Villa Fleur de Mer, Colombier

As you enter Villa Fleur de Mer, the gentle sound of water cascading down beside the walkway signals that it is time to relax. You have arrived at the modern version of true colonial grandeur, richly appointed with fine furniture and art--and with a view like no other, an unforgettable expanse of sea and sky so captivating that you can hardly tear yourself away to look at anything else.To update a traditional style, Villa Fleur de Mer is not isolated from nature but integrated with it. A tyrant bird hops across the terrace in pursuit of an errant butterfly. Red and yellow fish meander among the flowering lilies in the koi pond in the central courtyard.

This is a home equally well adapted to the weary traveler seeking peace and quiet or to the host with visions of elegant dinner parties.Step out onto the terrace and imagine yourself sitting down to breakfast at the table between the pool and the palm grove, the most extraordinary view on the entire island stretched out before you. Across the vast expanse of turquoise water you can make out the islands of Saba and Statia on the horizon. Below you, sailboats out of Gustavia harbor ply the calm sea toward Colombier beach or Tintamarre. Turn and gaze across the courtyard, through the silhouette of a gaiac tree, you have a view to the east as well, a true panorama.

After a pleasant morning spent poolside, you may retreat from the noonday sun into the open living room, still just steps from the refreshing waters of the travertine-tiled infinity pool, one of the largest on the island. Or you can find a shady spot on the master-bedroom terrace, surrounded by a drift of bougainvillea blossoms and just around the corner from the suite's private Jacuzzi.