Mediterranean Focus 2015


Magic in the Mediterranean: peaceful Sóller on Mallorca makes for an excellent year-round retreat. And if you develop a passion for its oranges, you can have them delivered to the UK


I Cala Fornells, Mallorca (Massimo Ripani/SIME/4Corners)


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T’S 200 years since Napoleon escaped from exile on the Italian island of Elba and marched back to France and, ultimately, the Battle of Waterloo. Now the island, which lies off the coast of Tuscany, is something of a summer hideaway for those willing to travel that bit further (there are no direct flights from the UK and it’s a one-hour


ferry ride from the mainland). Yes, it’s a cheaper alternative to buying on the Riviera or the Costa Smeralda, say Knight Frank, but don’t expect a complete bargain—an (albeit rather charming) one-bedroom seaside villa will still set you back a cool €2.6 million. Regardless of whether you’re looking at classic hotspots such as Saint-Tropez or Pollensa


in Mallorca, the happy marriage of both a strong pound and realistic pricing have created favourable buying conditions in the Mediterranean for the British and agents everywhere are anticipating a healthy summer of sales ahead. Up in the mountain villages of Mallorca, there are some fantastic houses for sale that


are full of old island charm on the outside, but which, on the inside, come fully equipped with all the comforts and gadgets needed for a holiday in the 21st century. This high qual- ity is finding favour with exacting buyers: the team that runs the Engel & Völkers offices on Mallorca has already posted its best first quarter of sales in more than a decade. Meanwhile, the tiny parcel of land occupied by the principality of Monaco has had


a record-breaking year since we last visited in the summer of 2014; more and more of the world’s richest people are choosing to make this gem on the Riviera their home. Banking- secrecy changes in Switzerland have played their part in forcing people to consider the move, according to Savills. Finally, we go beyond the littoral of the Mediterranean and venture further south to


examine the new buzz that’s surrounding Marrakech. After several quiet years, a number of mothballed five-star resorts are being resurrected and, if last month’s British Polo Day four-day celebration is anything to go by, this most permissive of countries in the Maghreb is firmly back on the glitterati’s map.


Country Life International, Summer 2015 25


Reinhard Schmid/4Corners


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