Villa Cyrus

Some mornings ask for nothing more than a coffee carried out to the terrace while the Mediterranean settles into its colour for the day. Villa Cyrus is built for exactly that. Set within the green, discreet Beauvallon estate above Grimaud, moments from the golf and the yacht club, the house opens to a clear 180 degree view of the bay, so the sea is present from almost every room.

This is a considered 225 square metre residence rather than a showpiece. The facade is elegant and low-key, the interiors warm and quiet, with a soft palette and Terrazzo floors that keep everything feeling cool through the height of summer. Five bedrooms comfortably host ten guests, which makes it an easy choice for two families travelling together or a group of friends who like their own space at either end of the day.

Outside is where the villa earns its keep. A heated pool holds the light and reflects an open sky, framed by lawns and mature planting. A fully equipped summer kitchen turns dinner into an event, the scent of the barbecue drifting across the garden as the sun drops behind the treetops. There is private parking, so arrivals and departures stay simple. Beyond the gate, the beaches of Sainte-Maxime and the fairways of the Beauvallon golf are only a short drive, so the days shape themselves around whatever you feel like doing.

St Tropez itself sits around ten kilometres away, close enough for lunch in the old port and far enough that evenings here stay wonderfully still. The hardest decision may be whether to go into town at all, or simply pour another glass and stay put.