Beachfront Villas in French Riviera

Villas with private access to the sea are among the most prized properties on the French Riviera. The coast between Saint-Tropez and Monaco is largely rocky and heavily protected, so such houses rarely change hands and are booked well in advance.

In the east, near Monaco, a cliff-edge villa in Cap d'Ail looks down on Plage Mala, a small cove reached by a coastal path. On Cap Ferrat, the most prestigious address on the coast, our houses sit beside Plage Paloma, a sheltered cove of shingle and turquoise water, with the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, La Voile d'Or and the gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild nearby. Off Cannes, a restored estate on the island of Sainte-Marguerite is a short boat ride from the Croisette, with lunch at La Guérite a few minutes' walk away. Further west, Théoule-sur-Mer sits against the red rocks of the Esterel. Around Saint-Tropez, our villas overlook Pampelonne, home of Club 55 and La Réserve à la Plage, and the wild headlands of La Croix-Valmer, while a château between Toulon and Hyères completes the collection.

The best months are June and September. July and August are glamorous and action-packed.