Tennis & Fitness Retreat at Château Lou Casteou, Côte d'Azur

A typical day at the tennis academy starts with breakfast on the terrace — pastries, fruit, omelettes, coffee — before players head to the Golf and Tennis Club of Valescure for the morning session. Courts are hard, though the club has been hoping to add clay. Coaching covers the whole game rather than one stroke: taking the ball early on the approach shot, slice backhands, adding power to the serve with wrist snap, and moving as a doubles pair. Groups are split by level, from post-beginner up to strong club players, and there are mini competitions most days. The biggest takeaway, according to players who've been, is shot selection — choosing the right shot at the right time.

Afternoons repeat the pattern with a second tennis block, then it's back to the château for aperitifs and dinner. The April session includes a day trip to the Monte-Carlo Masters, one of the ATP Tour's most spectacular tournaments, where you watch the top players on red clay with the Mediterranean in the background. On other weeks, the free time is yours: guided coastal walks, day trips to St Tropez, Fréjus or Saint Raphael, or simply lying by the pool while everyone else is on court.

The Body Tonic weeks swap the tennis for a mixed fitness programme led by David Higgins and Dan Tegg. David is a personal trainer who has been running sessions for years; Dan is a tennis and performance fitness coach. Classes include stretching, core and kettlebells, boxercise, TRX strengthening and toning, cardio blast, circuit training, water aerobics, and legs, bums and tums. There's also kayaking and treks along the coastal routes, plus a massage built into the programme. Body Tonic is pitched at all ages and fitness levels — the point is to improve strength and general wellbeing or to kick-start a healthier routine, not to train for competition.

Salsa weeks are the third strand here, and they're just as structured. Lessons cover cross-body salsa, Cuban salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Chacha, Semba, Merengue, Regaetton and Funaná, with top professionals teaching. Complementary fitness classes run alongside to keep you in shape, and the same food and social rhythm applies — big shared dinners, wine, and late nights in the games room.

What sets Lou Casteou apart from a standard tennis or fitness camp is the house itself and the way it's run. It's not an all-inclusive resort with a programme; it's Morag and Chris's home, and they're on court and at dinner with everyone else. The property has been used as a filming location — France TV's period drama 'Romance' shot here, and Simon Cowell used it as the X-Factor judges' house in an earlier series — which gives you a sense of the scale and style of the place. En-suite bedrooms, a sleek pool, terraces, cosy lounges, sea and mountain views, and a games room downstairs. Meals come from a visiting Italian chef couple, Matteo and Silvia, and the cooking is a mix of gourmet and homemade rather than spa food.

What's included

- En-suite accommodation at Château Lou Casteou - All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) cooked by Matteo and Silvia - Fine wines with evening meals - Full tennis programme with coaching (tennis academy weeks) - Fitness classes (Body Tonic weeks) - Salsa and dance lessons (salsa weeks) - Access to pool, terraces, lounges and games room - Monte-Carlo Masters day trip (April tennis session) - Guided coastal walks and optional excursions

What's not included

- Flights - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional trips and excursions (unless specified) - Spa treatments and massages (unless part of the programme) - Alcohol beyond what's served with meals