Provence hiking retreat, nature, food and wine

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

We strive to minimise our carbon footprint by adopting sustainable practices across all aspects of our tours:

Renewable Energy: Our villa is equipped with solar panels, ensuring we harness as much green energy as possible to power our operations.

Transport Efficiency: We limit motorised transportation to essential journeys only, using a single car for travel to local destinations that are only accessible by car.

Locally Sourced Food: By growing fresh fruit and olives on our property and partnering with local food producers, we minimise food miles and support eco-friendly agricultural practices. Vegetarian and vegan food is also available on request.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

Respect for the natural environment is at the core of our ethos. Our activities are designed to enhance, rather than disrupt, the rich biodiversity of Provence:

Harmonious Coexistence with Wildlife: We avoid the use of electric fences around our villa which is situated off the beaten track in a beautiful wild forest, choosing instead to live in harmony with local wildlife. We encourage the natural movement of animals around our property, which includes wild boar and deer. Even if they do on occasion dig up our smaller fruit trees! It’s about learning to work with the animals that have made this area their home, long before we came to live here.

Nature-Centered Activities: Our hiking tours emphasise environmental stewardship, providing opportunities for guests to learn about the local flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. We encourage respectful interactions with nature, allowing guests to appreciate the biodiversity that surrounds them.

Biodynamic Practices: We collaborate with a local biodynamic vineyard that produces wine without pesticides or chemicals, fostering an agricultural system that works with nature and local animals in the most sustainable way.

Recycling: We try to avoid the use of plastics on our trips and when we do we ensure that plastics and everything else is properly recycled in the local village recycling containers. We also ask our clients to bring their own water bottles to refill using our water filtration system.

Through these initiatives we are committed to delivering memorable travel experiences that respect and preserve the natural environment while fostering positive social and economic change.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

We believe in the power of tourism to positively impact local communities, particularly by supporting small businesses and local producers.

Supporting Local Farmers and Producers: We source organic produce wherever possible and collaborate closely with local farmers and food producers, ensuring that our tours contribute to the local economy. This includes working with a nearby biodynamic vineyard and olive oil producers. We support the sustainable practices of small producers, which not only honour the hard work behind these exceptional products but also help preserve the ecosystems that thrive around them.

Partnership with Local Businesses: Our guests dine at local cafes and restaurants, enjoy a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard and explore local villages and markets, directly benefiting and supporting the communities we visit. Local handicraft products are available to purchase in shops and markets and this directly supports the local businesses of the area.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

We employ people from the local community and surrounding villages to help with the cooking and cleaning. We also believe in fair wages so we make sure that no one is ever underpaid and is paid almost double the minimum wage for their hard work and commitment.

Our trips are of course LGBTQ friendly and in no shape or form do we exclude a certain demographic of people from coming on our trips or working for us. Our trips however are not suitable to some people with mobility issues as hiking is the main activity and everyone is expected to have a good level of fitness and some prior experience hiking.

We are committed to responsible and sustainable tourism that preserves the beauty and integrity of the natural world while supporting local communities. Our experiences are carefully crafted to minimise environmental impact and provide lasting benefits to the regions we explore.