Dolphin water fountains and balustrade walls in Rancho Santa Fe

Come home to “one of Fairbanks Ranch’s finest creations,” boasts the opening in marketing material for the estate at 16715 Camino Sierra Del Sur, a home built in 2000 with nearly 17,500 square feet of living area that includes 10 bedrooms and 14 baths.

Arriving at the property through a wrought-iron-gated drive, guests are dropped at a newly installed porte-cochère outside the main entrance to the “stone clad French Country Estate” as drivers continue on to the parking area with six garage spaces and additional area on the stamped-concrete circular drive.

The main floor of the residence features a master retreat along with two bedroom suites in the north wing. To the south, there are another two bedrooms and the “help’s quarters.” The lower level also provides access to the family and living rooms, each with over 1000 square feet of space, as well as a separate game room, wine cellar, cherry-wood-paneled study with “secret equipment room,” and chef’s kitchen with dual stone-slab islands.

Upstairs, there’s an apartment with its own living area and fully equipped “refreshment bar,” private bath with spa tub, and “spacious viewing balcony.” This floor also houses a gym that’s wired for potential conversion to a home theater and two additional guest suites with access to a second stairway to the main level.

While the actual parcel comprises nearly two-and-a-half “all usable manicured acres,” the current owner has purchased four additional exclusive easement rights that expand the usable backyard.

In addition to expansive green lawns, the outdoor space includes a small orchard of fruit trees and an organic garden, as well as a tennis court.

The pool area is the highlight of the outdoor living area, however, with a resort-quality swimming pool featuring “dolphin water fountains, a bridge, spa and balustrade walls” that’s adjacent to a cabana with a fireplace (one of seven in total to be found on the property) and outdoor kitchen including a pizza oven and “wonderful covered eating and lounge areas” surrounded by “a green backdrop of lush lawns, shrubbery, mature trees and more.”

Examination of the property’s tax records aren’t immediately indicative as to who’s behind the sale — the estate’s owner is listed simply as the Exploron Corporation, with a mailing address in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The home was purchased from original owner and noted technology executive Carmelo Santoro for $9 million in 2006 after spending more than a year on the market.

The home was most recently listed for sale in March 2014 with an asking price of $11,500,000, which remains unchanged to date.