Creative Retreats in Provence
la mer à pied, le silence en plus
Morning light waking the terracotta rooftops, wind whispering through the pines, the ever-changing horizon of the Mediterranean… At Le Mas de la Gavaresse, nature isn’t a backdrop — it’s the raw material for your creative work.
We open our gîtes, shaded terraces and large garden to artists, writers and creative groups, to make your next retreat an unforgettable artistic and human experience.
A Provençal Mas
15/20 guests
Acces
TGV 12km, Airport 15min
Peaceful Surroundings
No noise disturbance
Spaces to make your own
Lounges, terraces, garden: your choice
Inspiration within reach
Light, textures, wildlife, horizon
On site
Maritime Provence…
An inspiring property by the sea
Between forested hills and the Mediterranean, Le Mas de la Gavaresse has been our family home for five generations. Once a wine estate, this carefully restored Provençal mas, surrounded by a large Mediterranean garden, combines authentic charm, comfort and serenity, in complete privacy.
You have full use of the living spaces, bedrooms, terraces and garden. This full privatization strengthens group cohesion, gives freedom to organize your own schedule, and improves the quality of exchanges. Participants can fully enjoy their stay, alternating work sessions, meals and moments of relaxation in a friendly atmosphere.
Whether you’re an association, a club, an artist or a workshop leader, you have a place designed to welcome your project in the best conditions.
Easy access for groups coming from afar
Toulon-Hyères Airport, a 15-minute drive from the Mas, offers a seasonal direct flight to London — convenient for groups travelling from the UK.
For international groups, Nice and Marseille airports open up further options, with numerous direct European connections.
The Mas is also easily reached by train via Toulon station, about 12km away.
An environment made for concentration
Silence is an integral part of the experience at Le Mas de la Gavaresse.
Away from busy roads and tourist bustle, the estate offers a setting where you mostly hear wind in the pines, birds and cicadas.
For a writing, painting, photography retreat or any other creative practice, this tranquility naturally nurtures inspiration, focus and exchange among participants.
Spaces that adapt to how you work
We don’t limit you to a single place to create: the three gîtes (Le Pénéquet, La Fenière, L’Orangeraie) each offer their own lounges for individual or small-group work; the covered terraces let you set up tables and easels in the shade, with soft light suited to both watercolor and writing; the Mediterranean garden, with its upper part open to the hillside and its lower part sheltered by vegetation, offers enough space to spread out a full collective workshop or simply retreat with a notebook.
A permanent source of inspiration
Morning light on the terracotta roofs, shifting shadows under the pines, a bird’s flight across the garden, the ever-changing horizon between sea and hillside: the Mas offers a renewed subject at every hour of the day, for those who write, paint, draw or photograph. Groups who have stayed here have already made it their material — sketchbooks filled on the terrace, pages written in the quiet of a lounge, long silent waits to catch a bird or a mantis in the garden.
Writers, photographers, watercolorists, illustrators and nature lovers find here a rich material to nurture their practice without having to travel far.
Much more than a place to stay
The Mas naturally invites you to slow down. Between workshops, there’s time for a conversation, a nap in a hammock, a walk to the sea or a moment of reading in the shade. These often improvised moments are also part of what makes a retreat rich.
Extra equipment (trestles, additional tables) can be provided on request; the specific artistic materials for the workshop itself (easels, paints, notebooks) remain the responsibility of the workshop leader or participants.
Rates
From €28/person/night
Full privatisation of the mas, 15 to 20 people, mid-season.
Tailored to your group
Every group has its own constraints — schedules built around the time of day, light or other activities, specific equipment to store, particular dietary needs for shared meals, mixed skill levels to manage within the same session… Let’s talk about it directly: we’ll do our best so logistics never gets in the way of your program, offering you the best possible arrangements (for your shared meals: catering or an in-home chef able to adapt to your specific dietary needs).
Writer, artist, wildlife photographer or retreat organiser
Whether you’re looking for a solo escape or a place to privatize for your group
Because a successful retreat isn’t just about the hours spent creating. It’s also nourished by walks by the sea, conversations that linger into sunset, and those quiet moments that stay long in the memory.