By MELISSA MINTON for Architectural Digest.
William Waldron
1. Palm trees, sparkling waters, and sandy beaches are just some of the perks of living in a tropical location in Central or South America.
Mark Anthony's Dominican Republic villa, capable of sleeping 24, was renovated with architecture firm DM Dominicana. The property encompasses a 10,000-square-foot main residence, a variety of pavilions, guest bungalows, and cabanas, two swimming pools, and a spectacular array of outdoor entertainment and lounging areas, including a man-made beach--all linked by meandering, densely landscaped pathways. Around the sand-bottom pool are palapa-style guest villas constructed of American pine and topped with cane roofs supported by concrete columns. Click through to see more tropical retreats from Mexico, Bali, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
Michael Calderwood
2. This property in Acapulco, Mexico, enjoys more than 5,000 feet of ocean frontage. "You feel like the Pacific is yours," says architect and homeowner Marco Aldaco.
Michael Calderwood
3. In the same home, Aldaco planted a cluster of palm trees in front of the bedroom wing. A sculpture by the architect is next to the pool.
Tim Street-Porter
4. In Ubud, on Bali, architect Made Wijaya conceived a 12,000-square-foot compound. The guest/entertainment pavilion is an architectural hybrid of Balinese and Vietnamese styles.
Oberto Gili
5. Classicism meets tropical comfort at an oceanfront estate in the Dominican Republic designed by Genevieve Faure.
Miguel Flores-Vianna
6. Architect Clemens Bruns Schaub designed this house in Windsor, Florida; John Stefanidis handled the decor.
Ken Hayden
7. In Tallahassee, architect Bradley C. Touchstone equipped Motocross champion Ricky Carmichael's 9,635-square-foot "Florida Mediterranean" home on Lake Hall in with copper rain chains and 19th-century Thai rain jars for water catchment.
Pieter Estersohn
8. The Boca Grande, Florida, residence of decorator Nancy Morton and her husband, Bill, was designed in 1940 by architect F. Burrall Hoffman Jr.
Ngoc Minh Ngo
9. Architect Isay Weinfeld designed this contemporary-style home for an art-loving family in São Paulo. The swimming pool features a chemical-free filtration system, utilizing a separate regeneration area filled with aquatic plants and fish for water purification.
10. Architect Thomas M. Kirchhoff designed the pavilion at the Palm Beach, Florida, residence; the gardens are by Nievera Williams Design.
William Waldron
11. This Florida home was designed by Manuel J. Diaz Architect and decorated by Furze Bard + Assoc. On a terrace, a Perennials fabric cushions the Michael Taylor Designs sofas and Brown Jordan club chairs.
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