In this section...
- 8
- 5
- 4
- Air conditioned bedrooms
- Heated swimming pool
- Close to Lourmarin and Bonnieux
- Sleek and contemporary
NEW FOR 2025
If you love the sleek, glossy look of a beach villa but prefer the rich culture and magical landscapes of rural Provence, Villa Josephine is for you. Located near Lourmarin in the southern Luberon, this is Peter Mayle’s Provence, dotted with many of France’s ‘plus beaux villages’ and still reassuringly authentic, despite the huge success of his 1989 book.
The landscape may be little changed, but Villa Josephine is a far, far cry from Mayle’s 200-year-old farmhouse. Completed in 2024, the villa offers almost 200m2 of beautifully modern, open-plan living (for context, the average UK home is just over 100m2), fronted by large bay windows to let the southern light flood in. It’s a luxurious base for a family with older children or perhaps a group of friends; all the bedrooms have king-size beds and stylish decor for a boutique hotel vibe to complement the privacy of your own villa.
The pool is heated from May to September so you can take advantage of the quieter months to explore this delightful region at leisure, and still enjoy a dip before dinner. There’s plenty to do in the immediate area, from markets and vineyards to horse-riding and hiking on the endless Luberon trails, or kayaking on the Durance river, Provence’s pre-eminent white-water playground.
The local area
Your closest village is Lauris (10min drive), which has a small weekly market, restaurants, cafes & shops. Lovely Lourmarin (15min drive) is officially one of France’s ‘most beautiful villages’, and well deserving of the title. Perched on a hillside and encircled by vineyards, olive groves and almond orchards, it’s irresistibly photogenic and buzzing with summer life, from pavement cafes to speciality shops and the weekly Friday market. In addition to the classic Provençal shady streets and leafy squares, Lourmarin’s festivals and art galleries mean it punches well above its cultural weight, making this a wonderful asset to have on your villa doorstep. Other nearby highlights include Bonnieux (smaller and steeper to wander around) and Ansouis, crowned by a 1000-year-old castle and home to one of the region’s most celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants. If you’re of the right vintage to recall A Year in Provence, you’ll probably also remember Manon des Sources, part of which was filmed in the church at Ansouis.
Villa Josephine is a base with lots of day trip potential too. The Luberon is an idyllic natural playground for all manner of outdoor pursuits, while Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Avignon and the Med at Carry-le-Rouet are all within a 45 – 60-minute drive.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Provence
An in-villa chef and meal delivery service is available by arrangement at all our French villas
Accommodation
Layout
- 5-bedroom villa (sleeps 2-8)
Ground floor
- Open-plan kitchen/dining/living area with access to terrace
- Kitchen equipped with dishwasher, fridge-freezer, microwave, oven, hob and coffee maker
- Living room with Smart TV
- Laundry room with washing machine and dryer
- Bedroom 1: double bedroom (180cm bed) with en-suite shower room and WC and access to pool terrace
- Bedroom 2: double bedroom (180cm bed) with en-suite shower room and WC
- Bedroom 3: double bedroom (180cm bed) with en-suite shower room and WC
- Bedroom 4: double bedroom (180cm bed) with en-suite bath and shower room
- Bedroom 5: Twin bedroom (2x90cm beds)
- Guest WC
General
- Simpson Travel telephone representative
- Complimentary WiFi
- Air-conditioning in bedrooms
- Iron, ironing board and hairdryer
- Simpson Travel pool towels
- Open on-site car parking for two cars
- Swimming pool 8 x 5.4m (1.45m depth) with raised platform and corner steps
- 8 pool loungers
- Gas plancha barbecue
- Shaded outdoor dining area
- Boules court
- For further information on Terms and Conditions for this property please click here
- Please note: due to the proximity of the pool to the house, care must be taken with young children and non-swimmers
WiFi
- All properties with WiFi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and checking emails. We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes due to factors beyond our control reliability can be affected.
Villa access times
- Check-in time – 4pm
- Check-out time – 10am
Services
- Weekly clean and linen change for stays of two weeks or more
Getting there
Airports
- Marseille 50min drive
TVG Stations
- Aix-en-Provence 50min drive
Location
- Towns:
Mérindol & Lauris, 9min drive
Lourmarin, 15min drive - Restaurant 6min drive
- Supermarket 12min drive
- Shops 9min drive
- Carry-le-Rouet (beach), 1hr drive
- Etang de la Bonde (lake with beach), 30min drive
- Bike hire 8min drive
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.
* For further clarification on Facilities and Amenities, please view the 'Details' tab for each property or speak to one of our experienced sales consultants.
There's no better way to while away leisurely holiday hours than by visiting the many Provençal villages with their cobbled streets and cafes. Hilltop towns glow in pale golden stone, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and fields of fragrant purple lavender. From celebrated Gordes to charming Eygalières, each town has a market to help you discover local produce, or treat yourself to a long lazy lunch; from pavement cafes to Michelin stars, the midday meal in France is nothing short of an art form.
The cities of Avignon, Orange, Nîmes and Arles offer an architecturally rich and cultural day out but try to make time for lesser-known gems like Vaison la Romaine, Uzès and Ile sur la Sorgue for a less crowded but equally impressive picture of the history of the region.
A day at the beach is always an option but you can find other open water options closer to home, from child-friendly paddling in the River Gardon below le Pont du Gard, to kayaking down La Sorgue as it winds its way through the Luberon. Close to Avignon, Lac de Monteux has a lifeguarded beach and various water activities for all ages.
This is a destination to rival any other. Complemented by our selection of handpicked villas we can help you make the most of your luxury holiday in Provence.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Provence
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