Provence – Alpes Côte d’Azur - Sextant French Properties

Living and buying property in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

From the Mediterranean coastline to the villages of Provence and the valleys of the Southern Alps, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur offers several distinct settings for a home in southern France. Its property is equally varied: city apartments with terraces, village houses, Provençal farmhouses, coastal villas and mountain chalets.

For buyers considering a permanent move or a holiday home, the appeal lies in finding the part of the region that suits their plans. You may picture yourself within walking distance of a market, close to the sea or in a house with room for family and friends. Exploring the six departments is a good way to turn that picture into a more focused property search.

“Always when we left, with peeling noses and regret, we promised ourselves that one day we would live here.”

— Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence.

Explore the departments

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence stretches from Provençal villages to Alpine valleys. Manosque, Forcalquier and Digne-les-Bains offer starting points for a permanent home, while the Verdon and Ubaye introduce different possibilities for holidays and time outdoors.

Alpes-Maritimes
The Alpes-Maritimes offers more than its celebrated Riviera coastline. Nice, Cannes and Menton provide urban and seaside settings, while the hills and mountain valleys introduce village houses, villas and Alpine homes. The same department can accommodate very different ideas of life in southern France.

Bouches-du-Rhône
Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, the Alpilles and the Camargue give the Bouches-du-Rhône several distinct identities. A city apartment, a village house and a country property each offer a different way to enjoy Provence, for a permanent move or regular visits.

Hautes-Alpes
The Hautes-Alpes combines valley towns with mountain villages and resorts. Gap, Briançon, Lake Serre-Ponçon and the Queyras offer contrasting settings for a property, from a year-round apartment to a chalet for family holidays.

Var
The Var brings together Mediterranean harbours, vineyards and inland villages. A property search might begin around Toulon, beside a coastal port or in a Provençal market town, with different options for a permanent home or family holidays.

Vaucluse
Avignon, the Luberon villages and Mont Ventoux give the Vaucluse a distinctive place in inland Provence. Its homes range from town apartments to village houses and country properties, offering several ways to settle into the area or return for holidays.

The Mediterranean coast: finding your seaside setting

The sea is a natural starting point for many property searches. What makes this coastline interesting is the variety of places from which to enjoy it.

In Nice, Marseille or Toulon, an apartment can combine city life with time by the water. In smaller coastal towns, you may prefer a home near the harbour, a terrace for outdoor meals or a villa where family and friends can stay.

Walking to a beach, looking out over the water and living near a town centre are different priorities. Establishing which matters most will make it easier to identify suitable locations.

Inland Provence: village life and country homes

For many buyers, Provence is closely associated with its markets, shaded squares and stone houses. Across the Luberon, the Alpilles, the Vaucluse and inland Var, these familiar features belong to places with their own character and local life.

A house in the centre of a village may put the bakery, cafés and weekly market within walking distance. A country property offers a different experience, with more room for a garden, outdoor dining and visiting guests. Small-town residential areas provide another option for those who would like both outside space and everyday convenience.

Towns and cities: a home connected to local life

Marseille offers varied neighbourhoods and a strong maritime character; Aix-en-Provence is known for its streets, squares and architectural heritage; Nice combines the amenities of a city with its Riviera setting. Toulon and Avignon are also worth exploring, depending on where you want to be.

A period apartment in the centre, a newer home with a terrace and a house in a residential area offer different ways of enjoying the same town. Walking to the shops or visiting a market can make it easier to picture life beyond the viewing.

The Southern Alps: a home in the mountains

In the Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes, buyers can explore homes close to skiing, walking and other outdoor activities.

An apartment in a resort may suit regular holidays, while a village house or a home in a valley town can provide a base for living in the area throughout the year. The right choice depends on how you plan to use the property and which activities you would like nearby.

Planning your property search from the UK

Before arranging viewings, choose a few areas that match your plans and group visits around them. This leaves time to explore the surroundings as well as the properties themselves.

Nice and Marseille are useful airports to consider, with current routes and seasonal schedules to check from your preferred UK departure point. Rail travel via Paris is another possibility, depending on your destination. For a home you intend to visit regularly, consider the complete journey.

Finding the right property for your plans

A permanent home might call for good access to shops and services, space to work and comfortable living throughout the year. For a holiday property, guest accommodation, outside space and straightforward upkeep may take priority.

Looking at neighbouring locations can reveal alternatives within your budget: an extra bedroom, a larger garden or a different style of home. Local knowledge helps connect your preferences with the properties available.

Discovering the region through local life

Markets, squares and familiar walks are part of the appeal of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. In Aix-en-Provence, the historic streets bring architecture into everyday routines. Marseille’s harbours and neighbourhoods offer several ways to enjoy city life. In Vaucluse and Var villages, the market, café and local shops can become the places around which a day takes shape.

That local life belongs in a property search. A village house may put the things you enjoy on holiday within walking distance. An apartment in a town centre gives access to different activities, while a country property creates more space for entertaining at home. Think about the moments you would like to repeat regularly, rather than choosing solely around the memory of one visit.

From a Provençal farmhouse to a city apartment

A mas, a bastide, a village house and a contemporary villa are different forms of home, not interchangeable descriptions of southern living. Their usefulness comes from the arrangement of rooms and outdoor areas. A courtyard, a kitchen opening onto a terrace, a shared family room or independent guest accommodation can determine how much you enjoy being there.

In an apartment, light and the relationship with the outdoors deserve similar attention. A usable balcony, an open outlook or the ability to walk to shops can give a compact property considerable appeal. The region’s variety makes it possible to compare these ways of living without deciding too early that only one style of house will suit your plans.

Your property search

Explore the properties offered by Sextant and refine your search by location, property type and budget. Share your plans with a property consultant to discuss the homes that interest you and the viewings you would like to arrange.