Bespoke Fitness & Wellness Escape at a Private Provence Villa Near Aix-en-Provence

Le Mas de Granet is a six-bedroom, five-bathroom villa on the Chemin de Granet outside Aix-en-Provence. It's owned by Shaun Francis, chair and CEO of Medcan and author of Eat, Move, Think, and his family uses it as a home for part of the year. That's the context for everything else: the property is run as a private villa for up to 14 guests, not a retreat centre with a public programme. You book the whole thing, and the week is built around your group.

A typical morning might start with a guided cycle to Les Baux-de-Provence, with a picnic lunch in a lavender field packed by the chef, then a visit to the medieval village and the Carrières de Lumières — a former quarry where paintings are projected onto the walls and floor to music. Cycle back, get handed a cold towel and a fresh fruit protein shake, then take a massage or a yoga session. In the evening there's champagne and canapés by the pool as the sun drops behind the olive grove, a four-course dinner under the plane trees, and a cognac in the hot tub afterwards. That's one example from the sample day, not a fixed script.

The fitness side is genuinely flexible. Your trainer can take you mountain biking on the forest trails around Bibemus — where Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire — or out on the road to ride sections of the Tour de France route. You can hike to the Calanques d'En-Vau in the national park next to Cassis, climb Mont Sainte-Victoire by one of several trails matched to your group's ability, or kayak from Marseille's Pointe Rouge past sea cliffs and fishing ports. Tennis and golf facilities are five minutes from the villa. If you'd rather do a reformer-style mat class in the gardens, yoga, Pilates and meditation can all be arranged at the property.

What separates this from a standard fitness retreat is that the itinerary isn't fixed and the property isn't shared. There's no group you have to keep pace with and no set class timetable. The chef cooks three meals a day and will take you to the local markets and suppliers if you want to see where the food comes from — you can cook with him and take home what you learn. Four one-hour massages are included, in the shade if you like, and the villa's gardens are set up for painting classes with a local English-speaking artist if you want something other than exercise on a given afternoon.

Location-wise you're 30 minutes from Marseille Provence Airport and about 20 minutes from the Aix-en-Provence TGV station, which is roughly three hours from Paris. Aix itself is 10 minutes away — Cézanne's studio, the Musée Granet, the Caumont Centre d'Art, and markets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Avignon is an hour. Château La Coste, a wine domaine with sculpture and architecture installations by Tracey Emin, Richard Serra, Andy Goldsworthy and Ai Weiwei on its trails, is 20 minutes away and entrance there is included in the stay. Cassis and its harbour are 40 minutes, and the Île de Porquerolles — reached by a 20-minute ferry from Hyères — is a possible day trip if you want to cycle a car-free island.

What's included

- Three healthy meals per day prepared by an Executive Chef using locally sourced seasonal ingredients - All beverages, including wine, champagne and spirits - Your choice of activities, with a guide if you wish - Personal coaching with a qualified English-speaking fitness trainer - Yoga, meditation and/or Pilates instruction - Golf or tennis at a nearby country club - Four one-hour massages at Le Mas de Granet - Concierge planning of your bespoke retreat before arrival - Concierge services during your stay - Full-time housekeeping - Laundry - Transportation to and from activities - Entrance to Château La Coste

What's not included

- Car rental - Flights to France - Entrance fees to cultural activities (except Château La Coste) - Lunches taken in restaurants during excursions (packed lunches can be arranged instead) - Airport or TGV transfers (available at a supplement) - Child care (available at a supplement) - Guide for cultural tours (available at a supplement)