Tichka

As St. Barth neighbours go, you could not be in better company than you will find here. At the eastern end of the gleaming crescent of Flamands Beach, you are among some of the finest villas and hotels on the island. When you enter Villa Tichka you are presented with a broad vista of one of the island's most beautiful stretches of white sand, and beyond that, you can see the tops of the masts of sailboats moored at Colombier as well as the islands of Forchue, St. Maartin and Anguilla in the distance. Out over the sea, a "laughing gull" balances high above on the gentle ocean winds.

The colourful glass-tiled infinity pool is bordered by a teak deck with chaises and a seating area perfect for lazing in the sun or watching it set. The open dining area seats eight, and the breezy living room offers a comfortable retreat by day or night, with a flat-screen television and subtle cornice-lighting. The conveniently designed kitchen is equipped with a De Dietrich stove and oven and opens directly onto a back deck accented with bougainvillea and providing easy access to a Weber Genesis gas barbecue.

Villa Tichka's first bedroom offers the comfort of a king-size, four-poster bed and a view of the ocean that will have you smiling even before you arrive at the deck for your morning coffee. An attached bath provides dual vanities and a pebble-stone floor shower, and leads out to a private deck secluded behind palm trees and bananiers. The second bedroom is more modern in style but equally well-appointed, also with an ocean view, king-size bed, and an en-suite bath and semi-private deck.

But Villa Tichka's hidden treasure comes in the form of a staircase off the south end of the deck. Follow it down to a path through a garden of laurier rose and coconut palms and twenty steps past the gate you will find yourself with your feet in the sand. This home offers the rare combination of seclusion--being the very last villa at this end of Flamands Bay--and beachfront convenience. With direct access to one of the most famous beaches of St. Barth, you can enjoy the luxury of lunch at a five-star hotel, perhaps a massage at the spa or a transat on the sand, and then return for a dip in your own pool before sundown, all without ever starting your car.