Seafront Villa Directly Above the Atlantic in Ponta do Sol

There are seafront properties. And then there is this — a villa positioned so extraordinarily and completely close to the open Atlantic that the boundary between land and ocean becomes a matter of pure and deliberate architecture rather than ordinary geography. Lugar de Baixo, Ponta do Sol, Madeira: the infinity pool floats above the water, the generous stone terrace meets the volcanic rocks directly below, and the unbroken horizon is the only thing between you and the wide open sea. Villa Aurea. White rendered walls, a traditional Madeiran roofline, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass and a private jacuzzi where the ocean is the only backdrop. A house that truly earns its position. Entirely without apology.