A European waterfront home for all seasons

Discover the homes and locations that deliver year-round delight well after the summer’s end

Cathy Hawker

01 October 2025

2 mins read

A European waterfront home for all seasons

The way owners use their holiday homes has changed. Modern technology and the new flexible world of work mean that homes once considered a base for a few weeks in the summer have become somewhere to enjoy across every season. For buyers of European homes, it鈥檚 about year-round appeal today, allowing owners to extend their own stays and also benefit from potential income if they choose to rent. How do you ensure a European waterfront home, highly desirable for the summer lifestyle, delivers in winter as well?

鈥淐hoosing the location with care is paramount,鈥� says Andrew Blandford-Newson from 51乱伦鈥檚 International Residential Team. 鈥淪ome exceptionally beautiful and highly sought-after waterfront destinations 鈥� Sardinia for example 鈥� are relatively seasonal. For a year-round destination, consider local transport links and infrastructure carefully, the proximity to well-served airports, the ease of getting to larger cities by road or rail, and, if you have school age children, the location of international schools.鈥�

Look for a year-round community and sports and leisure facilities that stay open for all 12 months advises Blandford-Newson. Today鈥檚 focus on wellness and the drive for a healthy and active lifestyle means owners have an outdoor focus, even once the summer sun has cooled.

Some properties close to the water鈥檚 edge can be tricky to access, causing issues if you plan a major renovation. 鈥淚 know of one owner who had to helicopter in some of the larger building supplies to his lakefront house because lorries couldn鈥檛 reach it,鈥� says Blandford-Newson. 鈥淐onsider privacy too. Most clients looking for property on Lake Como for example want to be waterfront but that does mean boats can pass directly in front of the house. And ensure you are fully aware of any restrictions that might affect your future plans. Strict rules on building close to the high water mark, commonly found across Europe, might require flood risk assessments or additional permits and restrict your ability to add a swimming pool for example.鈥�

Six European waterfront homes

4 bedroom villa for sale in Blevio, Lake Como, Lombardy

1. Blevio, Lake Como

Blevio is one of the most sought-after areas on Lake Como, a quiet location of elegant villas, directly opposite prestigious Villa d’Este. Its year-round appeal comes from the sun-filled location and its accessibility: Como Town is within 10 minutes and there’s good connectivity to Milan and Switzerland. This four-bedroom villa with its own boathouse is directly on the water with the rare pleasure of privacy, a lakeside garden and swimming pool and road access with any car. Fully renovated and wonderfully private, the villa is for sale at €8,500,000.

4 bedroom apartment for sale in Venice, Veneto

2. Venice

This sophisticated period second-floor apartment in Venice’s Castello sestriere has the dual pleasure of wonderful water views. After arriving at Marco Polo airport, Venice centre is only 30 minutes away. The 16th Century palazzetto has a large courtyard where a wide stone staircase leads to the apartment’s Piano Nobile entrance. With four bedrooms including a master suite, library and gym, this recently restored home is for sale at €2,400,000.

5 bedroom villa for sale in Agios Spyridon, Corfu, Ionian Islands

3. Agios Spyridon, Corfu

There’s direct access to the Ionian Sea from the spacious and landscaped gardens at St. Spiridon Bay View on the prized northeast coast of Corfu, delivering summer vibes across all four seasons. Corfu’s warm climate is a favourite with wealthy Athenians and international homeowners who come year-round to the olive tree-lined slopes of this area of Corfu. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom villa has a swimming pool in its near one acre grounds and is close to local tavernas and sandy beaches. For sale at €3,000,000.

8 bedroom villa for sale in Quinta do Lago, Algarve

4. Quinta do Lago, Algarve

An exceptional turnkey, contemporary, lakefront villa completed to the very highest international standards in the Algarve’s most prestigious sports and leisure resorts provides a year-round home, close to the dramatic red cliffs and pine trees of Portugal’s Atlantic coast. The villa has an exclusive setting in the resort and offers eight bedrooms, a cinema, gym and spa and indoor and outdoor pools, The four season appeal comes from the Algarve’s warm climate and Quinta do Lago’s golf courses and facilities. They include the Campus, a state-of-the-art sports complex regularly used by international rugby and football teams and open to every resort owner, which include padel and tennis courts, high-performance gyms and cycling classes. €22,000,000

3 bedroom villa for sale in Deià, Mallorca, Illes Balears

5. Deià, Mallorca

Strict planning rules have beautifully preserved Deià, a highly sought-after artistic and bohemian village – home to world-renowned La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel - in the Tramuntana Mountains on Mallorca’s northwest coast. A short distance from the village, this charming pale-stone villa in Cala Deià offers both privacy and a waterfront setting in a UNESCO World Heritage setting. The villa, with three bedrooms, a well-sized swimming pool and wide terrace overlooking the cove, is for sale at €3,590,000.

4 bedroom villa for sale in Gassin, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

6. Gassin, South of France

The former quiet fisherman’s village of St Tropez has had worldwide fame since the 1960s, transforming itself into a superyacht-filled byword for glamour and prestige. This villa is one of the rare properties on the peninsula to be truly waterfront with the added exclusivity of its own private beach. All the rooms in the 200 square metre villa, including the four bedrooms, face the sea while the green, natural gardens include an infinity swimming pool and a boat garage by the beach. The villa is for sale at €8,820,000.