I love finding secret gems like this — Abriecosy vegan B&B is a retreat up in the hills of Var, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France.
During our time in the French Riviera, we decided to step away from the bustling coastal towns and escape to the tranquil hillside for a few days. It was a refreshing and relaxing stay! In this post, I’ll share a detailed review of our experience at Abriecosy.
If you’re looking for how to live a wholesome yet simple and sustainable lifestyle, surrounded by nature — you’ve found the right place to relax!
About Abriecosy
Abriecosy is a unique vegan retreat located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France. Nestled in a tranquil 7.5-hectare property, it offers stunning scenery of forested hills, abundant wildlife, and a serene atmosphere.
Guests can enjoy a natural pool, vegan and gluten-free meals made from organic and locally sourced ingredients. Enjoy activities such as cooking classes, yoga, and meditation. Being a holistic healing centre, Abriecosy also organizes detox and hiking retreats that combine wellness practices with exploring the beautiful Provence region.
People are also welcome to simply stay as guests at the B&B, and they offer different styles of rooms and lodges, which I will mention in detail below.
Abriecosy is run by passionate individuals — Geert from Belgium, and Vanessa from Germany. We met with Geert at the time. He embarked on a journey of self-discovery after leaving a corporate environment that clashed with his values. It led him to study permaculture, and natural healing, while adopting a minimalist and vegan lifestyle. Selling everything in Belgium, he relocated to this serene location in France to create Abriecosy.
Location & getting there
Chemin de Campaoure 1018, Bargemon 83830
Being a hideaway in nature, Abriecosy is accessible by car, in practice. We had a rental car from Nice to get here. The roads are generally in good condition, but the final 10–15 minutes involve navigating a bumpy, rocky path. A sturdy SUV proved to be a smart choice—smaller cars might struggle with the terrain.
The retreat is situated in the Var region, which is adjacent to the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeast France. The nearest town is Bargemon, a 15-minute drive from Abriecosy, it is one of those idyllic medieval towns of Southern France.
Google Maps helps you navigate to the destination pretty accurately. It took us longer than expected to arrive, after making a stop in Antibes — it takes about 1 and a half hours to reach Abriecosy from the coast.
It had become dark by the time we arrived, and there was no one to be seen. Luckily, I had Geert’s phone number (also mentioned by the gate side) and managed to reach him after a few attempts, and he opened the gates. There is space to park your car right next to the lodge.
Booking your stay
Website: Abriecosy
As the last guests of the season in October, it was truly a quiet and serene time, and there were no others staying at the time. It was also getting pretty cold up in the hills, around 12–15 degrees on average. There was some sun during the day, but we experienced a couple of heavy rain days, with flood warnings (flashback to our previous time in France..). Still, it was a COSY time at Abriecosy!
A minimum stay of 3 nights is suggested, and it makes sense to stay at least 4 days if you come up here! The booking is done by directly contacting Abriecosy via email or the website contact form. Payment is made upon check-out.
In pic: The pet kitty who welcomes guests! She is totally adorable – she was found abandoned in the area and was taken care of by Geert and Vanessa. Abriecosy is her territory now 😀 Curious as cats are, she was there to check us in and visit the room; also hang around the window every morning, expecting us to show up for breakfast!
Rooms
- Room rates start from 100 EUR per night plus a tourist tax of 1.15 EUR per person/night
- Check in from 4PM and Check-outs by 11AM
Abriecosy vegan B&B features accommodation in a historic Provençal bastide, a romantic wooden chalet and an eco-house. You have a choice of several room types, all are elegantly decorated with a touch of classic styles. It’s not a huge hotel, with only 5 suites.
There are 3 lodges in total, 1 of which can house up to 4 guests. The other 2 bedrooms – Anglaise and Soleil are next to each other and share a common bathroom. They have a view to the valley, with easy access to the porch.
We chose the room ‘Anglaise’, as I liked the interior and view.
The comfortable beds, include hypoallergenic natural latex and organic cotton mattresses, pillows and linen. We were provided a heater in the room, as it does start getting cold around end-October.
The bathroom is spacious and with a shower stall, with running hot water. The handmade soaps made by Vanessa are great — it leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised, and smells simply amazing with all those essential oils!
Breakfast
Breakfast is included in the room rate, and every morning, laid out in the dining area of the main house (where the owners stay). The time is between 8-10AM, but can be agreed more specifically with guests. For the breakfast buffet, we have porridge, cereal, plant milks, salty spreads, jam, pancakes, or chia pudding; Coffee or Tea.
It’s a sweet simple breakfast that’s fruit and grain based, with plenty of apples, pears, and bananas.
Geert is happy to accommodate dietary requirements such as gluten-free and nut-free. We didn’t really have any, so got to try whatever he came up with. I will mention the amazing dinner we had in the next section.
Dining
At Abriecosy vegan B&B, we have the chance to enjoy a healthy 3-course dinner!
You need to notify if you plan to have dinner beforehand, so they can prepare the necessary ingredients. Dinner is 30 EUR per person — and worth it, let me show you why:
Here dinner is in the making, being plated and near ready. We also got a bottle of their house wine for the dinner — a crisp and fresh biodynamic wine from the region Domaine La Marseillaise.
The first course is an umami bomb, a bowl of shiitake mushrooms in a Chinese style gravy, with a baked rice paper to dip in. I loved all the strong and salty flavours, it included Kala Namak as well. Perfect start.
Geert says he doesn’t follow recipes, only intuition, but I’m suspicious he has learnt some professional cooking skills somewhere..
The main course arrives, and I am surprised by a huge plate of Veggie Tofu Skewers — honestly, veggies taste incredible like this! There was a cauliflower puree and homemade garlic mayo on the side. All this was very filling. Perfection continues.
The dessert was a piece of art — a frozen avocado mousse with hazelnut and chocolate sauce.
In warmer weather, outdoor dining is also possible in their lovely backyard space!
Geert always joined us for meals, which we appreciated, and it was great to chat about various topics, from veganism, philosophy, and science to wellness and cooking! He has been vegan for over a decade.
Things to do
Abriecosy is a great base to explore the surrounding hills and medieval towns, you can also reach the foothills of the French Alps within a couple of hours and find a ski resort. Its proximity to both the Gorges du Verdon and the French Riviera makes it an ideal location for nature lovers seeking a peaceful yet accessible getaway.
We only saw Bargemon in the rains, so there wasn’t a lot to do. Plans to hike needed to be cancelled, and we drove around the area, up to The Verdon Gorge, which is less than an hour away. You can check out some free museums (we check out the Fossils & Minerals Museum) and the town church. Cultural events can be found here: Bargemon.fr
Other spots of interest in the area: Draguignan, Seillans, and also Grasse can be easily reached from here.
Abriecosy vegan bnb!
As I said before, if you’re looking for a calm, wholesome hideaway in the hills, you’ve found the place! Stay here 3 days or 10, but remember to bring along a good book, hiking shoes and maybe some games..
Leave with inspiration from nature, ideas to live sustainably and cherish important things in life: living in the moment, taking time to eat healthy meals and have conversations with like-minded people. And if you choose to attend a retreat at Abriecosy, I’m sure it will be a great place to heal and rejuvenate oneself!
