Your travel specialist on: Mougins, Cote De A'zur, France

After attending a convention in Cannes, the South of France, I was delighted to go visit a property in the hills some 15 minutes drive from the coast, Le Mas Candille, a five star luxury property. www.lemascandille.com This is a stunning hotel, with 46 beautifully designed guestrooms, set in three buildings up the hillside. It has the first Shiseido Spa in Europe, with wonderful treatment rooms set in a Japanese garden, and a Michelin starred restaurant. It is set in a 10 acre park in the delightful little village of Mougins. (Moo shen) On of my favorite villages in the South of France used to be Saint Paul-de-Vence but I liked Mougins more. Unique, lovely old buildings, food out of this world, and flowers galore. The hotel has won many awards, such as Best Hotel Service, Best Restaurant, Best Spa. The grounds are gorgeous, and it has one of the most spectacular infinity swimming pools I have seen. The view of the alps makes it a great camera opportunity. It has three pools and two Jacuzzis. If you go in the winter, it is only 25 minutes from a good ski resort.

This would be a great location to take the hotel for a family group and have its exclusive use. Easy to get to, I flew from Paris into Nice Airport which is 20 minutes away.

This is a great location to explore the many parts of the French Riviera which gets 11 million visitors a year. 45 minutes from Monaco, an hour from Saint Tropez, 15 minutes from Grasse the perfume capital of France, the Villa and Gardens of Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. The medieval village of Mougins is worth seeing. The village has narrow streets winding down the hill in a spiral, like a snail’s shell. Stunning views of the Bay of Cannes, the Lerins Islands, perfume capital of the world, Grasse, and lovely surrounding hill top villages. It has magnificent trees, Cyprus, olive, pine, with lots of jasmine and roses down the cobblestone streets with no traffic so it is a delight to wander around the narrow lanes to explore the unique shops. It has more than 25 galleries and art workshops, and because of the light, many famous artists have lived there, including Pablo Picasso.

The Musee d’art Classique de Mougains opened in 2011 at the initiative of British businessman and arts patron Christian Levett, who lives in the area, and is home to an eclectric collection of over seven hundred exceptional works of art from ancient to neoclassical, modern and contemporary. Situated in a medieval residence in the heart of the old town, it is an amazing place. Four floors focused on influences of the civilizations of Egypt, Rome and Freece. I loved the coin and jewelry exhibits.

Mougins has the honor of being the most Michelin starred town in France. For a small village, having 40 fine restaurants is extremely unusual. It was just awarded the Ville et Metiers d’Art for Gastronomy.
I enjoyed taking cooking lessons from Head Chef David Chauvac and learn some of the many secrets of the Michelin starred expert. You can go with the chef to visit the Forville market in Cannes to buy ingredients, and discuss the menu over coffee.

There are ten golf courses within thirty minutes of the hotel, and a great variety of day trips are easy to do.
In September each year, the International Gastronomy Festival of Mougins is held when chefs from all over the world compete in a three day event for a title.

You can walk into the village from the hotel. Lavender bushes everywhere, along with Olive Trees.
They welcome children, and some of the suites are ideal for a family.

Maureen Jones

Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main Street. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.