Cottage Hide-Away in the Foothills of the Cévennes

Tavion details

Tavion - the spacious cottage that overlooks vines

Home description

For your stay in southern France Pat and Brian Wills offer you a spacious modernised, self-catering gite (62 sq m) close to their 131-year-old maison de maitre. It sleeps 3 but is ideal for 2.  Through the trees you can see Anduze, the historic market town at the edge of the Cévennes locally famed for its café terraces and a holiday buzz during the summer.

This is what makes it special and different:

• Rural calm in a private garden with secure parking
  surrounded by attractive views of hills and vineyards.
• A sunny south-facing terrace ideal for outdoor eating and
  relaxing.
• An excellent retreat for professionals seeking seclusion but
  needing broadband and satellite TV/radio connections.
• Long-time resident bilingual hosts on hand for guidance
  on local attractions backed up by leaflets, maps and guidebooks.
• Flexible booking arrangements for guests who prefer to
  travel mid-week.
• Boulangeries, restaurants and supermarkets in Anduze, the
  medieval 'Porte des Cévennes', only 5 minutes away by car, 10
  minutes on a bicycle (hire facilities available), or 30 minutes on foot.
• For those who are keen about conserving energy the water is solar-heated.
• Nearby hill-walking and river-bathing amid the splendid scenery
  of the Cévennes hills.
• Mediterranean beaches and many historical 'Midi' towns within little more than an hour's drive.
   

Accommodation detail

Living room

Kitchen

Bedroom

View from the patio

Move your mouse over the thumbnail to view

The cottage itself is furnished to a high standard comprising:

There is ample room in the substantial gardens to find a restful spot to have a drink, curl up with a good book or just admire the surrounding scenery. A barbecue and garden furniture are provided.

Though the cottage is next to the owners' house, it has a great deal of privacy, and quiet areas abound in the garden.

About the location

The Languedoc area of France is nature at its best, from the Camargue to the eastern end of the Pyrenees; from the wild and lonely Causses to the sunny Mediterranean coast. Across the highly scented garrigue and the sun-soaked vineyards there is an incomparable variety of scenery and there are fascinating towns and villages to discover.

The Mediterranean sea is just over an hour’s drive to the south, and to the east are the Pont du Gard (1 hour), Avignon and Arles (both 1½ hours). But there are any number of other special places to visit: Nimes (for its Roman temple and arena); Uzès (a beautiful ‘Midi’ town); St Guilhem-le-désert (medieval pilgrimage village); the Cirque de Navacelles (a deep limestone valley on the Causse plateau); the Grotte des Demoiselles (one of the most impressive among several local caves); the world’s highest bridge at Millau, and so on.

You will find the staff in the Office de Tourisme in the centre of Anduze are friendly, and offer many leaflets about interesting local activities.  There are several cafés to sit in for drinks and snacks, and you can choose among some 15 restaurants in the town named in our two-page list (that also covers nearby villages and towns).  The big attractions are the local steam train (TVC: Train à Vapeur des Cévennes) that runs up the Gardon valley to St Jean du Gard, passing the Bambouseraie (the bamboo park of distinction that includes a beautiful landscaped Japanese garden).

For shopping, the town centre is only 2 km away, or 30 minutes on foot. The supermarket with most to offer is Super U. Otherwise a range of small shops sell such items as bread, medicines and newspapers (in several languages).  A country market is held in the old town on Thursdays, and a flea market on Sundays. There are multilingual cash-points, three banks, and low-cost petrol and diesel are available from Super U and Intermarché.  In the summer months the town attracts holiday-makers who give it a buzz that is said to be the envy of surrounding holiday locations.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Archery, Bird Watching, Canoeing, Cycling, Fishing, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Rambling, Riverside activities, Sightseeing, Swimming, Tennis, Tree adventure park, Walking, Wine tasting

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

The gite is located on a hillside off the main road for Nimes in the southern outskirts of Anduze.  Look for the tarred road on the right opposite the main entrance of the builders' depot GEDIMAT MANEN, which is marked Tavion and Tourette.

Detailed directions about how to find the gite from motorways and airports are available on request.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.