Sleeps | 8 |
Bedrooms | 3 |
Bathrooms | 2 |
Space | 1,400 sq ft |
Property type | townhome |
Minimum Stay | 3 nights |
Les Bougainvilliers offers enormous character, charm, comfort, and LOCATION! You’ll be 15 minutes from the exquisite town of Aix-en-Provence, not much further from Avignon and Arles, close to the hilltop villages in the Luberon and only 30 minutes from the Mediterranean Sea.
What else are you looking for in a vacation home in Provence?
AS WORLD EVENTS SEEMS TO BE TAKING A TOLL ON FRENCH RENTALS I HAVE JUST SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED MY RENTAL FEES FOR 2017. PLEASE LOOK AT OUR NEW AND VERY ATTRACTIVE RATES!
LES BOUGAINVILLIERS is not like any house you’ve ever seen. It was built around 1750, and renovated by a French architect. This splendid old house offers the real deal “French Experience” -- stroll to the boulangerie for warm croissants, sip in an outdoor café, shop at the farmers’ market, then return home to open the wine and prepare a meal full of French flavor to savour in the courtyard. Voilà!
The house is situated on the western edge of Saint Cannat, an 'authentic' village still largely undiscovered by tourists. It has excellent butchers and bakers, a fruit and veg shop with exquisite produce, a small general store, a newspaper shop, hair salons, pharmacies, cafés and a few boutiques.
A huge skylight in the roof brings sunshine into the entire house through the atrium. Double paned glass and excellent central heat keep the house very warm in winter -- the thick stone walls keep it cool in summer. You will not need A/C at Les Bougainvilliers, but we do have electric fans in all the bedrooms. All year long the warm afternoon sun floods the living room, rooftop terrace, and farmland across the street. Parking on the street in front of the house is usually easy.
The house is built on three levels. On the ground floor is the kitchen (entered from the courtyard) with a new oven and dishwasher in August 2010, two coffee makers, a toaster, and plenty of work space and good kitchen utensils for preparing your Provencal meals. Also on this first level are the living/dining rooms, one bath, w.c., and washer/dryer. Tastefully furnished with a combination of French antiques and modern pieces, the living room has comfortable leather furniture, a piano and a huge semi-circular window that looks onto the brightly flowered courtyard. An excellent fireplace and very efficient central heat make Les Bougainvilliers a perfect house to rent in winter. The dining room table extends to seat 8 people. A mini computer for your use is on this level.
There are three bedrooms, all on the middle level. One has a queen sized bed, one has a standard double, and one has twins that can be made up into a queen sized bed. The larger of the bathrooms has a walk-in Italian shower, plus a separate w.c., on this level.
On the top level is the TV room. Here, under the huge roof beams, you will find seating and a flatscreen television (French only). On the large landing is a comfortable, convertible sofa bed and the door to the “Tropezienne” terrace which overlooks the rooftops and fields of Saint Cannat. We've recently added a large pergola and news plants so that the terrace is a comfortable place to be during sunny days.
From the house you can quickly walk to the butcher, the baker, the post office, pharmacies, shops, cafes, and the colorful Wednesday morning market. The bus to Aix-en-Provence and beyond leaves from a nearby corner. One of the BEST restaurants in the entire area is Le Mas de Fauchon, about one mile from the house. Lunch or dinner (outdoors much of the year) at Le Mas de Fauchon is a MUST!
So, go see it all, come back to Les Bougainvilliers, throw open the doors, open the rosé, turn up the music and feel like a local!
And we offer you FREE long distance calling to North America and Europe so you can tell those back home all about it!
I started traveling as a young person, and continued to cover as much ground as possible as a photojournalist and photo tour operator. Falling in love with France at 20, I HAD to live here, and many years later, in 1995, I bought Les Bougainvilliers in St. Cannat. Later I moved to the Luberon, and now live in Bandol on the coast with my English husband. We divide our time between France, Mexico and lots of fantastic places in between.
Cynthia Gillespie-Smith purchased this townhome in 1995
St. Cannat has the perfect location! It worked for me for business and social reasons, and it works for tourists because it's centrally located, near Aix, and not a touristic town. It's real Provence!
Although my house is in the village, and only minutes from the boulangerie, the food shops, post office, the tennis courts, swimming pool, the outdoor market, and other important stops, the view is into the farmer's fields across the way. You feel you're in the country, but have the conveniences of the town. Also, while the house is very old and charmingly Provencal, it has that all important element ~ light ~ which most old houses lack.
We had a wonderful time exploring Provence. Shopping touring, swimming, and did we say shopping! The markets wee great fun with delicious fresh produce. The fresh bread every morning was wonderful. Enjoyed our "home" and hope to be back soon!
We are a family of six adult members, and expend wonderfull time in this house, which has everything you need, it is very comfortable, with a chim in the dinning-living room, very well located in a small village, near to the most important places in Provence, such as Marseille, Arles, St. Remy, Avignon wich we visited one a day. Everything in the house works, ready to rest or to cook. I recommend it.
We spent a week in St Cannat with 5 people (two parents, two kids and grandmother) and loved the house and location. We arrived on a Wednesday and were lucky to literally stumble into the weekly market held in St Cannat. We bought a few fresh products and went to meet Cynthia before being able to cook our lunch in the house. The house is very spacious and well equipped.
Communication with Cynthia throughout the booking process was excellent and she provides all the information you could ever need, including detailed directions to the house. All this makes the whole process very enjoyable and relaxing.
St Cannat is very close to Aix so we were able to go sight seeing there, as well as travelling to various places like Cassis, Orange and even down to Camargue on day trips. We loved our week there and look forward to returning one day.
We would highly recommend this house.
Awesome villa and awesome village. Absolutely loved it; we'll be back soon!
We have little to add to our 2015 review - for us Cynthia's place in St. Cannat is heaven on earth! Simply stated this place has it all - Provencal beauty, just the perfect amount of town activity and only an occasional identifiable tourist. On the more personal side the house has a wonderful resonance to it - Margaret frequently played her oboe here - and the oven was ideal for roasting une pintade (guinea hen) from the charcuterie. If we were asked where we have found the essence of living, it would be here, in this home, in this town. We'll be back!!!
Chris & Margaret
We were two couples, plus occasional guests, spending a month living in this house and traveling through Provence, the coast, and Paris. It was a wonderful home base for travel and experiencing life in a small town. It is all as described on the website -- spacious house, modern conveniences (including WiFi and international phone service on the first floor), a lovely small town with croissants, baguette, gorgeous fruits & vegetables, all within easy walk.
We rented a car, but discovered that the public bus to Aix gave us great flexibility. On a few occasions, the men took off to a nearby golf course and we took the bus into Aix for the markets, museums, lunch & people-watching. We visited spectacular hill towns & Roman ruins, walked and walked, and then came home to cook delicious dinner.
Or took advantage of the very good take-out pizza place down the road.
Les Bougainvilliers is a lovely, well maintained home located in the village of St. Cannat. The property is located on a quiet street with trees and an open field across the way. The home is well equipped so if you desire you can cook your own meals. Market day is Wed but the local markets can provide all your needs at other times. If you choose to eat out, the noon meal is a great option. We especially enjoyed Les Braises Rouges.
We stayed with another couple for a week in early October and had a wonderful time. We rented a car and used Les Bougainvilliers as a home base to explore the area's towns and countryside. It was an easy daytrip to Le Beaux, Arles, Avignon, St. Remy and many other lovely villages.
Cynthia, the owner, was very helpful before and during our arrival. We especially enjoyed the market that she recommended in Lourmarin our first day there.
She has a helpful caretaker, Babeth, who stopped by to make sure everything was alright.
We would strongly recommend this country home for a large family or 2-3 couples.
History, Roman ruins, art, music festivals and GREAT shopping, The village tennis courts and large swimming pool only 100 yards from our door, While the pool is not our own private pool, it is very pleasant and rarely crowed
Rate Period | Nightly | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly * | Event | ||||
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Spring/Summer/Fall
Apr 1 2018 -
Dec 23 2018
3 night minimum stay
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C$188
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C$1,254
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C$4,704
|
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My Standard Rate
3 night minimum stay
|
C$188
|
C$1,254
|
C$4,704
|
|
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cleaning | C$141.13 |
Refundable Damage Deposit | C$784.04 |
Tax Rate | 10.0% |
Taxes included
Cleaning is €90
Fully Refundable Damage Deposit of $500
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.