COUNTRYSIDE

Mas de l'Etoile

Aureille - France

Some corners of Provence still know how to stay quiet. Le Mas de l’Étoile is a stone village house made for easy days between shade, markets and the old rhythm of the South.

Countryside

Pool

Fireplace

Cooking Lessons

Massage

Bike Rental

THE SETTING

Mas de l’Étoile is located in Aureille, a small village in the Alpilles, in Provence. The Alpilles are the limestone hills between Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux, Eygalières, Maussane and the plain of La Crau. It is one of the most recognisable corners of Provence: pale rock, olive trees, garrigue, cypress, stone villages, dry light, summer heat and sharp mistral days.

Aureille sits a little away from the better-known village circuit. The old centre has stone houses, fountains, a wash house, oratories and the ruins of a château above the village. It feels quieter than Saint-Rémy or Les Baux, which is exactly the point.

Mas de l’Étoile is a stone village house connected to Domaine Jòlibois, an organic olive-oil estate just a few minutes away. The stay works in two ways. Most of the time, it is a maison d’hôtes with five en-suite rooms. On request, it can become a full private house with nine bedrooms, useful for families, friends, retreats or small celebrations.

THE ROOMS

As a guesthouse, Mas de l’Étoile has five en-suite rooms: Terre de Rose, Mistral, Garrigue, Cyprès and Pivoine. The names say a lot about the mood: soft southern colours, references to the land, and a style built around natural materials. The rooms are calm, warm and easy to live with, with good bedding, simple lines and a view towards the olive groves from parts of the house.

When the whole house is privatised, the setup expands to nine bedrooms. That version changes the rhythm completely: less guesthouse, more shared house. People move between rooms, the common areas, the terrace and the village, with enough space for a group to stay together without turning everything into one single living room.

THE FOOD

For guesthouse stays, breakfast is served in the morning. It includes local and seasonal products, coffee, something sweet, something fresh, and the slow start people come to Provence for. In the evening, Le Mas can offer à la carte options ordered in advance: aperitif boards, seafood platters, cheese boards and other simple selections to enjoy at the house.

The strongest food link is the olive oil. Domaine Jòlibois is only a few minutes away and produces organic oils from its Alpilles estate. Guests can visit the mill, walk among the olive trees and taste the oils properly, instead of treating olive oil as something that only appears on the table.

THE STAY

Mas de l’Étoile is made for a quieter version of Provence.

There is an outdoor area for shade, drinks, reading or slow evenings after a day in the hills. Inside, the shared living room gives the house a simple gathering point, especially outside the hottest hours.

The link with Domaine Jòlibois adds the local layer. Visits, olive-oil tastings, harvest workshops, picnic baskets, pétanque or sunset aperitifs can be arranged depending on the season and programme.

That is probably the best way to use the place: not as a villa with endless facilities, but as a village house with access to a real Provençal estate nearby.

AROUND MAS DE L'ETOILE

Aureille is a good base for travellers who want the Alpilles without sleeping in the busiest villages.

From here, you can drive to Eygalières, Mouriès, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Each gives a different version of the region: markets, stone houses, terraces, galleries, olive mills, limestone views and good village restaurants.

The Alpilles Regional Nature Park is close in every direction. Walks can start almost from the village, with trails through garrigue, olive groves, rocky slopes and viewpoints over the plain.

Les Baux and the Carrières des Lumières are the obvious classic outing. Saint-Rémy is the one for markets, shops, cafés and the Van Gogh / Saint-Paul-de-Mausole story. Eygalières and Maussane work well for quieter lunches and village wandering.

The wider region opens easily too: Arles, Avignon, the Camargue, Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon can all be reached for day trips, depending on how much driving you want.

THE OWNERS

Mas de l’Étoile belongs to the Domaine Jòlibois world, created by Anne-Sophie and Clément.

Their main project is the olive estate: 240 hectares in the Alpilles, taken over after a period of abandonment and brought back to life around organic olive oil, AOP production, a renovated mill and visitor experiences.

The Mas extends that same idea into hospitality. It is not a standalone anonymous guesthouse; it is one more way to enter their Provence — olive trees, garrigue, village life, tastings, simple meals, and a quieter relationship with the Alpilles.

GOOD TO KNOW

It first operates as a guesthouse with five en-suite rooms. On request, the property can also be privatised as a full house with nine bedrooms.

Domaine Jòlibois is a few minutes away and offers olive-oil visits, tastings, harvest workshops, blending workshops and picnic baskets depending on the season.

Marseille Provence Airport is around one hour away by car. Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV are around 40 minutes away. A car is strongly recommended.

Guesthouse rates start at €200 per night. Full privatisation from around €1,800 per night for 18 people.

THE ADDRESS

Mas de l'Etoile

6 Av. Saint-Roch
13930 Aureille
France

COUNTRYSIDE

Mas de l'Etoile

Countryside

Pool

Fireplace

Cooking Lessons

Massage

Bike Rental

THE SETTING

THE ROOMS

THE FOOD

THE STAY

AROUND MAS DE L'ETOILE

THE OWNERS

GOOD TO KNOW

THE ADDRESS

Mas de l'Etoile

CONTINUE IN PROVENCE

La Perroya

Domaine de la Xavolière

Number 5

Le Pavadou

Domaine Les Martins