Mediterranean Villas & Lifestyle

Châteaux of the French Riviera: historic castles in Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Cap d'Antibes, Nice, Èze and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

True châteaux are rare on the French Riviera, where most great residences are villas. From Saint-Tropez to Èze, discover the coast's best-known castles, including the Château de la Croix des Gardes in Cannes, Christian Dior's Château de la Colle Noire, the Château de la Croë on Cap d'Antibes, and the Château Eza, some now private homes, others luxury hotels.

Château de la Tour du Mont Boron, Nice: a 19th-century château above the port

Domaine des Carles, Saint-Tropez: a private gated domaine of villas with pools, 5 minutes' walk from the port

The Domaine des Carles is a private gated domaine of around 40 to 50 villas in the centre of Saint-Tropez, most with a garden and swimming pool. A pedestrian entrance behind the Chanel boutique puts the port and the Place des Lices 5 minutes' walk away, with the Pampelonne beaches about 5 minutes by car.

Domaine de l'Oumède, Saint-Tropez (Ramatuelle): a private domaine among the vineyards with sea views over Pampelonne

Tucked among the vineyards of Ramatuelle, the Domaine de l'Oumède is a small, private gated estate with sweeping sea views, just 2 km from Pampelonne beach and ten minutes from Saint-Tropez — a setting of rare intimacy and natural beauty. The domaine holds a place in cinematic history as the backdrop for Jacques Deray's iconic 1969 film La Piscine, starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider. Properties here are exceptionally scarce, making any opportunity to acquire within the domaine a truly singular event

Le Mas d'Aréthuse - Roquebrune Cap Martin

Remodelled in 1893 for the diplomat Georges de Montgomery, this Roquebrune Cap Martin villa has carried four names: Le Mas d'Aréthuse, Augusta, Villa Barbara, and today Villa Trianon. A look at its red marble terraces, its five-thousand-volume library, its ten-hectare park, and the owners who passed through it, from Empress Elisabeth of Austria's close friend Lucy de Montgomery to Prince Danilo of Montenegro.

Domaine Cap Tahiti, Saint-Tropez (Ramatuelle): a guarded private domaine with views over the bay of Pampelonne

Domaine Cap Tahiti is a well-located and highly sought-after private domaine in Ramatuelle, close to Saint-Tropez and just moments from Pampelonne beach. With lush planting, palm trees, and sea views over the bay, it comprises around 30 houses with secure access at the entrance.

Villa Schiffanoia, Villefranche-sur-Mer (built 1875)

Perched on a hillside above the Bay of Villefranche and named 'Schiffanoia' — 'banish boredom' — by the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, this storied villa has lived many lives since Henri Tiranty built it in 1875: wartime hospital, medical centre, and now a magnificently restored private estate. Today, Villa Schiffanoia spans 1,800 sqm across 1.15 hectares of olive and citrus groves, offering eleven sea-view suites, two swimming pools, a spa, and a hammam — all within reach of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the shimmering Côte d'Azur.

La Belle Isnarde, Saint-Tropez: a hillside domaine near Place des Lices

A gated hillside domaine of around 40 houses just minutes on foot from Place des Lices, mixing traditional Provençal homes with contemporary villas, many with pools and views over Saint-Tropez and the sea.

Domaine de la Capilla, Saint-Tropez (Ramatuelle): a discreet gated domaine within walking distance of Tahiti beach

Famous architects of the French Riviera: villas by Barry Dierks, Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, John Pawson and more

Sainte-Anne, Saint-Tropez: a protected residential area close to the village and the Pampelonne beaches

L'Escalet, Ramatuelle: why people rent and buy villas beside one of Saint-Tropez's most unspoilt beaches