Villa Elodie sits in the heart of L’Escalet, one of the first houses built here, dating to 1959, just after the filming of And God Created Woman along this stretch of coast. Recognisable by its Provençal tower, it has been carefully kept and restored over the years by a caretaker close to its history, so the character that makes it worth knowing has stayed intact.
The setting is the draw. The villa overlooks the Mediterranean and the turquoise water of Escalet beach, and its east to south-east orientation means it catches the first light of the morning and the colour that comes with it. From here the customs officers’ path leads out toward Cap Taillat and its calm blue lagoon, a walk worth making early before the day warms.
Several terraces follow the sun through the day, made for slow breakfasts, an afternoon with a book in the shade, or an evening watching the water turn. Guests speak of the first swim in a beach still empty of anyone else, and of evenings when the plankton shimmers in the dark. A hammock and a Balinese bed suggest the pace the house prefers.
Three bedrooms welcome up to six guests across a compact 100 square metres, with a pool and direct access to the sea. Villa Elodie is self-catered and private, a house that trades size for soul and a rare position on the water. Some places are remembered for their view. This is one of them. It is a house best measured in mornings on the terrace and swims before the beach fills. Time here tends to pass more slowly than elsewhere.
