These stunning homes have front-row seats to some of the most amazing water views, from the Pacific to the Atlantic

The sea has captivated humans for centuries. Water, after all, has long been a muse for poets, painters, and, as these beautiful oceanfront homes prove, architects too. The best designers often strive to honor the water—they’ll ensure incredible views from as many rooms as possible, use natural materials so the home is in conversation with the landscape, or designate plenty of space for outdoor living. Of course, buyers are often just as eager for these properties as architects are to design them—in fact, a waterfront view carries a premium in almost every markets.

While it’s impossible to definitively rank every beachfront home, we’ve surveyed nine that do this exceptionally well. In California, Frank Lloyd Wright’s only coastal home resembles the front of a ship, cutting through the wave with an incredible octagonal living room. And an Art Nouveau mansion in Istanbul on the banks of the Bosporus is so striking that we let the fact that it’s technically bordering a strait slide. Whether sitting on rocky shorelines or tucked away in sandy coves, find nine incredible oceanfront homes below.

The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)
Designed for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers was built in 1895 as a summer “cottage” for the family. Spanning 70 rooms, the mansion sits along the Rhode Island coast in Newport with other Gilded Age residences, which solidified their owner’s social status and wealth. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the home is now open to the public for tours.

The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)
Designed for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers was built in 1895 as a summer “cottage” for the family. Spanning 70 rooms, the mansion sits along the Rhode Island coast in Newport with other Gilded Age residences, which solidified their owner’s social status and wealth. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the home is now open to the public for tours.

The Butterfly House (Carmel by the Sea, California)
The Butterfly House has many things in common with the Clinton Walker House: It’s located on a rocky shore in Carmel by the Sea, it’s a masterclass in modern architecture, and it was also designed by a man named Frank. However, its architect wasn’t Wright, but rather its first owner, Frank Wynkoop. The home is celebrated for its sweeping roof and was featured in AD in 2018. However, according to Wynkoop’s son, Jay, Wright did visit the property once and called the older Wynkoop a “genius.”

Ahmed Afif Pasa Yali (Istanbul, Turkey)
On the banks of the Bosphorus sits Ahmet Afif Pasa Yali (yali refers to beachfront homes, often built directly on the notable straight). Located on the European side of the waterway, the residence was built in the early 1900s for its namesake, Ahmed Afif Pasa, a high-ranking military officer, and his family. Today, the Art Nouveau building is a frequent highlight of Bosphorus boat tours.

Villa Joupa (Turks and Caicos)
Located on Turks and Caicos, Villa Joupa pulls from modernist traditions and offers panoramic views of the sea. The home’s clean lines are dazzling next to the undulating waves while its reserved composition ensures the natural beauty remains front and center.

Salvador Dalí House (Portlligat, Spain)
Salvador Dalí’s home between 1930 and 1982, the white house overlooks the Portlligat Bay, a scene the artist would paint many times. Originally a humble fisherman’s cottage, the residence expanded over the years and eventually took on a labyrinth-like layout, interconnected by narrow corridors. According to the Dalí Foundation, he said the home was “like a real biological structure. Each new pulse in our life had its own new cell, its room.” Today, the property is a museum.

Sandcastle House (Malibu, California)
Made nearly entirely from reclaimed and salvaged materials, Sandcastle House was designed by architect Harry Gesner. “My father believed that older materials had a life to them, a soul,” Zak Gesner, Harry’s son, said in a video for AD. His father promised to build his mother a sandcastle for a home, and hence the unique and stunning residence was born.

Villa Nureyev (St. Bart’s)
Another Caribbean escape, Villa Nureyev is located in St. Bart’s. The four-bed, four-bath home is crafted from timber and stone, a fitting touch given its perch on a rocky coastline.

Miramar (Cabo, Mexico)
Indoor-outdoor living are truly one at Miramar in Cabo. Here, a glass curtain wall can fully retract, connecting a sitting room in the 10,000-square-foot home to the pool, backyard, and beach. Outside, 1,500 feet of patio space further promote connection with nature.