Home of the Week: This Sprawling $17 Million St. Barths Villa Has Sweeping Ocean Views
Touted as the ultimate winter playground for the world’s glitterati, the tony Caribbean island of St. Barths in the French West Indies is one of the world’s most glamorous islands.
The mountainous eight-square-mile island, dotted with sprawling villas and edged by white sandy beaches (16 to be exact), has become a see-and-be-seen destination for jet-setters and billionaires craving sophisticated, five-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, designer boutiques, and elevated beach clubs. In recent years, the French island has become even more luxe, with bigger and more sumptuous villas, so you can enjoy your vacation more permanently.
More from Robb Report
The high season in St. Barths runs from December through March, but the island benefits from tourists typically from the end of October through July. Those who frequent St. Barths even once will be lured by its toes-in-the-sand luxury, verdant landscape, craggy coastlines ripe for hiking, and a European-meets-Caribbean flair you can’t find anywhere else in the Caribbean. Convinced? Consider the $17 million Villa Nirvana, located within a gated enclave, awarding owners the ultimate privacy in a coveted location on the island.
This new listing is perched on the hillside of Lurin, perfectly situated between Gustavia—home to some of the island’s most revered restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping, from Hermès to Cartier—and Gouverneur Beach, a pristine beach near billionaire Roman Abromavich’s former estate. The beach is considered one of the best on the island, accessed at the base of a lengthy, steep, and winding road, and ideal for swimming.
“Villa Nirvana is in a very nice private setting on a big level piece of land, which is not common on the island,” says listing agent Tom Smyth with Sotheby’s International Realty. “As you enter the property, there’s a beautiful water feature that catches your attention. The entrance leads to an expansive, open-air great room. You essentially walk into these incredible views over St. Jean and the ocean.”
Set on a half-acre, the contemporary villa has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms with airy open-plan living spaces. There are five main bedrooms, similar in size, spread across two levels. Each is fronted by floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors that open to private terraces with seating areas. Most of the bedrooms have vaulted ceilings, teak wood doors and closets, vibrant contemporary art, and specialized lighting throughout. There’s also a smaller sixth bedroom, perfect for live-in staff, like a nanny, or visitors. There’s also a separate caretaker’s house with a private parking area.
Tucked off the living room is a kitchen outfitted with high-end appliances and a dining table. The entire great room has seamless indoor-outdoor living with open access to the terrace. There’s a covered outdoor dining table and outdoor seating area that leads directly to the 72-foot-long infinity pool.
“There is then an entirely separate chef’s kitchen that is off to the side in the back of that area,” Smyth says. “All the prep and everything can be done completely out of view, which is a nice feature of the property. When you’re serving a house this big, it works very, very well.”
To the left of the pool, there’s a sunny patio with sun loungers. The entire villa is punctuated with large-format, colorful contemporary art that adds a playful touch to the white walls. There’s also a well-equipped gym, should you want to get in your workout closer to home. (Form Fitness, the island’s main gym, a glass-enclosed structure brimming with high-end gym equipment and studios, is just up the road, should you want a personal trainer or take a yoga class.)
Thoughtfully manicured landscaping and gardens make you feel like you’re ensconced in nature. Villa Nirvana also has a large lawn space (another rarity) that adds another layer of privacy and space. In Lurin, it’s not often you get views of St. Jean—which includes the iconic Eden Rock—as St. Jean is on another side of the island. Not only do you get endless water views, but you also have the benefit of being near Gustavia and Gouverneur Beach. The way the property is positioned gives you the best of both worlds.
Just down the road is the island’s iconic H?tel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf, which opened as an independent hotel in the 1970s and is home to the beachfront Shellona restaurant and Beefbar. There are also nearby hikes (if you don’t mind partially traversing the busy, narrow roads), including a hilly walk to and from Gouverneur Beach and Fort Karl in Gustavia, with panoramic views of Gustavia Harbor and Shell Beach. The island’s small size means you’re only a 15-minute drive (or less) to St. Jean’s buzzy beach clubs and restaurants or the quiet nature of Colombier or Saline.
Click here for more photos of Villa Nirvana.
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
