Mas Oliveto

Mas Oliveto is an old stone farmhouse that someone decorated with a sense of humour. The walls are honey-coloured limestone, the roofs are terracotta, and inside you'll find floral sofas, palm-print wallpaper and a pink bedroom with an arched door. It's warm, a little playful, and very Provençal underneath.

The living room sits under a pine-boarded ceiling with heavy beams, with a stone fireplace at one end. Next door, a long table runs past a cream range cooker in the stone-walled kitchen. Upstairs there's a loft lounge with floor cushions and cut-metal screens, a good place for teenagers to claim. If you want a luxury villa rental in Fontvieille with real character, this one has it.

Mas Oliveto sleeps ten guests across five bedrooms, each with a king bed, and five bathrooms. One bathroom has a black freestanding tub. Outside, the pool sits in a courtyard of stone walls, with woven loungers, wicker egg chairs and a built-in daybed. The best surprise is a covered stone pavilion holding a large hot tub, with a fountain set into the wall.

Fontvieille is a small village in the Alpilles, with the countryside of southern France all around. It works well for two or three families together, or a group of friends who like a house with personality. Lunch goes on the long table under the reed shade.