France · Ireland · South Africa
Characterful homes in extraordinary settings, chosen for the views, the place and the feeling of being there.
The idea
A château looking across a river valley. A stone cottage above the sea. A riad overlooking an ancient city. A cabin facing a mountain range. A villa suspended above the Mediterranean. A safari house looking onto the bush.
The property matters enormously — it should have character, quality and a sense of place. But the view is what earns it a place in Rare Views. It is what you wake up to, eat beside and watch change through the day.
Architecture, country, price and landscape all change. The constant is the view, and the relationship between the home and its setting.
And the view belongs to no one. A mountain seen from a grand villa is the same mountain seen from a little cottage further down the road; the sunset doesn’t know the price of the room. The real luxury is outside — the river, the forest, the changing light, the enormous sky — and our job is simply to find beautiful places to sit and look out from.
Beautiful living
Architectural quirks, history and texture rather than polished sameness. Excellent beds, proper kitchens, good bathrooms, heavy linen, terraces built around the outlook — the things that age well and feel right at seven in the morning.
The collection
Two homes above the Dordogne at La Roque-Gageac, a cottage on Carlingford Lough, and a hillside above Inanda Dam in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. More places are being chosen.
La Roque-Gageac, Dordogne · France
An authentic, family-friendly stone house perched above the Dordogne River, with stunning views and total tranquillity — and one of France's most beautiful villages at your feet.
La Roque-Gageac, Dordogne · France
Our beautifully restored 500-year-old hideaway sits over the Dordogne River, with exceptional views of La Roque-Gageac — wonderfully secluded, yet a two-minute stroll from riverside restaurants, cafés and shops.
Carlingford, County Louth · Ireland
A small piece of heaven, with close-up views of Carlingford Lough through most windows — quiet, cosy and tranquil, with high-end, boutique accommodation for four.
Crestholme, Valley of a Thousand Hills · South Africa
A relaxed hillside retreat with an extraordinary outlook over Inanda Dam and the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Simple, welcoming rooms put the landscape centre stage, while the gardens run seamlessly into the neighbouring nature reserve.