Peacefully exploring the Alpilles with friends

This picturesque 3-hour loop itinerary is a great opportunity to stretch your legs while catching up with friends. You'll pass close to the beautiful hilltop villages of Les Baux-de-Provence and Paradou, passing olive groves, irrigation channels, cut-stone farmhouses and a troglodyte house, among other features. Your hike begins outside Maussane Tourist Office.

For more details about olive growing, you can explore this ancestral expertise during a visit to the Moulin Cornille. Split into three distinct sections, the tour not only reveals the mill itself, but also tells you about the local soils, the production secrets of olive oil and its many culinary uses. You’ll go away with an aromatic souvenir to add flavour to your dishes.

For this first night, stay at the hôtel Belesso, perfectly situated between Les Baux-de-Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Arles and the Camargue. Places to chat or get comfortable with a good book in the shade of pines and cypresses... 

Immerse yourself in the world of art at the Carrières des Lumières, amid the amazing images projected on the 14-metre-high walls. The 100 video projectors and 27 speakers create a unique show that plunges you straight into the works of the great artists. Something for your group to get their cultural teeth into. 

For lunch, head for la Reine Jeanne to enjoy a breathtaking view over the Baux valley. The menu shines a spotlight on local products and seafood. A superb backdrop to your lunch break!

You can then wander aimlessly in the village, dominated by a hilltop castle set in a 7-hectare estate. This listed Historic Monument is well worth a visit. Especially in the off-season when you can fully appreciate the authentic charm of the narrow streets and chat with the locals, away from the crowds. This is the perfect place to walk off your meal, before returning to the hotel and that good book or interesting discussion.

Start the day with a visit to the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence market to meet local producers, including chef Gilles Conchy, then head to the Mas for a friendly cookery workshop! You'll learn how to make the most of local produce. It's a great opportunity to share time and recipes together. The half-day workshop ends with a tasting session (9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays, all year round).

At the end of the day, there's a short hike between the shady valley and the sunny plateau, an opportunity to discover the birds of the Alpilles and the ancient heritage (the Mausoleum of Julius and the Arc de Triomphe, two monuments known as ‘Les Antiques’, as well as the site of Glanum and the Cloister of Saint-Paul de Mausole), with a view over the Valrugues valley. A 10.5km route, easy, I promise. Start at the Antiques car park in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

For the night, head to the charming L'Amandière hotel, in the heart of a Provencal oasis, where there's no shortage of places to relax. Enjoy a tasty and generous breakfast on the terrace or in the conservatory, then take a break in the library lounge before setting off again to explore the area.

Arles isn’t in the Alpilles massif but still, it’d be a shame not to visit this city, a hotspot of craftsmanship. So why not join a beginner ceramics workshop, with Tina Tourneur, for example? Beyond the excellent wordplay, this ceramicist will teach you the basics of the delicate art of clay modelling. A pleasant experience that’ll take you back a few years. 

For lunch or dinner, treat yourself to the delights of the season in the Arles countryside, at La Chassagnette where Armand Arnal, the chef, grows his own vegetables and works wonders in the kitchen. This moment suspended in time, in the garden of a former sheepfold, invites you to forget the time of day and the washing up, to take a little time out with your friends!  

You’re now in the perfect place to visit the Vaccarès lake and discover the wildlife and vegetation via a number of regional trails. Visit the Arles Tourist Office website to put together your own bespoke itinerary that caters for your group’s preferences and level of fitness.

Spend the night at the fully-renovated  Arlatan, a historic hotel which has been completely transformed into a fun and colourful venue by the Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo. The hotel garden makes the perfect place to stay up until the early hours.

The beautiful Provençal village of Paradou is famous for its nativity figures, true icons of the local culture. The village museum reveals all about this tradition in an immersive 400 m² reconstitution of a Provençal village featuring these legendary figurines. While you’re there, why not join a workshop to make your own figures? Here’s your chance to create a unique souvenir and share the pleasant experience of dipping your hands in clay. 

Round off the week by tucking into a daily special at the village’s culinary institution, Le Bistrot du Paradou. There’s no lengthy menu here, just a single dish served with local delights like aïoli. Yummy! They frequently serve spit-roast Bresse chicken, calf’s head with ravigote sauce and one of the restaurant’s famous tarts. 

Visit 

la Provence

Further Reading: 

A gourmet strolls from market to market

3 top spots on lavender route