Three small hill villages between Valbonne and Grasse, where olive terraces, woods and large private gardens begin and Sophia Antipolis remains a short drive away.
North of Valbonne the land rises toward the foothills of the Alps. Three small communes share the slopes between Valbonne and Grasse: Opio, Le Rouret and Châteauneuf-Grasse. Each has a small old village core and each spreads out across wooded hills where most homes are villas in their own grounds. Together they have just over 10,500 residents, according to INSEE's 2023 figures. The appeal is space and quiet, with Sophia Antipolis, the international schools and the coast all reachable within half an hour.
Opio is the smallest of the three, with 2,527 residents in 2023 on 9.47 km² between 154 and 361 metres above sea level, much of it covered by the Bois d'Opio. The church of Saint-Trophime keeps a twelfth-century Romanesque nave; the town hall occupies the seventeenth-century former house of the bishops of Grasse. The river Brague rises at the foot of the Opio valley.
The olive mill of Opio, known locally as the Moulin de la Brague, was run by the same family from 1848. After its machinery stopped in 2023, the Communauté d'agglomération Sophia Antipolis bought it; it reopened for pressing olives on 28 October 2024. The Golf d'Opio-Valbonne, an 18-hole course designed by Donald Harradine and opened in 1966, sits on the road to Roquefort-les-Pins next to the Château de la Bégude. A Club Med holiday village has operated in the commune since 1989.
Le Rouret, with 4,209 residents in 2023 on 7.1 km², lies on the route between Grasse and Nice and climbs from 178 to 480 metres. The village is organised around a square shaded by old plane trees, bordered by the town hall and the church of Saint-Pons; the château du Rouret is a listed historic monument. On the avenue de Provence, the Marché de nos collines is a cooperative shop where more than fifty local farmers sell their produce directly, open from Tuesday to Sunday morning. The hills of the commune also hold archaeological sites, among them the Roman camp reached by the chemin du Castellet.
Châteauneuf-Grasse had 3,815 residents in 2023 on 8.95 km² and is the highest of the three, from 221 to 658 metres. Its old village crowns a hill beneath the seventeenth-century church of Saint-Martin. Below, the flatter land of Pré-du-Lac developed with housing and shops from the 1980s and is now the commune's commercial centre, with a market every Monday morning on the place des Pins. In the countryside, the eleventh-century chapel of Notre-Dame du Brusc, a listed historic monument since 1986, hosts concerts and theatre.
Across the three communes most homes are detached villas in gardens, from traditional Provençal houses to recent contemporary builds such as the villa completed in 2024 that we present in Opio. Some stand within private gated domains with shared charges. Hillside plots and narrow lanes are common, so slope, access and parking deserve attention at a viewing. Each commune has its own PLU; rules on plot coverage and building height vary between zones. Before planning works, read our guide to pools, extensions and planning.
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 61 | €7,090 | €820,000 | 22 | 5 |
| Flats | 5 | €6,150 | €350,000 | 1 | 1 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 82 | €5,700 | €605,000 | 12 | 2 |
| Flats | 20 | €4,520 | €242,000 | 0 | 0 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 56 | €6,950 | €1,012,000 | 29 | 7 |
| Flats | 19 | €4,060 | €220,000 | 0 | 0 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025, DVF records 61 single-house sales in Opio at a median of €7,090 per m² and €820,000; 82 in Le Rouret at €5,700 per m² and €605,000; and 56 in Châteauneuf-Grasse at €6,950 per m² and €1,012,000. Châteauneuf-Grasse is the only one of the three where the median house sold for more than €1 million; 29 of its 56 house sales passed that mark, which points to larger houses and plots. Opio has the highest price per m², close to Mougins. Le Rouret offers the most accessible entry to the area. Flats are few in all three, so the figures are dominated by houses.
These villages suit buyers who want land, privacy and a view of the hills, with a pool and room for family and guests, while staying within reach of Sophia Antipolis and the international schools. The area also suits multi-generational families, golfers and buyers looking for a full-time base rather than a coastal holiday flat.
Each commune has its own nursery and primary schools. The public Collège Le Pré des Roures is in Le Rouret. For lycée and international sections, families look to the Centre International de Valbonne and the Lycée Simone-Veil in Valbonne or to the Mougins British International School in Sophia Antipolis. Shops and services are concentrated at Pré-du-Lac, with larger supermarkets and hospitals in Grasse and Antibes. See our guide to international schools.
By road, Nice Côte d'Azur airport is about 24 km from Le Rouret, 31 km from Opio and 33 km from Châteauneuf village, roughly 35 to 45 minutes outside rush hour. Sophia Antipolis is about 15 to 25 minutes away depending on the village. There is no railway station in the three communes; a car is essential.
Two of the villas we present with our partner agent Azure & Stone Immobilier are in Opio: a new-build villa completed in 2024 and an estate with two guest houses in a gated domain. They appear below with any other current homes. For a wider search across these villages and neighbouring Valbonne and Roquefort-les-Pins, ask about a search mandate.
New-build Californian-style villa completed in 2024 on a private estate a few minutes from Valbonne village. Single-level living with five en-suite bedrooms plus a pool house fitted out as an independent guest apartment, set in 3,000 m² of landscaped garden.
Co-exclusive estate within a gated private domain of eleven villas in Opio, close to Valbonne and a golf course. A main villa of about 300 m² is accompanied by a 93 m² independent house and a 42 m² guest house, suited to multi-generational living.
On DVF figures for January 2024 to December 2025, Le Rouret has the lowest median house price, €605,000 at €5,700 per m², against €820,000 in Opio and €1,012,000 in Châteauneuf-Grasse.
Yes. Opio borders Valbonne; the Golf d'Opio-Valbonne lies on the road between the two communes and Roquefort-les-Pins.
Mainly at Pré-du-Lac in Châteauneuf-Grasse, which has shops, services and a Monday morning market. Le Rouret has a farmers' cooperative shop selling local produce.
The Collège Le Pré des Roures is in Le Rouret. Lycées and international sections are in Valbonne and Sophia Antipolis.
Between about 24 and 33 km by road, roughly 35 to 45 minutes outside rush hour, depending on the village.
The Opio olive mill reopened for pressing on 28 October 2024 under the management of the Communauté d'agglomération Sophia Antipolis. Larger quantities require an appointment.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
