Welcome to our Nature Retreat, 'Maison de la Source', situated in the forest below Gréolières village, in the heart of the Pré-Alpes d'Azur Regional Park, France. Our off-grid site is immersed in nature, surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and plant species found in the Alpes Maritimes.
We are open in the summer vacation only from 01/07/23 to 14/10/23
Come and stay with us and go 'Back to Nature'.
ABOUT US
The Simpson family moved from Wales to this beautiful space in 2005, with a specific aim to raise our children as close to nature as possible and to learn to live off-grid. Now, in 2023, we are opening up our home as a Nature therapy Retreat. Simone is a British qualified Outdoor Education Teacher, an International Mountain Leader, Nature and Forest Bathing guide. Keith is also a British qualified Outdoor Education Teacher, and a Person-Centred Counsellor, offering Nature Based Therapy here in France. Keith built our eco-house which includes a solar electricity system, hot water solar system, wood fired heating and source water filtration system. We are both outdoor sports enthusiasts, lucky to have travelled extensively and surfed, paraglided, rock-climbed and hiked all around the world.
NATURE ACTIVITIES
Built into your Maison de la Source experience (included in the cost of your stay) is the option of joining in daily activities that may include :
1. Guided local walks with Simone Simpson. ( check our to see summer programme)
2. Wild food gathering and recipes.
3. Meditation, Mindfulness and Forest Bathing.
4. Eco-living, self sufficiency and sustainability chats.
5. Arts & Crafts.
6. Gardening activities.
7. Wildlife watching ( Fireflies & Edible Doormice are our most frequent summertime visitors).
8. Massage services with Simone Simpson. ( optional extra)
FACILITIES
Our onsite facilities and services include:
- 4 separate outdoor living spaces.
- A communal outdoor kitchen and outdoor terrace with tables, to enjoy cooking and dining outside.
- An outdoor shower area.
- Fresh garden produce.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES
Our eco-retreat is the perfect place to relax, but also to use as a base to explore the surrounding area. We have paragliding, rock climbing, canyoning, hill walking and cycling on the doorstep. A perfect wild swimming spot is a ten minute walk from the site, with the Gorge de Loup a 5 minute drive away, and the Mediterranean sea only 50 minutes away.
ARRIVAL
A minibus shuttle service is available upon request.
Nice airport is 1hr drive away.
The nearest train station is Grasse, 30 minutes drive away.
The Ligne 500 bus brings you to Chateauneuf de Lac from Nice, for 2€ where we can then pick you up.
We only have 2 spaces onsite for cars, and these will need to be booked in advance.
Arrival by foot is highly recommended via the GR4.