Elite Traveler March-April 2016

DISCOVER

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elite traveler MAR/APR 2016

We love… Cave Cay This 222 acre island in the Bell Islands off The Bahamas has a 2,800ft long private airstrip, deep water harbor with floating dock (plus 35 dock slips) and, best of all, it’s entirely self sufficient with stunning views. $90m, vladi-private-islands.de

Property

A MAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE

A handful of houses in the world have iconic status – places such as the Palace of Versailles (home to the French royal family until revolution cut short their reign), Buckingham Palace (the London home of Queen Elizabeth ll) and even Hearst Castle (media magnateWilliam Randolph Hearst’s pad in San Simeon, California). Flying the flag on the French Riviera is the palatial Château de la Croix des Gardes that, in true “keeping up with the Joneses” fashion, was built purely to outdo its neighbors – the almost as magnificent Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Château Vallombrosa and Villa Romée, located in what is known as Quartier des Anglais. Fittingly for an iconic building, it has been the star setting of several iconic movies (notably Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief , pictured above, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly); the venue of iconic parties (a fabulous masked ball was held here to mark the first Cannes International Film Festival in 1946); and its distinguished former owners include a Burmese jewel magnate, the owner of Perrier, as well as its first owner the Swiss industrialist Paul Girod, who had it built in 1919. Naturally, the roll call of attributes is impressive – it spans 12,916 sq ft, has 13 bedrooms, is surrounded by 24 acres of gardens, comes with a guesthouse and staff accommodation and enjoys sublime views over the Bay of Cannes. $50m–$100m, sothebysrealty.com

Bird’s-eye view of Château de la Croix des Gardes. The main building stands at nearly 700 feet high

Words: Laura Powell. Photo: Rex Features