Don’t just go to the beach. Live there. Hiring a villa by the sea will cost
you extra — but think of the buzz each morning when you rise, walk blearily
onto the terrace and take in the view. It’ll be worth every extra penny.
Here are 10 of the best seafront properties available for the coming summer.
Villa Karavi, near Pomos, Cyprus (sleeps 8)
Karavi is Greek for boat, which gives you an idea of this sleek modern villa’s
relationship with the sea. It sits on a rocky promontory with a couple of
other properties, and there are steps down from the pool, through the
garden, to the cove immediately beneath. Inside, the bedrooms are fairly
small — because most of the space has been devoted to a spectacular
double-height living room, walled on one side with glass. The only drawback
is that it’s not recommended for children under six. Everyone else, however,
will think that they’re Argonauts.
Details: one week, arriving on August 1, costs £2,549 for the
whole property, excluding flights or car hire, with Meon Villas (0870 909
7550, www.meonvillas.co.uk), which has a portfolio stretching from Cyprus to
the Canaries. Fly to Paphos with British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com)
or Cyprus Airways (020 8359 1333, www.cyprusairways.com).
Sea Horse Cottage, Barbakis, Alonissos (sleeps 2)
When the location is this good, who needs luxury? Sea Horse Cottage is simple
in style, with just enough mod cons (air-con, DVD and CD players) to make
your stay comfortable. But it’s what lies outside that counts. The property
is right on a pebbly beach, backed with trees — all you need do is step off
the verandah. Nearby, the tiny harbour town of Steni Vala has a handful of
tavernas, but nobody comes to Alonissos (the quieter neighbour of Skiathos)
for the nightlife. This is a place for swimming, sundowners and a small
mountain of good books.
Details: one week, arriving on August 3, costs £1,107pp,
including flights and car hire, with Greek Islands Club (020 8232 9780,
www.greekislandsclub.com), which has properties across the Ionian and
Aegean.
The Beach Villa, Agios Sostis, Zante (aka Zakynthos; sleeps 7)
As with many of the properties listed here, there’s no pool — but with a beach
at the end of the terrace, will you miss it? The gently sloping sand is a
good spot for sand castles and splashing about, while out at sea there’s a
breeding population of loggerhead sea turtles. It’s not far to the booming
resort of Laganas Bay, but turn right instead of left and the coast gets
progressively quieter until you reach the sea stacks and cliffs at the
island’s southwestern tip. The property, refurbished last year in a simple,
no-nonsense style, is a traditional two-storey house, surrounded by mature
gardens and backed by a wooded hill.
Details: one week, arriving on August 5, costs £1,422 for the
whole property, excluding flights or transfers, with Sunisle (0871 222 1226,
www.sunisle.co.uk), which has villas on 11 Greek islands. Fly to Zante with
XL (0870 320 7777, www.xl.com) or Flythomascook (www.flythomascook.com).
Villa Dalmatia, Brac, Croatia (sleeps 14)
The Ionic columns at the White House are made from Brac limestone, as is this
dramatic luxury property on a rocky promontory above the Adriatic.
Balustraded balconies provide to-die-for views, while a short flight of
steps takes you onto a diving/sunbathing platform, set above crystal-clear
water.
When you tire of the ultraviolet (Brac is one of the sunniest islands on the
Adriatic), you can shelter in the home cinema or on the shaded patio —
perfect for iced cocktails and alfresco meals.
Details: one week, arriving on August 4, costs £7,070 for the
whole property, excluding flights and transfers, with Abercrombie & Kent
(0845 070 0618, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk). Its portfolio also covers
France, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain. Fly to Split with EasyJet
(www.easyjet.com) or Wizz (www.wizzair.com). ()
Seadream, Plat, Croatia (sleeps 4)
To get to Seadream, park up and walk five minutes along the quiet, pebbly
beach, to where trees come down to the water’s edge. There, you’ll find this
old stone cottage and jetty, flanked by a waterfall. It has been simply
renovated, and the owner lives downstairs: not the perfect set-up, to be
sure, but to find a spot this special at this price, you’ll probably think
the sacrifices worthwhile. Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is just
12 miles away, and there’s plenty more to explore nearby, including the
historic harbour town of Cavtat and the wooded island of Mljet, one of the
prettiest on the Adriatic.
Details: one week, arriving on August 5, costs £501pp,
including flights and car hire, with Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111,
www.croatianaffair.co.uk), which offers properties right along the Croatian
coast.
Cala Levante, Pantelleria, near Sicily (sleeps 8)
If Anouska Hempel were a hermit, her digs would look like this — a collection
of three ancient stone houses, set on a high sea cliff and given a
movie-star makeover. Infinity pools, long white sofas and great lumps of
lava create an effect that is both rough-hewn and luxurious. Of course,
there’s nothing to do: volcanic Pantelleria is closer to Africa than Italy,
and home to one town and a few small villages. But then that’s the point of
coming here.
Details: one week, arriving on August 4, costs £3,986 for the
whole property, excluding flights and transfers, with Cuendet (0800 085
7732, www.cuendet.com), which has several thousand properties for hire in
the usual Italian hot spots, as well as Sicily, Puglia and the Veneto.
Fly to Palermo with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) and take a ferry
from Trapani to Pantelleria (through Via Mare; www.viamare.com).
VillaHotel Dolce Vita, St Tropez, France (sleeps 8)
Yes, you really can buy a high-season week on the beach in St Tropez — if you
have £22,000 to blow. Villazzo provides tailor-made hotel services in
private villas, and for an extra fee, it will lay on a chef every night — or
just a couple of sandwiches — while you loll about in the sumptuous
surroundings, pretending to be Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (or maybe you
are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie). The style is minimalist and modern — and
just beyond the back garden lies the deep-blue Med. Details: one week,
arriving on August 4, costs £22,080 for the whole property, not including
flights and transfers, with Villazzo (020 8123 3375, www.villazzo.com),
which offers five properties in St Tropez and others in Marbella and Miami.
Fly to Toulon with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com), or to Nice with
British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com).
Villa Amboise, near L’Ile Rousse, Corsica (sleeps 4)
Simple, unassuming, fabulous: Villa Amboise sits on a low rocky outcrop, with
the heave and sigh of the sea your constant companion. You can swim and
snorkel off the rocks, although those with toddlers will be happier at the
beach, about 400 yards away. Inside, high ceilings and cool white interiors
provide a break from the blue, while nearby L’Ile Rousse is the place for
sundowners. Inland, the fortress villages and footpaths of the Haute-Balagne
provide a welcome contrast to the coast.
Details: one week, arriving on August 12, costs £882pp,
including flights and car hire, with Corsican Places (0845 330 2059,
www.corsica.co.uk), which has inland and coastal properties all over the
island.
Villa Carmen, Camp de Mar, Mallorca (sleeps 8)
Which first? Pool or beach? Dilemmas such as this are the only hardship you
can expect at Villa Carmen — a spacious pueblo-style property set on three
levels above the sandy cove at Camp de Mar. Sadly, under-eights aren’t
allowed (because of some exposed steps), but for everyone else this looks
like heaven. The sights of Palma are an easy day trip from here, as are the
cliffs and crags of the Serra de Tramuntana, to the north.
Details: one week, arriving on August 4, costs £3,855 for the
whole property, excluding flights and transfers, with CV Travel (020 7384
5896, www.cvtravel.co.uk), which has a portfolio covering France, Greece,
Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Fly to Palma with EasyJet
(www.easyjet.com) or BMI Baby (0871 224 0224, www.bmibaby.com).
Villa Cuba, Fontane Bianche, Sicily (sleeps 4)
Officially, it’s two miles to the beach from Villa Cuba; in fact, the sea
starts at the end of the garden, between the rocks of your own private cove.
The property is split into three levels, to make best use of the views, and
built in a simple rustic style from local stone. Just be careful where you
go if you fancy a bit of moonlit skinny-dipping: the garden is full of
seriously spiky cactuses.
Details: one week, arriving on August 5, costs £659pp,
including flights and car hire, with Simply Travel (0870 166 4979,
www.simplytravel.co.uk), which offers properties across the Med, from Spain
to Turkey.
