Villa Frida, charming villa near Gassin, St Tropez, heated pool, 4 bedrooms

About Lucy Darbishire

I first visited the Var nearly 18 years ago and immediately loved all it had to offer. The area enjoys a wonderful climate but yet is still so green and rural in places, it offers such a choice of ways to live and enjoy it. I love having such a varied choice of markets, restaurants and beaches to choose from all within easy reach of the house. I have always wants to spend as much time as possible in France since studying French at university and having a good knowledge of French has been a great help with the management of the house. I visited many other parts of France before finally having the opportunity to visit this area and I never looked back! The area is so inspiring in so many ways and especially good for me are the several brocantes/flea markets within easy reach of the house, the problem is always working out how to get it all home! I have very much enjoyed making the house feel like a real home that has had much thought and love put into it. I have 4 boys, all now grown up and they also love the house and the lifestyle. It is a great place to spend time together, enjoying the pool, the beaches and of course being able to head into St Tropez or off to Pampelonne at a moment's notice!

Lucy Darbishire purchased this Villa in 2001

Why Lucy Darbishire chose Gassin

The Var is a beautiful region with an amazing coast. This house appealed immediately as it is situated just away from the main traffic route in and out of St Tropez, but yet close enough to be able to get there very easily. It felt like a home straight away although there were things we wanted to do to make the place our own. St Tropez is of course legendary and a fascinating place to get to know, both in and out of season. You never tire of people watching at Senequier enjoying a drink as the sun sets yet I find there is much more to it than just the glitz and glamour. There is a very different atmosphere if you go early in the morning and enjoy coffee and a wander round. Our house is situated in a quiet domaine just off the road to La Croix Valmer and we especially love going to the local beaches of Gigaro, Heraclee Plage and Debarquement situated around La Croix Valmer. Heraclee Plage has a wonderful relaxed beach restaurant with sun loungers that I can really recommend. The house has great walks into the surrounding woodland including my favourite 'get fit' morning walk to the top of the hill through the woodland at the rear of the house. The views over to the Gulf of St Tropez and down to Cogolin and across to Grimaud are worth heading up there for. There is a great choice of wonderful towns, villages and beaches around the area - a, you really are spoilt for choice. For those who love polo, or who are simply curious to experience a match, try dropping in informally on a match during the tournament season as this amazing polo ground is only 5 minutes away. I would strongly recommend trying a visit to the house in May, early June or September as the area usually enjoys beautiful weather, in spring the flowers and blossom are all around and in September the days are still hot but it is so relaxing.

What makes this Villa unique

The house enjoys a corner site in the domaine so it has a spacious feel and is cleverly situated so that it feels private although we do have neighbours. It is very green all around as it is on the edge of the woods, which offsets the heat of July and August, it is such a haven to return to from the hustle, heat and bustle. You can still just see the beautiful hill-top village of Gassin from our terrace, the woodland grows taller each year! Gassin is really beautiful and has an amazing terrace of restaurants overlooking the Gulf of St Tropez. It is under 10 minutes drive away and a great choice for dinner out. It really is a treat to experience this. We also love spending days with friends by the pool, and the open plan south facing indoor living space works so well for this and has a light and airy feel. The well-stocked open plan kitchen is conveniently situated for the outdoor dining terrace.