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Cream of the Côte
There is nowhere else in the world to beat the Côte d'Azur when it comes to lifestyle quality. Whether it's Saint-Tropez, Cap Ferrat or the hills, British buyers are back, finds Jean Bond Rafferty
L
ORD Brougham famously launched the English love affair with the Riviera when he discovered the allure of Cannes in 1834, and built
his villa there. Soon, his countrymen were streaming south and a winter holiday colony was in full swing. For a great deal of the 19th and much of the 20th century, the British might be said to have owned the Côte d' Azur. They established splendid homes and luxuriant gardens over vast tracts from Menton to Théoule, most notably on the still-covetable CapsÐ Ferrat and d' Antibes
Ð where the coast' s most vertiginously priced properties are today. Despite the recession and sterling' s decline,
for many British buyers, the Riviera is still the best. The coast is studded with well- known names, from Elton John in Nice, where Sean Connery also had a home, Bono and Julian Lennon near Eze to Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis in the countryside near Saint-Tropez. But now, the definition of the Riviera is more elastic. The Côte d'Azur is no longer just that slim line hugging the Mediter- ranean. It has extended up into the hinter- land hills and goes way, way off the beaten path, to the new retreats of starry names. ` There is nowhere else in the world in
English eyes that comes anywhere near the Côte d' Azur for all of its qualities,' affirms Tim Sanders of John Taylor in La Colle sur Loup. ` I don' t have to tell my clientsÐ they' re telling me: ª We' ve been around the world. The only place is the Côte d' Azur, whether it' s Saint-Tropez, Cap Ferrat or up in the hills.º It' s a question of taste and budget.'
Côte d' Azur hinterland
Right now, a prime British destination, especially for family oriented buyers, is the area of picturesque hill villages above Nice and CannesÐ from Saint Paul de Vence to Mougins by way of Tourrettes-sur- Loup, Opio and the very popular Valbonne, a medieval village with cobbled square, lots of restaurants and two golf courses. For Paul Humphreys at Knight Frank, this area is where ` we' ve had most of the demand for the past six months, and where we' ve sent most buyers in the first three months of this
46 Country Life International, Summer 2010
year' . Prices, he says, average ` between €2.5 million and €3.5 million± €4 million' . Mr Humphreys sees a return of British
buyers who have accepted the sterling exchange rate because they don' t want to put their lifestyle purchases on hold any longer. ` If their children are three, seven and nine, they don' t want to wait until they are six, 10 and 12 to enjoy a South of France house for family holidays.' Last winter' s British weather was a motivating factor.
` Since spring began in France, my tele- phone has been ringing, but I' m not saying it' s like it was two years ago.' For Mr Sanders, hinterland prices go
from €1 million to €40 million, ` but most stop about €10 million. For that, you' ll get a 500sq m property in an acre with wonder- ful views of village and sea in the exclusive St Paul de Vence gated estate where Roger Moore, Peter Sellers and Rex Harrison had homes.' And, another 10 minutes up the road in Tourrettes, an old mas and olive grove is priced at €2.2 million. Antibes-based Carlton International' s
Philip Weiser points out: ` The South of France notary figures show prices have gone down by 15%± 20% across the board,
FOR SALE
€8m
Roquefort Les Pins
It' s rare to find a garden as large as 20 acres so close to the Côte d' Azur. The principal house has nine bedrooms, and there is also a caretaker' s
house, an orchard and a large swimming pool Emile Garcin (00 33 494 9797 3210;
www.emilegarcin.fr)
www.countrylife.co.uk/international
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