Mas de Garrigue

Rooms

All bedrooms have pretty divans and armchairs and are, according to those who have stayed, oases of comfort and tranquility.

Floors are stone, seagrass or wood, and beams abound. Beds are super-kingsize or twin in French antique style, with cane headboards and mosquito nets, and mattresses are exceptionally comfortable. Pillows are delicious, and there are hypoallergenic duvets and blankets in honeycomb cotton. Bathrooms have drenching showers (plus baths in Laramiere, Beauregard and Marcillhac) and L’Occitane soaps and oils.

Saint Sulpice is a cool, airy double on the ground floor, with direct access to the garden and pool. It’s decorated in a palette of whites and grey-blues, with a vintage kilim on an immaculate stone floor. On the second floor, Laramiere is full of light and is many guests’ favourite, with white stone walls and wonderful views of the valley and hills.

Up on the third floor, there are two rooms in the eaves. The first, Beauregard, is a double with gorgeous views of the nearby village of Calvignac, plus spectacular sloping beams. Its bathroom is a lovely surprise: set in a round stone tower, with antique-style basins and a roll-top tub. Montbrun is an elegant twin room with high rafters that can become a triple on request.

A short stroll from the main house, Sailliac and Marcillhac sit in a renovated barn. They're lofty, stone-walled spaces that feel super-private, yet they're only a flip-flop from the pool for easy morning dips.

Features include:

• Central heating
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Mosquito net
• Toiletries
• WiFi

Eating

Food and its provenance are taken seriously here. Breakfast is a spread of local croissants and breads, yoghurt, fresh juice, fresh fruit salad, coffee, tea and homemade preserves.

Simple communal suppers are available if there is enough demand, but otherwise there are plenty of excellent restaurants within a short drive. Your hosts know the best places to eat, so take Sarah and Steve's advice. Don’t miss Jeu de Quilles in Carjac - a little gem with delicious food that comes recommended by the Michelin Guide.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Communal dining
• Dinner by arrangement
• Honesty bar

Activities

• The Mas is a perfect launch pad for historic towns such as Cajarc, Figeac and Limogne, and the châteaux of Cenevières, Brentenoux and Castelnaud. Your hosts can provide maps
  
• The Pech Merle caves and their prehistoric paintings are unmissable. They’re only a 30-minute drive, but visitor numbers are limited to 700 per day, so book ahead. The neolithic portrayals of bison, mammoths, elk and horses are the real deal (not copies as at Lascaux!), and the caves themselves are a geological wonder
  
• The town of Cahors is also a half-hour drive, with a river setting, many good eateries and a 14th-century bridge, the Pont Valentré (arched, towered and Unesco-listed). If you’re in town on market day (Wednesday or Saturday), step into the cathedral on the market square and check out the domed vaults, cloisters and garden
  
• Even closer is St Cirq Lapopie, perched on magnificent limestone cliffs. It’s 'un des plus beaux villages’, although with 400,000 visitors a year its perhaps best out of season or in the evening before having dinner when the tourists have gone home. André Breton, founder of French Surrealism, said “I no longer want to be anywhere else”
  
• A few minutes away is the small village of Bouziès, where cruise boats take you down the wide meandering river, with guides pointing out medieval cave dwellings along the way
  
• Sarah and Steve can arrange horse riding, canoeing and bike hire, and introduce you to the animals (horse, donkey, pigs and 3 lovely black labs). And there’s the beautiful pool for you to relax by after your day's sightseeing or walks

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Well being
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children over 10 yrs are welcome on exceptional basis to preserve the tranquility for other guests.

Distances:

• Airport: 1 hour (Rodez-Aveyron)
• Shop: 10 minutes (Cajarc)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Mas de Garrigue is tucked away in the tiny hamlet of La Garrigue, in the rural Lot region of the Midi Pyrenees, southern France. It’s between the villages of Calvignac (2.5km) and Gailliac (3km).

By Air:
The nearest airport is Rodez-Aveyron (77km away), but it’s only served by seasonal flights from Paris and London. More airlines fly to Toulouse (177km away) and Carcassonne (228km away) - click on the links below for a list.

From the Airport
The rural location means you’ll need a car to get here and to get out to explore - see our car rental recommendations. It’s an hour’s drive from Rodez-Aveyron airport, just under 2 hours from Toulouse, and 2.5 hours from Carcassonne. There's a free car park for guests.

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

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