Luxury Villas on The Cote d'Azur (French Riviera)

The Cote d’Azur (also known as the French Riviera) has been a playground for jet-setters and VIPs since the middle of the 1800s. European Royals were the first to come, led by Charles III of Monaco, who built the region’s first casino. Later, Queen Victoria would sojourn in the chic hotels of Grasse, between the pine-scented hillsides of the Préalpes d’Azur. Today, glimpses of famous faces still abound on the 130-mile stretch of coast, between the perfect pebble coves, the yacht-speckled bays, and the handsome villages.

One town says exclusivity more than almost any other: St Tropez, which spills into a sky-blue bay in a medley of honey-coloured homes. Its quaysides are abuzz with elegant bistros and wine bars. Gleaming 40-footer yachts pepper the jetties. The streets behind are a maze of cobblestone shrouded in blooms of bougainvillaea, concealing fine art galleries and cosy cafes. Luxury villas in this part of the Cote d’Azur tend to sit in the nearby hills, offering lush gardens with views of the shimmering beaches around St Tropez itself – the Plage des Canoubiers and the clothing-optional Plage de Tahiti.

Cannes beckons with its glitz and glamour around the winding, wiggling coastal road to the north and west. Thanks to its prestigious annual film festival, the town has become a byword for high-class holidaying. It flaunts some of the most luxurious villa rentals on the French Riviera, along with the vibrant La Croisette promenade, the Marché Forville food bazaar, and the labyrinthine district of Le Suquet.

Keep going west, and you’ll pass through castle-topped Antibes. One of the most historic towns on the Riviera, it’s crowned by the muscular Fort Carré, a 16th-century bastion between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Savoy. There is also a Picasso museum, which hosts avant-garde masterworks in a former Greek acropolis by the shore.

The conglomeration of Nice and the Cap Ferrat peninsula is up next. Together, they combine to form one of the great highlights of the region. Nice strings along a big bay, glinting white pebbles out front and the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais above. Go flower shopping, see the Matisses, and wander Roman ruins. Then, head across to the idyllic beaches of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, where stunning villa rentals hide between the stone pines atop the cliffs.

From St Tropez to Nice, our collection of luxury villa rentals on the Cote d’Azur includes beachfront homes, hilltop mansions with stunning sea views, and exclusive countryside estates. Find your perfect property below!

See

• The stunning harbour of St Tropez
• The incredible Cap Ferrat
• Famous paintings by Matisse in Nice & Picasso in Antibes

Experience

• Drive the scenic Route des Crêtes
• Sail the dramatic Calanques outside of Cassis
• Indulge in the glitz and glamour of the Cannes International Film Festival