An 18th-century stone villa set among one hectare of landscaped grounds in Gordes, this is the kind of place where the pace slows almost immediately. The Luberon ridge stretches across the horizon from within the gardens, while a heated pool flanked by terraces makes it easy to lose whole afternoons to the Provençal sun. Beneath a vine-covered canopy, long lunches drift into evening. Indoors, original arched doorways and exposed stone give the reception rooms real warmth. A hard-surface tennis court is tucked discreetly into the grounds, and the perched village of Gordes is a fifteen-minute drive away.

• Your host can help arrange bike hire, catering, wine tours, and cookery, photography and art classes for you. They can also help to organise insurance, car hire, and flights.Cost on request