Le Moulin Camoula is a 15th-century flour mill in the hills north of Nice, with a river running along it, a waterfall you can sit under and two peacocks called Baron and Baronne. It has four places to sleep, a garden of 1,000 square meters (10,764 sq ft) planted on permaculture principles, and a pair of owners whose résumés include Ironman races and ultra-trail running. It sits at the foot of a rock wall that climbers like, and it is a short drive from some of the best-known hilltop villages on the Riviera.
A Village At The Foot Of The Baou
The mill is in Saint-Jeannet, a village in the Alpes-Maritimes. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is 25 minutes away by car. Nice is about 30 minutes away, Monaco about an hour, and Cannes is within easy reach.
Above the village rises the Baou, a rocky spur 800 meters (2,625 ft) high. Climbers and slackliners use it, and walkers can hike to the top, where an orientation table built in the early 1950s names what you are looking at. Saint-Jeannet is also a popular meeting point for cyclists, and the property has a lock-up for bikes. Mountain biking, fly fishing and walking are all on the list of things to do nearby.
Around the village, the countryside around Vence opens up toward Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Gourdon, with the Mercantour park to the north and the coast to the south. You will need a car, as public transport is limited and the roads near the property are narrow. A small village about 15 minutes away has a supermarket, an ATM, a bar-tabac and a few restaurants.
How A 15th-Century Flour Mill Became A Family-Run Stay
The building dates to the 15th century and was home to several generations of millers. Its flour is linked to socca, the chickpea-and-olive-oil street food Nice is known for. Cecilia and Michel, the owners, renovated it after ten years of running bed-and-breakfast rooms elsewhere, with the stated aim of respecting the original materials, the history of the place and the surrounding nature.
They describe the approach as relaxed and unpretentious, built around slow food, long dinners and recipe swapping rather than volume. Cecilia brings an interest in permaculture, art, crafts and cooking. Michel, whose sporting background runs from Ironman to ultra-trail to board sports, is happy to talk about it. If you arrive with bikes or hiking gear, you are in the right place.
The same thinking runs through the day-to-day. Products are local and seasonal, organic where possible, and waste is recycled. Breakfast includes jams made from fruit grown in the garden (apricot and elderflower are among them), pastries made with eggs from the property’s henhouse, fresh bread, seasonal fruit, cold cuts, cheeses and fresh juice.
Rooms With Stone Walls And Natural Linen
There are three rooms and one apartment, each named after a local feature and each decorated individually. Across all four you will find stone walls, soft tones, natural linen on the beds, feather pillows and seasonal duvets. The bathrooms have double sinks, and each space has a kettle with a herbal tea tray. Heating and cooling run on a heat pump system. Most rooms overlook the garden and the waterfall.
La Roya: The Largest Double, With A Central Fireplace
At 30 square meters (323 sq ft), La Roya is the largest of the double rooms and can sleep up to three. The bed is 180 by 200 cm (71 by 79 in), with a single bed for a third person. The big central fireplace is the main feature, and it can be used for an additional fee. There is also a sitting area with a banquette and an armchair.
The bathroom has a freestanding island tub, a shower, a double sink and a separate toilet. The room looks onto the garden and the waterfall. A vine-covered pergola with a stone table and bench is shared with La Maglia.
La Maglia: The Attic Room For Families
La Maglia
La Maglia is a 30-square-meter (323 sq ft) attic room with exposed beams and stone, and it sleeps up to four. It has a king-size bed, 180 by 200 cm (71 by 79 in), plus two single beds, and a sitting area with a banquette and armchair.
The bathroom has a walk-in Italian-style shower with stone walls, a double sink and an island tub with a view of the river. It shares the vine pergola with La Roya.
La Lubiane: Compact, With An Open Bathroom
The smallest of the rooms at 20 square meters (215 sq ft), La Lubiane sleeps two. The queen-size bed, 160 by 200 cm (63 by 79 in), sits beneath illuminated wall niches. The bathroom is open to the bedroom, with a double sink and a shower cabin, and the toilet is separate.
Le Foussa: The Apartment With A Kitchen
Le Foussa is a 35-square-meter (377 sq ft) apartment that sleeps up to three, with a 160 by 200 cm (63 by 79 in) bed and a single bed. It has a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and a freestanding bathtub, and a view over the garden. It is the only one of the four set up for cooking, which makes it the obvious choice for longer stays.
A Garden Of Chickens, A Private Waterfall And Two Peacocks
You walk through the garden to reach your room. It covers 1,000 square meters (10,764 sq ft), and is planted following permaculture principles.
It has seating areas scattered along the paths, as well as chickens whose eggs end up at breakfast.
The garden’s most conspicuous residents are Baron and Baronne, a pair of peacocks. Baron spends much of his time courting, and Baronne spends much of hers ignoring him.
A short walk leads down to the River Cagne, which runs along the property.
The waterfall is on the property and is the soundtrack to most stays. You can sit under it or in the stream below, and rooms facing it are easy to fall asleep in with the window open.
If you want photos of your stay, the owners work with a local photographer, Agathe Duffaut, for private shoots in the garden, by the waterfall or in a room.
1120 Anc. Rte de Vence, 06640 Saint-Jeannet, France
