Spotlight: The French Riviera: Blue Heaven

Stately villas and historic charm create paradise on France’s Côte d’Azur.

text by: Marc Kristal

April 1, 2009

Since its transformation from a quaint fishing region to an upscale health destination by the British aristocracy in the 18th century, the French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur, has had perennial appeal. Royalty—from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana—has enjoyed its 300 days of annual sun, Renoir drew inspiration from the light, and F. Scott Fitzgerald used it as a setting for his 1934 novel Tender is the Night. It is here that Coco Chanel made suntanning fashionable, Isadora Duncan met her dramatic end, and Grace Kelly married Monaco’s Prince Rainier III. And even music legends, from Elton John to Tina Turner, have acquired villas in which to escape their fame.

The Riviera—which extends for about 125 miles along the Mediterranean Sea—offers the best of everything: museums (many devoted to the artists who worked in the region, including Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall); iconic hotels such as the Carlton in Cannes and the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on Cap d’Antibes; elegant casinos; and ski resorts in the nearby Alpes d’Azur. The stretch of coastline also offers locales with specialized appeal, such as the hillside cities of Grasse, France’s perfume capital, and Saint-Paul de Vence, known for its art.

Despite the short distances between them, the Riviera’s famous destinations differ notably in character. Nice was part of Italy until 1860, and its architecture, landscaping, and public spaces retain an Italianate flavor. Cannes’ modern history dates from its embrace by British politician Lord Brougham in 1834, after which it became a fashionable winter resort. Apart from the villas, which can be found in a variety of styles, constructed in the hillside districts of La Croix des Gardes and Californie, the city is distinctively Belle Époque. And St. Tropez—a fishing village that became a popular summertime destination following Brigitte Bardot’s appearance in the locally set And God Created Woman in 1956—is a mix of modern villas and vernacular architecture.

As for second-home destinations, Alex Balkin, senior consultant for Riviera Estates, exclusive associate of Savills International on the Côte d’Azur, says Cap Ferrat and Cap d’Antibes, Cannes, St. Tropez, and Monaco are the most desirable. Each, he says, has a different appeal. "Cap d’Antibes is associated with film stars and the very wealthy. The biggest yachts are moored at the Billionaires’ Quay in Antibes," he says. "That and Cap Ferrat have always been sought-after by foreigners. Your neighbors are either knights or Russian oligarchs. And Monaco has an additional attraction: If you are a resident, you don’t pay income tax."

As for the homes, Balkin says that on Cap Ferrat and Cap d’Antibes, villas in excess of 5,000 square feet and on at least 20,000 square feet of land are the most in demand. "You can get larger ones, but you would have to go inland. In St. Tropez, the properties are often about an acre because it’s much less urbanized," he says.

While the British, Irish, Dutch, Scandinavians, and Eastern Europeans each have a strong presence throughout the Côte d’Azur, the Russians, whose history in the region dates back to the period of the czars, have most impacted the landscape. "On Cap Ferrat and Cap d’Antibes, Russians have, for the past five or six years, been market-makers, outbidding each other for the best properties," Balkin says. "If average real estate on the Riviera has doubled over the past decade, it has multiplied by 10 in these areas. Prices can be anywhere from $5 million up to more than $100 million."

Strict regulations governing seaside and high-rise construction limit condominium development, but two in-progress projects blend historic properties with modern amenities to impressive effect. Le Provençal, a legendary Art Deco hotel at Juan-les-Pins on Cap d’Antibes, is being reinvented as a high-end condo complex with amenities that include yacht and helicopter access. In Cannes, the real estate agency Magrey & Sons is offering the Palms, an enclave of apartments and duplexes sited on a 55,000-square-foot private garden. The seven three- to five-bedroom units are set within a 19th-century Italianate villa and two new structures.