Conseils pratiques

Holidays in Southern Ardèche: where to stay and prepare for your days

By Le Mas d'Eylieux teamPublished on 6 August 2026Updated on 8 October 20269 min

Outdoor swimming pool and deckchairs at Mas d’Eylieux

To prepare holidays in Southern Ardèche, first choose the outings that matter to you, then accommodation compatible with their routes and your group. Three days on site allow a first discovery; a week allows time for markets, rest and changes in weather.

Le Mas d’Eylieux is located at Saint-Montan, on an area of 40 hectares. His six independent gîtes, with kitchen and private bathrooms, total exactly 25 beds. The outdoor swimming pool generally opens from mid-May to September depending on the weather. Here are the choices to make before saving your dates.

Read the article

Where to stay in South Ardèche depending on the planned outings?

A convenient address for villages is not necessarily the closest to your canoe departure. Choose two or three priority destinations before comparing accommodation: driving time, parking and walking to the site count as much as the distance on a map.

Sector envisaged	If your stay is organized around…	What to expect
Saint-Montan and the Rhône sector	Villages, races, meals at the lodge and excursion days	The Mas is approximately 20 to 25 minutes from Montélimar and 35 to 40 minutes from Vallon-Pont-d’Arc by car outside traffic. The return trip to the gorge is part of the day.
Vallon-Pont-d’Arc and the surroundings of Pont d’Arc	Canoe departures, arch and visit to Chauvet 2	Compare the exact address of the accommodation with the starting point of the activity. Being in the Vallon area does not mean being able to reach everything on foot.
Villages like Balazuc, Vogüé or Labeaume	Heritage and walks in the villages	Choose one or two villages in the same direction, then calculate the complete route. From Saint-Montan, these excursions require more driving.

Thetourist office presents Saint-Montan like a village of character, with its narrow streets and its castle. A walk in the village is suitable for a day near the gîte; the calades, the climbs and the schedules specific to the castle must be taken into account. Our guide to choosing where to stay near the gorges details the sectors.

To organize your arrival and exits from the domain, consult the practical information from the Mas. By train, plan the last journey from the station: the guide without car explains connection and transportation issues on site.

What time to choose for vacation?

Choose your dates according to the activities you want, then check when they are open. The availability of lodges and that of a visit or a canoe rental company is confirmed separately.

Period	How to prepare for your stay at the Mas
Spring	Plan villages, visits and walks adapted to the conditions of the day. For a stay before mid-May, organize the days without counting on the swimming pool.
Summer	Alternate a main outing and breaks in the area. Reserve the desired visit slots and canoe; the swimming pool remains open depending on the weather.
September	Check the opening date of each activity and the swimming pool conditions for the chosen stay. Summer hours do not apply automatically.
October and All Saints’ Day	All gîtes and living areas remain open subject to availability, with heating included. Prepare visits and a covered solution; the swimming pool is not promised in autumn.
Other dates out of season	Ask about housing availability and site openings before building the program.

The guide to the seasons in Ardèche deepens this choice. For July and August, landmarks on frequented sites help prepare for departures.

For each line, write down the name of the person following the request. The status depends on your own confirmation, never on the presence of a link in this guide.

Step	Status to note	Confirmation to keep	Responsible to designate
Nights and beds	Confirmed / to be reserved	Quote, dates, distribution of roosts and agreed spaces	Organizer of the stay
Arrival	Confirmed / to be organized	Schedule and last journey if you come without a car	Every home
Slot exit	Confirmed / to be reserved	Ticket or offer from chosen site, arrival time and postponement conditions	Output referent
Canoeing or swimming	To be rechecked before departure	Operator conditions or today's swimming information	Referent adult
Meals and shopping	Planned / to be completed	Menus, purchases and market day	Meals referent

Re-read this sheet before departure to distinguish an idea for an outing from a reservation made.

Choose the accommodation according to the needs of the group

Compare actual used beds, kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor spaces. A total capacity is not enough to distribute several families: each household must find a configuration compatible with its adults and children.

At the Mas, the six gîtes welcome respectively 7, 6, 4, 3, 3 and 2 people, or exactly 25 beds. Some beds are in the living room or on the mezzanine: consult the description of each accommodation before assigning beds. The swimming pool is shared for partial rental and exclusive for full privatization.

For many families, the household distribution guide helps prepare for the discussion. Compare the lodges and their equipment, then the pool conditions. Arrival and departure times, linen and meals are included in the instructions. stay questions.

Living room and table of the Châteaunette gîte with a mezzanine — Châteaunette: one of the six independent gîtes at Mas d’Eylieux.

What to do for three days in South Ardèche?

For three days on site, keep one main exit per day and keep returns to the lodge available. If your stay includes only two nights, reduce this schedule: arrival at 16:00 and departure at 15:00 do not add up to three full days.

Day	Main output	Organization from Saint-Montan
1	Saint-Montan and first races	Walk in the village at your own pace, then meal and time at the gîte. Check the times if you want to visit the castle.
2	Pont d’Arc or canoe adapted to the group	Choose the arch and its access points, or a route confirmed with the rental company. Add road, parking and shuttle to activity time; keep the return free.
3	Chauvet 2 or a natural cave	Choose a single tour based on steps, mobility and tickets. Chauvet 2 requires approximately half a day for its different spaces, plus travel.

Our three day itinerary details these steps. With children, the family activities guide helps to choose according to their age, swimming and attention.

How to distribute a week of vacation?

A week allows for a day without a major excursion and a margin to postpone an outing. This seven-day program includes installation and departure; the days move according to your tickets, the markets and the weather.

Day	Possible frame	Time to keep
1	Arrival to 16:00, installation and shopping	First evening at the lodge, without a reserved visit.
2	Pont d’Arc or canoe, depending on the participants	A single main exit; return and dinner available.
3	Saint-Montan, Viviers or Bourg-Saint-Andéol	Choose a village, then take a break; do not accumulate visits.
4	Market according to schedule, then day at the estate	Meals at the gîte, rest and swimming pool if it is open.
5	Chauvet 2, Saint-Marcel or Orgnac	Remember a visit and its access conditions, with a margin before the guided time slot.
6	One or two villages further west, or postponement of an outing	Prepare the complete journey; this day can also remain free.
7	Breakfast, storage and departure at 15:00	A nearby walk only if time and luggage permit.

The one-week program departing from the Mas gives details; the week in a single accommodation helps to organize the days in a star pattern. None of these frames is a service of activities included in the rental.

Only reserve what has a slot

After accommodation, choose the activities that matter to you. Chauvet 2 can be visited on a guided departure; a descent of the gorges over two days also asks to prepare for the night in bivouac.

For the canoe for the day, have the route, swimming conditions, age of children and navigation confirmed. Book directly with the service provider: these outings are not included in the rental of the gîte.

Before combining two tours, compare their arrival times and routes. The Vallon-Pont-d’Arc guide allows you to choose what you want to see in this area. The comparison of caves and the Pont d'Arc car park avoid calculating only the time spent in the activity.

What budget should you plan for the holidays?

Add four positions from your group composition. A “per person” budget calculated without nights, options and travel can hide a significant difference between two stays.

Post	What to add
Accommodation	Price of the gîte(s) for the confirmed dates and duration; partial formula or complete privatization. At the Mas, prices are inclusive of VAT, with electricity, heating and furniture included.
Meals	Shopping, restaurants or services ordered separately. Each cottage has its own kitchen; plan the number of meals actually prepared on site.
Activities	Tickets for each participant, rental and possible supervision, options or shuttles depending on the formula. Visits and activities are not included in the stay.
Travel and options	Round trip to the stay, on-site transportation, parking and accommodation options. The Mas's optional linen costs €15 per person per stay, including sheets and towels.

In complete privatization, the same price scale applies to the entire estate for 12 as for 25 people, on identical dates and duration. Partial rental or privatization has its own price. Ask for a proposal for your dates before dividing the expense between households; the page privatization presents this operation.

As a benchmark, the Chauvet day ticket 2 is displayed at 18 € per adult in 8 October 2026. The other sites have their own ticket office; an average “cave” price does not make it possible to calculate the exit of a family.

A village walk or a market does not require you to purchase an activity, but transport, parking or a paid monument can be added. Check out the markets around Saint-Montan to prepare for the races.

Keep another idea if the weather changes

Consult the vigilance Météo-France and local information before river activities or gorge trails. After a rain or storm, there is no fixed deadline to automatically return to the water: advisories, water quality, flow and closures take precedence.

For ordinary rain, a covered visit then a return to the gîte may suffice. Chauvet 2, Saint-Marcel and Orgnac each have their own openings, tickets and access conditions: check the places before leaving. A natural cave may have many steps; a covered site does not guarantee access during a weather alert.

Prepare a outing in rainy weather and a program adapted to strong heat. A meal, a book or a game at the lodge can replace the excursion. Also check the swimming conditions. The swimming pool does not replace constant supervision of children.

Photo coming soon

Photography to come.

The exit bag and the arrival route

Take closed shoes suitable for the activity, water, a hat and warm clothing for underground visits. The rental company specifies the equipment for the canoe; don't leave with just a pair of flip-flops.

To arrive by train, check the connections and organize the last journey to the Mas: buses to the villages do not drop off at the gîte. The guide without car details this point.

For excursions, the gorge guide distinguishes the river, the plateau and the hikes. For your hosting, start with compare the six gîtes of the Mas, consult the access and stay information, then send your dates, the composition of the households and the needs to Pascale.

Practical questions

Are visits and activities included in the stay at the Mas?

No. They are reserved separately with the service providers. Check departures, prices, equipment, ages and conditions before choosing an activity.

How many people can sleep at the Mas?

The six independent gîtes have exactly 25 beds. Availability and distribution of beds must be confirmed before booking.

Where to stay to visit Southern Ardèche?

Choose the sector according to the priority exits. Saint-Montan allows you to combine villages and excursions in the gorges, with the journeys to be planned. The Mas is approximately 35 to 40 minutes from Vallon-Pont-d’Arc by car outside traffic; it is not found in Vallon.

How many days to plan for a vacation in South Ardèche?

Three days on site allow you to choose a village, an outing in the Pont d’Arc sector and a cave visit. A week leaves more room for markets, rest and postponing an outing. Count arrival, departure and travel times separately.

Can we stay at the Mas in October and on All Saints’ Day?

Yes, subject to availability: all gîtes and living areas remain open, with heating included. The outdoor pool has its own season, usually from mid-May to September depending on the weather; its opening is not promised for an autumn stay.