Nestled within the heart of Eygalières, newly constructed (2022) Maison Aurore is one of the most attractive village houses we’ve seen, and at 200m2, it’s one of the largest too. Eygalières is such a delightful place that the owners wanted to create something in keeping with the existing buildings, so Maison Aurore was built by French craftsmen using traditional techniques and local stone. The result is an elegant, country house-style home that feels as though it’s been in this lovely spot forever, polished up for 21^st C visitors with air-conditioning throughout and fibre optic broadband.

The beautifully understated interiors would make this a desirable house in any location, but here, in the middle of Eygalières, with a market, bakery and various village shops just a minute or two’s walk away, it’s quite the find for a romantic break or a holiday with friends. And if you’re wondering about a pool, yes, there’s that too, set into the terrace at the rear of the house, with just enough room for breakfast in the sunshine or an aperitif before dinner. The kitchen is kitted out to the same high spec as the rest of the house and the perfect place to get creative with any foodie market finds, but if you don’t feel like cooking, there are several highly respected restaurants in Eygalières itself, plus many other choices in the local area.

The owners of Maison Aurore are also Simpson Travellers themselves, so they’re personally familiar with our high standards; we’re confident that a stay here will more than meet expectations.

Good to know: If this property is unavailable on your preferred date, you might want to consider adjoining Maison Beatrice, which belongs to the same owner and is finished to the same very high standard.

Local Area

Pretty as a picture yet comfortably off the most trodden tourist route, Eygalières has all you need for daily shopping. Friday is market day, bursting with the colours and flavours of this inimitable region, but otherwise it’s a fairly sleepy village, built on a limestone outcrop with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside to the Alpilles mountains. The closest town of note is Saint-Rémy de Provence, which hosts a small museum about Van Gogh’s art and life in the region, as well as numerous chic little shops, cafes and restaurants. Just south of the town there’s a surprisingly impressive Roman site at Glanum, with one of the best-preserved Roman cenotaphs in the world, and remains of the forum, baths and temple. To the north is Avignon, well worth a full day out, with a fantastic food market and the UNESCO-classified Petit Palais museum as well as the celebrated ‘pont.’ But for many the real joy of this area is the beautiful rolling hills of the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles, where you can follow marked walking trails through vineyards and olive groves, a wonderful way to spend the day in the cooler spring and autumn months.

Our choice of French properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.