Thursday 29 September 2011

Overseas property: Jade Jagger's Ibiza villa for sale


Put the names Jagger and Ibiza together and it sounds like a rather wild and unrestful combination.

Not so, according to Jade Jagger, eldest daughter of Sir Mick and owner of a tranquil five-bedroom villa (which she is selling) near the sleepy town of San Joan.

“The north of Ibiza, where I live, is completely different from the south, where that whole dance and club scene is based,” says Jade. “In fact, I first came to the island 10 years ago because I was looking for a place to bring up my children.

“There are a lot of people who come here with their kids. There are good schools, both local and international, such as Morna [the Morna International School].

“My daughters [Amba and Assisi] not only loved living here, but got a broad education, too. Lessons were taught in English, French, German, Catalan and Castillian Spanish. It’s an incredible mix.”

You don’t expect to be talking curriculum with someone better known for her rock-star roots and bohemian image (Jade’s godfather was Andy Warhol). But, like many modern mums, Jagger, 39, manages a busy career (designer of everything from houses, at the upmarket Lakes by Yoo development in the Cotswolds – to jewellery), without taking her eye off the ball when it comes to family life.

“That’s why I’m selling the villa,” she says. “I think it’s time to bring my children back to live in London, to get them a bit more culturally involved.

“If there’s a family who’s thinking about bringing up their kids in a beautiful, warm, safe and friendly environment, then the Can Sebastien [the name of her villa] is a great place.”

There’s certainly plenty of space for even the most energetic offspring. As well as having five en-suite bedrooms plus a variety of courtyards and terraces, the villa comes with 30,000 square metres of land.

It’s listed at £3.05m, par for the course at the top end of the Ibiza villa market, where most buyers are from Britain, Holland and Germany. More workaday family villas go for around £695,000, while one-bedroom flats come with a smaller price tag, of around £108,000, but with matching legroom (60 square metres if you’re lucky, 50 if you’re not).

Space is not a problem at Can Sebastien. “You can tire yourself out just walking around,” says Jade. “And there’s plenty of other places to explore nearby.”

Just down the hill is the pretty little town of San Joan. It has a whitewashed 18th-century church, cobbled streets and shady cafés. Dotted along the coast are lots of “cute coves”, as she puts it.

Of course, just half an hour’s drive away are the lights and discos that have given Ibiza its reputation as a non-stop party paradise. The Jagger villa could easily serve as a place for clubbers to lay their heads between revels.

Though outside the temperature may be in the high thirties Celsius, inside there are plenty of little chill-out spots. “The place was initially built by a French architect, but I’ve added a lot of my own touches over the years,” she says.

“I designed the shape of the pool, for example, so that it matches the natural curve of the terrace.

“I’ve also done lots of planting around the house perimeter: a big olive tree, jacarandas and giant jasmines. When we’re not out around the pool, we spend a lot of time in the upstairs courtyard reading, sitting under a shady tree or beside the Roman well.” Unlike in Britain, al fresco living is possible pretty much all year round in Ibiza.

“There are rainy spells in October and November, and again in February, but in January the almond blossom comes out,” she says.

“The great thing is, you never feel you’re getting into that time, like you do in Britain, when all the trees go bare. Even in winter, the island is lush and green.”

Not that she will be turning her back on all this just yet. As well as the Can Sebastien, Jade also owns a couple of other nearby properties, including the finca (farm) where she has her design workshop.

“I really do love this island,” she says. “My friends all told me there was more to it than people think – and they were right.”

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