Villa Theoule

Villa Theoule is built into the red porphyry rock of the Esterel massif, on a stretch of coast between Cannes and Saint-Raphael where the mountains drop directly into the Mediterranean. The property is one of only a handful of residences with direct sea access on this protected coastline, and its position - a south-facing cove sheltered by red cliffs on three sides - gives it a microclimate warmer and calmer than the open coast. The house cascades down the cliff in four levels connected by external stone staircases and an internal elevator. The upper level, at road height, contains the entrance, a garage, and a staff apartment. The main living level below holds the kitchen, dining room, and a glass-walled salon that opens fully onto a terrace overlooking the cove. Two bedroom levels descend from here, each with terraces that step closer to the water. Five bedrooms are distributed across the two lower levels. The master suite sits directly above the sea-level pool terrace, with a glass floor panel in the bathroom that reveals the water below. Four further bedrooms share the level above, each with a terrace and views across the cove to the red cliffs beyond. The sea-level pool is filled with filtered seawater pumped directly from the cove and heated to 28 degrees. It sits on a stone platform at the water's edge, with a swim-out bar built into the cliff face. Steps from the pool descend to a private dock where the property's tender - a 6-metre Zodiac - is moored for trips to the secluded calanques along the Esterel coast or to the Iles de Lerins. Theoule-sur-Mer village, a quiet fishing harbour with a handful of restaurants and a small beach, is a 5-minute drive. Cannes is 15 minutes east along the coast road. The Esterel's hiking trails, threading through the red rock landscape, begin at the property boundary.