Properties for winter sun
This week: ideal properties for winter sun – from a private island in the Bahamas’ Exumas island chain to a converted 17th-century palace in Valletta, Malta, and an oceanfront estate in Paradise Cove, Vanuatu.
Palm Point Way, Placida, Florida, USA. A private waterfront house located in Sabal Palm Point. It has a wrap-around porch, reclaimed wood floors, a designer kitchen, a covered walkway leading to the guest cottage and a further walkway that leads to an observation deck with views of the Lemon Bay Estuary and the Intracoastal Waterway. 3 beds, 3 baths, 2 receps, study, 1-bed cottage, garage, gardens, dock. 0.82 acres. $1.28m Michael Saunders & Company +1 888 552 5228.
The Aquila, Phuket, Thailand. A tropical villa in 2.5 acres of clifftop grounds with 165 metres of sea frontage and an infinity pool overlooking the Andaman Sea. It comes with a main villa, 4 pavilions, 7 en-suite beds, children's bunk room, 2 receps, gym, spa, cinema, and housekeeping staff. $28m Savills Bangkok +669 6196 5191 .
Bananaquit, Sugar Hill Estate, Barbados. A luxury renovated villa in the exclusive Sugar Hill Estate with a 2-bed cottage with a first-floor open-plan living area and balcony overlooking the pool. The estate offers 24-hour security and communal facilities, including a restaurant and clubhouse, a gym and a tennis court. 3 en-suite bed main house, media room, wet bar, barbecue, 0.66 acres of landscaped gardens. $5.25m Altman Barbados 0808-120 2364.
Palazzo Valletta, Malta. A converted palace dating from 1617 with views of Malta's Grand Harbour. The property is set around a central courtyard, in which there is a large, bell-shaped well, and the three upper levels are connected by a limestone staircase that leads to a roof terrace. It has exposed stone walls, shuttered windows, and a stone fireplace with a wood-burning stove. 5 beds, 4 baths, kitchen, 2 receps. £1.8m Cluttons 020-7408 1010.
La Brie, Franschhoek, South Africa. This 1680s manor is home to one of South Africa's oldest vineyards. It is set in over 64 acres, with views of the Franschhoek Mountains, and has a 1-bed cottage in the grounds. 4 beds, 4 baths, receps, equestrian facilities. R95m Knight Frank +27 (0) 21 671 9120.
Little Pipe Cay, Exumas, Bahamas. A rarely available freehold island accessed by boat or sea plane from Nassau with a range of houses and cottages. 9 en-suite beds spread over several properties, spa, swimming pool, sea barn, dock frontage, staff village. $85m Knight Frank 020-7861 1553.
Sol De Oriente, Costa Careyes, Jalisco, Mexico. This property is located on the most protected coast of the Mexican Pacific, between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, and is surrounded by the 25,000 acre Chamela Cuixmala Reserve. It comprises a 3-bed main house, a 1-bed tower, and two 1-bed bungalows perched high above the ocean and reached by a private funicular. $9.9m Christie's International Realty +1 310 279 3311.
Tamarind Beach, Paradise Cove, Vanuatu. A five-acre oceanfront estate on Vanuatu's main island, a short bike ride from the local village and 25 minutes from Bauerfield International Airport. The estate comes with a 2-bed main villa with an outdoor dining pavilion and two 2-bed guest houses with landscaped gardens, a thatched gazebo, a firepit, and a helipad. £POA Christie's International Real Estate, +61 2 9328 1422.