Provincial Provence

As Terre Blanche marks its 20th anniversary, we experience the resort's golfing and spa facilities as well as Michelin-starred food and blush rosé

- HANNAH BRANDLER

Stroll along the cobbled pathways of the Terre Blanche resort and you'll be forgiven for mistaking it for an authentic Provençal village.

Firstly, there's its size, occupying 301 hectares of land in Provence - for context, that's 1.5 times the size of the principality of Monaco.

Then there's the design, which has been woven into the fabric of the landscape for the past two decades. Buildings have been constructed with white stone from nearby quarries, while terracotta-toned interiors have been achieved thanks to the use of local red clay. The 115 suites and villas feel more residential than hotel-like, largely owing to the layout of independent houses dotted across the labyrinthine resort. As such, they promise a high level of privacy - the only downside being that I didn't catch sight of the rumoured A-lister in our midst, and was instead starstruck by vistas from my vast terrace.

An array of on-site facilities adds to the village feel, with buggy transportation whizzing me from the standalone spa to the two 18-hole championship-level golf courses undulating across the resort. I didn't even need to leave the grounds to grab a pastry, since the in-house boulangerie crafts 17 varieties of bread, plus delicious saffron cake and herb-packed croissants.

WILD WANDERINGS

A major part of the resort's charm is the access to wilderness. The Le Riou Blanc river runs through the resort and acts as a natural corridor for wildlife, with gates on either side of the river ensuring that animals are free to roam undisturbed by guests.