Natural bathing, by the river
A natural bathing pond fed by the Aigues Brun river, under the century-old trees of the grounds.
The simplest way to cool off in Lourmarin, without getting back in the car.
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River water, at the far end of the park
The grounds slope gently down to the water. At the end of the paths, between the trunks, the natural bathing pond opens onto a patch of sky. It is fed by the Aigues Brun, the river that borders O Mamma Mia in Lourmarin. The bottom is the river's own. The banks are grass and earth.
The water is cold. That is its first quality, once the Provençal summer settles in and the village stone holds the heat late into the evening. You go in slowly, catch your breath, then swim a few strokes. The body wakes up at once. It has nothing in common with a lukewarm pool.
The colour of the water follows the hour and the season: open and bright at midday, darker when the trees pull their shade back in late afternoon. No tiles around it, no lane ropes, no music. The sound of the current takes up all the room.
Reception answers around the clock on +33 4 84 85 90 00, or through the contact page, for anything you need to know before arriving.
The Aigues Brun and the century-old trees
The river runs along the edge of the estate. It sets the boundary, the temperature and the background sound. It feeds the pond, and it is what you hear from the rooms when the windows are open.
Above it stand century-old trees. They hold the shade from morning to evening and keep the air softer than in full sun. You cross the park barefoot, from the water to the terrace and back again. The restaurant and cocktail bar open onto that same terrace, under the same trees.
The rest of the estate is organised around this stretch of water: the buildings, the paths, the rooms. Nothing is far, everything is done on foot.
A natural bathing pond, not a swimming pool
Let us be clear from the start: this is not a chlorinated pool, and that is the whole point.
- The water comes from the river. It is not heated, not chlorinated, not blue.
- Its temperature follows the season. In July and August, that is exactly what you come for.
- Its clarity varies: a storm over the Luberon can be read in the water the next day.
- The bottom and the banks are natural. Leaves fall on the surface, especially in late summer.
- No measured lengths, no paved deck, no filtration plant humming nearby.
If you are looking for a heated, tiled basin, this is not the place. If you are looking for a place to swim in the Luberon where the loudest sound is the current and the wind in the leaves, you are in the right one.
Where to cool off in the Luberon without taking the car
The shape of a day
In the morning the water is still and the park is empty. It is the quietest hour of the day.
Early afternoon is the real swimming time, when the heat refuses to drop and the hilltop villages empty out. Lunch is served from 12:00 to 14:00; what follows happens in the shade.
By late afternoon the light comes down through the trees. You dry off on the bank, walk up for a house cocktail, and dinner follows from 19:00 to 23:00.
After a day out
A swim means something else after a day outside: the Lourmarin market on Friday morning, the village castle and Albert Camus' grave, Bonnieux, Ménerbes, Roussillon, Gordes, Cucuron, Ansouis, the Régalon gorges, the Colorado Provençal.
We rent electric bikes, on request: €25 for half a day, €39 for a full day. You come back hot and dusty, and the water is two minutes from the rooms.
Our routes and day trips are gathered on the Luberon pages.
Sleeping by the water in Lourmarin
The Roma room looks out over the waterfall and the river. 30 m², up to three guests, separate toilet, from €155 a night. It is the room where you open the window before you unpack.
The eight rooms range from 16 to 39 m², from €75 to €155 a night, with breakfast at €15. All have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Full details on the rooms page.
Check-in from 15:00, check-out by 11:00 am.
What lies around the water
The day rarely ends in the water. The terrace sits under the trees, a few steps from the bank: sharing boards, Italian and Thai cooking, house cocktails, wines from the Luberon and Burgundy. Everything is on the menu.
Practical matters: reception open 24/7, free parking, high-speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, non-smoking throughout. The restaurant serves every day, lunch and dinner.
To plan a longer stay, see our offers, the gallery and the FAQ.
