Le Rocher | 5 BR

The house stands on a cliff above Simpson Bay Lagoon, high enough that the view runs the full circle: the lagoon and the green interior mountains to the east, the Caribbean to the west, and on the southern horizon the outer islands — Saba, St Eustatius, St Kitts and Nevis — laid out in sequence on a clear day. It is one of the few houses on St Martin where the sunrise is as much of an event as the sunset.

L’Anse aux Acajoux is among the most private of the gated enclaves within Terres Basses, itself the most private corner of the island. The house is reached by a quiet private road, or by water, through the marina.

Ten thousand square feet of living space, indoors and out, built into the hillside across several levels and recently renovated throughout.

The architecture takes classic West Indian form and treats it seriously: vaulted cathedral ceilings, arched windows and doorways that frame the view rather than merely admitting light, terracotta roof tiles, and limestone and terracotta floors that run from the interior straight out onto the terraces without interruption.

Inside are a sunken living room, a formal lounge, a media room with concrete bookcases, and a formal dining room. The kitchen is a French country room, generously equipped, opening to the view so the trade wind moves through it. Built-in seating is set into the walls throughout, and concrete sconces light the passages after dark.

The bedrooms are reached along a stone path, and three of the suites through a tunnel cut into the rock. Guests tend to remember the tunnel long after the rest.

Five suites, each en-suite, each with its own covered terrace. Because the house steps down the hillside, no bedroom overlooks another; every one has genuine privacy and its own outlook over the lagoon.

The principal suite stands alone at the end of the house — more than seven hundred square feet, with a king four-poster, a private deck facing the water, and a bathroom built around a bath carved from natural rock, with a double vanity and both an indoor and an outdoor shower.

The four further suites run to king, double and twin configurations, which makes the house work as easily for a group of friends as for a family. Each has an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, and a terrace of its own.

Air conditioning, ceiling fans and televisions throughout.

The pool terrace is the centre of the house. A free-form infinity pool sits in expansive limestone, its edges invisible against the lagoon beyond, with natural stone detail, full-grown palms, a waterfall, and a whirlpool set alongside. Sun beds, shaded seating and several dining spots are arranged around it.

A gazebo holds a bar, a grill, a dining table and a lounge, all facing the garden. A second dining terrace sits on the knoll above the house. Higher still, a stone path climbs to an observation deck — the place to be at either end of the day.

Baie Longue and Baie Rouge, the two finest beaches in Terres Basses, are a few minutes down the hill: white sand, calm water, and good snorkelling at either end of Baie Rouge. Marigot, with its colonial waterfront, its market and its restaurants, is a short drive, as is the shopping at Cupecoy just over the Dutch line. Grand Case, the gastronomic capital of the French Antilles, is twenty minutes north.

Our Terres Basses guide to beaches and dining is provided ahead of arrival.

The house can also be taken on a reduced basis for fewer bedrooms.

Staffing, provisioning, chef, boat and transfer arrangements are made ahead of arrival.

Haute Retreats · [email protected]

Rent Villa Le Rocher 3 bedroom use

Rent Villa Le Rocher 2 bedroom use

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