Ajaccio holiday villa: Coti-Chiavari

It is a splendid house and setting. In June 2009, the garden was exquisite. There were many large hydrangeas, some with rose, lavender, and blue blossoms on the same bush. Each corner of the house was covered with a different flowering vine. The dining room captures a stunning view of a hillside rock garden of natural boulders and trees with driftwood-like trunks. (They shelter a hammock and conversation area.) The master bath has a large, beautiful view of the path to the back gate. The entire garden around the house can be lit at night. ** The house is set on a hillside, on two levels: the upper has the master suite, living/dining/kitchen and decks; the lower, three ensuite bedrooms facing the sea with direct access to the garden and pool. (Also below is a 4th ensuite bedroom to the back with a small window, and a small bedroom with no bath.) At night, we could lie in bed with the sliding doors open to the fresh air and the view of the necklace of lights across the bay. The house is in a neighborhood of houses but very private with only one contiguous lot, down below. There are electric shutters, awnings, and pool cover. There is an outdoor grill at the pool level and secondary kitchen facilities nearby. Four cars can be parked on site. Everywhere, the views are breathtaking. These photos don’t lie. ** The house is appointed with lovely antiques from Burgundy. It is also fully and thoughtfully equipped with quality bed, bath, and beach linens, and china and cookware. ** Topping it all off is how nice the owners are, wanting to be sure we knew where to shop and get gas and how to operate everything in the house. They were available by phone for any problem. They left a book detailing all the restaurant, shopping, transportation, and sporting options in the area. We needed a doctor for a sprained ankle and the book told us exactly whom to call. In making the business arrangement, they were responsive, clear, and kept it simple. ** Each day, we were torn: whether to stay home or go exploring. At home, we could walk down an oleander-lined route to swim off the rocks in the crystal-clear sea. If we explored, we could seek out old towns in the mountains, the 16th-century Genoese watch towers on each promontory, ancient archeological sites, beautiful hiking trails, and could reach Corte or Bonafacio in 2 to 2.5 hours. On the coast or inland, the views are extraordinary with every turn in the road, and the island is unspoiled by development. Superb!