Discover the secret in Cannes that is a refuge for billionaires – 06/28/2023 – Tourism
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The French seaside resort most famous for the aura of glamor of the film festival —which every year brings celebrities to parade down the red carpet on the edge of a sparkling Mediterranean— hides a gem for those who want more than just the aura, but luxury and wealth real. It hides, so to speak, because it is possible to see the island that is home to one of the most surreal holiday destinations in the world on the horizon of Cannes beach.
It’s not Sicily, but we’re in territory reminiscent of “The White Lotus”, the TV series that took the idea of perrengue chic to another level —with the difference that here, on the island of Sainte Marguerite, there’s no problem in sight .
An old 13th-century fortress, which once had King Louis the 14th, the American surrealist Man Ray and, finally, a list of billionaires who don’t like to show themselves among its guests, has just been transformed into Le Grand Jardin, a villa ultraluxury that can only be booked in its entirety, that is, at the pool, in the living and dining rooms, on the beach or at the bar, no one runs the risk of catching —or being caught— by an enemy.
The 12 rooms, one of them at the top of the old tower overlooking the Croisette, are available to the group that spends around R$ 1.5 million a week to relax by the sea, with the constant attention of two butlers per person. —your glass of champagne never runs out, the towels are taken dry to the boat in the middle of the sea, in case you feel a little chill when you come out of the water after diving into the turquoise blue of the Riviera.
It is right there, by the way, that six monumental sculptures by the British artist Jason deCaires Taylor are planted underwater. They are huge rocks making faces, more expressive than those famous frowns on Easter Island, and much less attractive.
That’s because diving there requires an athlete’s stamina, bodybuilding up to date and dexterity to dodge jellyfish, which makes you think that extreme sports don’t combine with the peace of Sainte Marguerite, and there are those who prefer to stretch out in the sun and let the underwater exploration, something that has gained a morbid air in recent weeks, for those who don’t need a well-deserved rest.
Even those less interested in toasting in the Mediterranean sun find refuge throughout the island, which has some of its original landscaping now restored and other sculptures, for the art lover, dotted around the grounds. There are trails for those who want to explore nature, but there are also masseurs on duty for those who just want to lie down and relax.
If the domains of Sainte Marguerite seem too small, the cities of Nice and Cannes are just around the corner, with their hotels overflowing with people and restaurants and bars very popular in high summer.
Those who prefer to escape the hustle and bustle or have little patience for the hordes of tourists taking selfies on the Croisette, a ten-minute boat ride from the village, can cross a small slit of sea in front of the Grand Jardin to the neighboring island, Saint Honorat, where monks keep to this day a winery and a restaurant, La Tonnelle, with a spectacular view of the Côte d’Azur. Boats also dock there for the privileged view of the sunset, a kind of Arpoador on the French coast.
In the truly monastic silence, although without any vow of poverty, it is possible to feel that life is beautiful, at least for a few moments when we seem to be so far away from our problems, after all it is an island, and the view of the phosphorescent sea gains the battle against any distraction that may appear on the cell phone.
The real world, we know, insists on manifesting itself when you least want to wake up from a stay in paradise, but Sainte Marguerite and its luxurious peace remain in your memory.
The journalist traveled at the invitation of Le Grand Jardin
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