Le Jardin Secret — a unique historic courtyard house in the heart of Arles

Le Jardin Secret is a hidden courtyard house tucked away in one of the small winding lanes just off the Rond-Point des Arènes, in the historic heart of Arles. We have owned and cared for it since 2003.

Behind an unassuming wooden door lies a peaceful home arranged around a small private courtyard garden. Three architecturally distinct buildings surround this quiet centrepiece, bringing together beautifully vaulted stone rooms, substantial timber beams, old fireplaces and tucked-away niches. Each part of the house has its own character, reflecting successive historic periods.

The house is best suited to guests who are comfortable with steep, uneven stone stairs and frequent changes of level. These are an integral part of its layout, including on the route to the principal bedroom, so please read the access details below before booking.

Entering from the lane, the hallway leads to a small conservatory and into the kitchen, with its remarkable stone-vaulted ceiling. It also provides stairs up to the principal bedroom and stairs down to the cave, or basement and there is a toilet just inside the front door. Across the courtyard is a cosy sitting room with sofas and a television receiving French channels only.

The kitchen is exceptionally well equipped for longer stays and relaxed meals at home, with a gas range, electric oven, microwave, dishwasher and two refrigerators. Below the hallway, a vaulted stone basement has been converted into a practical utility and preparation space with a butler sink, stone worktops, washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer.

We let only the principal bedroom suite, which overlooks the courtyard garden. Between the bedroom and its private bathroom, equipped with a shower and a small bath, are a small bureau and a veranda, offering quiet spaces to read or work. The house also has a second bedroom above the sitting room, but this is not available to guests.

Much of the house’s atmosphere comes from the contrast between its buildings. The kitchen and stone bedroom occupy a range with substantial dressed-stone vaulting, transverse arches and finely shaped stone supports. The street building contains the vaulted basement, while the rear building has a different character, with rubble-stone walls, heavy timber beams and a fireplace.

An underground water cistern survives beneath the kitchen and stone-bedroom building. Together with the different styles of construction and traces of altered openings, it offers intriguing clues to the property’s earlier life. The cistern is not accessible to guests.

We are researching the house’s history and have contacted the Arles heritage team to explore its origins. The surviving architecture suggests several phases of construction and alteration, although the dates of the earliest structures—and whether the buildings were originally separate properties—remain to be established.

The house has fibre broadband with Wi-Fi, gas heating and hot water throughout.

Please be aware that the stone staircase to the basement is steep, with uneven treads. There are also two steps leading into the principal bedroom, as well as other changes of level around the house. The property is unsuitable for guests who need step-free access or find uneven or steep stairs difficult.

We are currently renovating the courtyard and several interior spaces, choosing materials that complement the house’s historic character. The courtyard is being laid with travertine, incorporating two handmade marble mosaics in a traditional Roman style: Papera and Cave Canem.

The work also includes new travertine flooring in the principal bedroom, renovation of the interior staircase and the two bedroom entrance steps. The upstairs landing and bathroom are receiving new tiled flooring.

These improvements will refresh the house while retaining its distinctive architecture and atmosphere. we will update the photographs once the work is completed in November 2026.

The old stone ceilings and walls can shed small amounts of dust or limewash. Natural light also varies between rooms: the courtyard and conservatory provide brighter spaces, while the sitting room, with its glass door and small window, is more enclosed and relatively dark.

Le Jardin Secret suits guests who enjoy historic buildings and their individual character. It is an atmospheric base for exploring Arles—a place to return to after the market, the amphitheatre, long lunches, cycling or evenings wandering through the old town.