Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa August/September 2019 | Page 63

CELEBRITY HOUSES
A Mediterranean dream
Michael Douglas: mansion in Majorca
BY TOP TEN REAL ESTATE NEWS
A
cademy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas began
his real estate side line career at the age of 21 and is no
stranger to real estate investment and development.
Working on his father’s films in 1966 and earning his first
ever salary, Douglas bought 70 acres of raw land in Vermont
and still owns it today. Unlike many other celebrity house
flippers, Douglas holds on to his properties for decades.
Now at the age of 74, Douglas and Academy Award-winning
wife Catherine Zeta-Jones have been spending their time
between their homes in New York and Bermuda. The cou-
ple rarely has the opportunity
to visit their Mediterranean
estate, S’Estaca, located on
the Spanish island of Majorca.
Douglas has owned this prop-
erty for 30 years and is now
listed on the market at USD
32.7-million.
Majorca has been the place
to be seen for celebrities from
the arts to the politics since
1838 when Chopin spent
his winters on the island. In
Hollywood’s heyday, Audrey
Hepburn
and
Elizabeth
Taylor vacationed at Hotel
Formentor, which was also where Grace Kelly and Prince
Rainier spent their honeymoon. Other renowned celebrities
to visit or vacation on the island include Gwyneth Paltrow,
Harrison Ford, Noel Gallagher among an array of others.
Douglas hosted many of his Hollywood friends at S’Estaca
over the years. The rustic yet opulent villa is set up to sleep
20 individuals.
Nestled on almost 200 acres spanning the mountains and
sea, the mansion is completely private and offers a sense of
romantic history in its design. S’Estaca was purchased by
Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Hasburg in 1867 as a secluded
home where he could hide his paramours away from prying
eyes. During this time the Archduke would transport his
paramours to the island via his steam-yacht, the Nixe. The
Archduke had the steps carved out of rock so his one great
love, his cousin Archduchess Mathilde could walk into the
sea and swim.
Douglas purchased the estate in 1990 and upgraded
the
seven
separate
buildings and grounds
by pouring millions into
the property. With a total
of 10 764-square-feet of
living space, the home
offers 10 bedrooms and
bathrooms which have
been modernised to today’s
luxury standards. The home
includes large formal rooms,
a library, gym, multimedia
room and a master suite
with a fireplace, private
terrace and sea views. The
property overlooks the sea
and also contains a swimming pool, ancient olive trees, a
vineyard, multiple terraces and a Moorish pavilion.
A large wine cellar contains casks and bottle storage for
wines that have been produced on the property. With the
estate abutting the port of S’Estaca there is also a private
pier and dock for yachts. The listing agent for this gorgeous
property is Eddy Barrera of Engel Voelkers, Majorca
Westcoast.
SOURCES TopTenRealEstatedeals.com
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019
61