nearby, and staff will happily advise.

Features include:

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner by arrangement
  • Honesty bar
  • Lunch by arrangement
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Ride. You can do so on Monsieur’s white horses and set out from the hotel. There is no better way to explore the Camargue’s wild and wonderful landscapes than on horseback
  • There are dazzling wide sandy beaches just 10km south. Our favourite is Plage de Beauduc, which is pristine and can’t be accessed by car
  • Borrow one of the hotel’s bikes and head out on an adventure: you can cycle along the coast from Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer to Port-Saint-Louis-du Rhône, where the Rhône reaches the sea
  • Head up to Arles. It’s a beautiful ancient Roman city of significant artistic importance: Van Gogh lived here for 2 years and painted over 200 paintings, plus the architectural wonder of Luma Arles is packed full of modern art
  • Visit the Pont du Gard, an unmissable 1st-century aqueduct built over 3 levels; on a hot day you can swim in the river it crosses
  • The fortress port of Louis IX at Aigues Mortes is worth a visit for its immaculately preserved city walls, though you'll be hard pushed to beat the crowds

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Birdwatching
  • Cycling
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Historical sites
  • Horse riding
  • Museums / galleries
  • Plantlife / flora
  • Shopping / markets
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Traditional cultures
  • Wildlife

Kids

Older kids in particular will love the abundance of animals around. There are also beach and birding expeditions.

Children under 3 eat for free; children under 10 eat at reduced rates. Cots and extra beds available.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Babysitting:

Babysitting available by arrangement

Baby equipment:

Baby cots available on request

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking

Kid Friendly:

Location

Le Mas de Peint is in the Camargue, 15km south of Arles in southern France.

By Air:
Nimes (30km) and Marseille (65km) are the closest airports.

From the Airport
Jump in a taxi or hire a car (see below).

By Car:
You're close to the motorway and can whizz up to Arles, Nimes, Avignon and Uzes or down to Montpellier in no time. Car hire is available at both Nimes and Avignon stations - see our car rental recommendations.

By Rail:
The TGV serves Avignon and Nimes but the Avignon service is more frequent. From London take the Eurostar to Lille, then change for direct TGV connections. London to Avignon takes about 6 hours; Avignon to the Mas is about 45 mins' drive.

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

Airports:

  • Nimes Garons 30.0 km FNI
  • Marseille Provence 65.0 km MRS

Other:

  • Beach 25.0 km
  • Shops 25.0 km
  • Restaurant 10.0 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 4 independent reviews from i-escape guests

9/10
Room
9/10
Food
10/10
Service
8/10
Value
9/10
Overall

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Rates for Le Mas de Peint

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