Get your man-jewelry shined, pop a bottle of the best Champagne, and live like a wild Count in your very own beach-side castle on a hill. (Yep, this house is actually up for sale.)
All the better, your 360-degree views look down upon both the north and south coast of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, where eternal summers meet you with beach, sun, and turquoise water year-round. Okrrr.
Previously owned by the Bulgarian Countessa Nadia Farber and her husband, this Virgin Islands escape rivals that of Al Capone’s Miami mansion, Pablo Escobar’s Mexican dream home, and some of the most isolated and luxurious sea-side houses on the planet.
Ahem, that’s why it costs a pretty $12,800,000.
The island itself is only 22.7 miles long and eight miles at its widest point, while the castle sits at a roomy 10,000 interior square feet (emphasis: interior), with an additional private and secluded hilltop and surrounding rolling hillsides, lending to a total 102-acres comprising the estate. Legend has it that after the castle was built in 1989, the Countessa went about acquiring the surrounding land to create the ultimate utopian palace.
Mission accomplished.
Ask anyone in St. Croix, this castle stands as the island’s most desirable location. (And why wouldn’t you live anywhere else?)
Toss in a personal gatekeeper who lives on-premise in the gatekeeper’s cottage to round out the feeling of being a true royal, and be sure to mention to guests that the Moorish and oriental-influenced architecture inspired by Countessa Farber’s Bulgarian homeland and favorite travel destinations was made to embody an actual Caribbean fairytale castle, which it does to a T. Yes, there is an Aladdin-esque watchtower in which you can look down at the sea … and everyone else.
The estate culminates downhill as the gentle waves meet the palm-lined beach— aka the perfect spot for some private snorkeling. Dive in and explore the sheltered lagoon which sits just opposite Buck Island national park— an uninhabited mini-island about a mile and a half north of the coast of Saint Croix that provides the perfect grounds for excursions. We recommend a day-trip or ten, spent exploring the rich elkhorn coral barrier reef, staying for a picnic lunch (here’s a packing list), and followed up by a hike along the island trails, edged with lush frangipani trees, organ pipe cactus, and bromeliads.
Back home on your estate and adjacent to your beach is the yacht club (if you’re fixing for seafood with views of the water).
In fact, you don’t have to live like a Count to enjoy the castle on the hill, you can also live like a marine biologist … after all this area also once housed the Farleigh Dickinson University’s West Indies Marine Lab.
OK … we’d rather live like Counts. And inside, the castle’s tall ceilings, windowed rooms, and massively over-the-top interior decoration, is suited for thus. Not feeling the island setting? This castle in Ireland is also on the market.
I now pronounce you, Count Cool —that’ll be $12 million, thank you.
