Vacation Rentals by Owner

Two couples at Zoni Retreat

Guest: Kathy, Jim, Julie, and Jon (North Creek, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/06/12 Review Submitted: 04/17/12

My wife and I just returned with another couple from a nine night stay on Culebra at Zoni Retreat. This was our first visit to the Island of Culebra, and we will definitely return!! The house was as advertised, well maintained, clean, and most importantly, a few minutes drive to beautiful Zoni Beach. We visited most all of the beaches on the Island, but found that the convenience and lack of other beachgoers at Zoni could not be beat. During the week, it was unusual to see more than a dozen people on the mile of white sand at Zoni. The Town of Dewey with it's restaurants, gift shops, and grocery stores was a ten minute drive from the house. Rogelio, the caretaker, was very helpful in all ways. During our stay, we ate at Susie's, Barbara Rosa's, Heather's, El Eden, and Mamacita's. All the meals were wonderful, service was great, and the people incredibly friendly. If you visit the Island, don't miss a day sail with Captain Dan Bohn, and a day of snorkeling with Gammy's Water Tours. Both men are very knowledgable about all things "Culebran," and make for a totally enjoyable day; very highly recommended!! Prior to our stay, the owner was very helpful with any questions that we had about the rental and the Island. We would highly recommend this house to anyone looking for a convenient and reasonable rental. We will be back!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Winter break

Guest: Elk (Charleston, WV)
Date of Stay: 02/09/12 Review Submitted: 04/07/12

My sweetheart & I loved Culebra and the laidback pace. Zoni Retreat was an ideal location for a quiet but accessible abode. Would be a bit crowded for 7 adults. Car is a must to enable you to come & go. Snorkeling from the beaches was a pleasant surprise. Would definitely return.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Culebra House

Guest: Adam K.
Date of Stay: 11/11/11 Review Submitted: 11/17/11

This place was awesome! Rogelio was super helpful and available for anything you needed anytime. The property was in great condition and in a beautiful area, very secluded. Having the rental car is a must here as it is a little drive to town, but the car was such a great deal and we got to explore most of the island. The house was clean and very well maintained, comfortable beds and nice cold AC. Couldn't have asked for a better time and we will definitly be back as soon as possible!!! Thanks again guys! Just a word of advice to those going to the island by ferry, buy your tickets in advance as we found out the hard way, the ferry fills up quickly and when its full, its full and you can't get out there even in the off season.

Owner response:It takes two to Tango and you are great guest...so thank you! Ferry tickets go on sale two hours prior to departure. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays it's best to be there early to buy the tickets. Weekdays in the off season probably not necessary but you can always check with our local manager to get the latest info as the situation can be changing.

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Couples Paradise

Guest: Julz (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 04/29/11 Review Submitted: 05/14/11

My husband & I were looking for a secluded home in paradise to recover from the horrible 2011 winter in New Jersey. We found this amazing home located near a perfect beach (zoni), which included a vehicle at an affordable price. Everything worked out perfectly from start to end. The house is less than 5 mins from zoni beach and 7 mins from town. The house includes absolutely everything u need, except every day food (they do have all spices/herbs/toppings). It's well air-conditioned and modern for P.R. We recommend going snorkeling @ tamarindo beach and of course going to flamenco beach. Food is cheap and if you ever need anything Rogelio is very attentive. So if you want to spend time alone & get away from it all, even possibly having a beach to yourself, Tom's rental is definetly the way to go. Can't wait to go back ;D

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Comfort without hassle, Tom's place is great!

Guest: TC (New York)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/27/11

One stop shopping with Tom made our stay on Culebra easy. The minute we stepped off of the ferry we had everything that we needed. We felt at home in the tastefully decorated house, and having the SUV put us minutes away from anywhere we wanted to be. We were fond of Zoni, which felt like our own private beach, as well as Tamarindo, where we snorkeled among the rays and turtles. When the children got tired, we returned to our comfortable home away from home, toasted marshmallows and looked at the stars.

Owner response:Thanks for your thoughtful comments Timothy!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Nice secluded house

Guest: Betsy (Puerto Rico)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/11

the location is great if you are looking for some peace and quiet..you do need car to move around..good bargain to rent Tom his car!!! I do feel it needs a deep cleaning specially the kitchen, windows and bathroom..this doesnt mean its not clean ..it just need some more deep cleaning...Victor and Tom were very nice when our boat service was cancelled..Victor stayed with us until we got in touch with the airline company...

Owner response:Thank you for your feedback!!! We love hearing from our guests and immediately respond to their thoughtful comments. We have now initiated a deep cleaning schedule on a monthly basis instead of quarterly in order to address this legitimate concern.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Relaxing & quiet

Guest: Bethany (Maine)
Date of Stay: 10/30/10 Review Submitted: 05/21/11

We spent a week in the house, it had all we needed and then some. We were given a tour of the island by the caretaker, which was very nice & very helpful pointing out points of interest and the grocery stores, he even gave us recommendations on which restaurant had great food! We also rented Tom's suv, which was at the house and ready to go when we arrived! The house was well taken care of, very clean & tidy,plenty of linens and towels, lawn mowed etc. We spent our leisurely mornings at the house watching the sun come up, then off to various beaches to explore and frolic for the day. The nights were so peaceful, a lovely breeze goes through the house when you open it up in the evening & the stars are absolutely amazing. We loved the location of the house, it was just tucked away enough that you felt like the only person on the island, yet very close to town, so any restaurants or bars you may want to go to, although there aren't many. Honestly for us, this trip was more for mental health, so we just relaxed, but we did see plenty of people snorkeling and met others who went fishing and had a great time. Tom was very friendly when we were in contact...you really couldn't ask for a better arrangement, the island, the owner, the house, A+++

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Honeymoon Paradise!

Guest: A & J (Longview, Texas)
Date of Stay: 05/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/10

My husband & I stayed @ Tom's Casita for 7 days for our honeymoon. this was beyond what we had expected! Victor was such a GREAT host...Nacho wasn't too bad either :-) The experience will last us a lifetime & we plan on coming back every yr for our Anniversary! We have zero complaints & recomend this place to everyone who is traveling to Culebra. Thanks again Tom & Victor...this was amazing!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

Guest: Yamaris Fontanez (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 01/16/10 Review Submitted: 01/16/10

Thanks Tom for letting us stay in your home in July 2009. We loved this rental, it had everything you could need and then some. It was very comfortable for all of us. I stayed three diffrent times in Culebra over the summer in 2009 and honestly this was one of the best places to stay. (I didnt stay here the other two times because it was already booked). Also Victor was very helpful with everything we needed. My family and I cant wait to stay here again this summer. Thanks for providing such a great place for visitors! Yamaris Fontanez and Family

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Guest: PR167 (Main Land, Puerto Rico)
Date of Stay: 08/04/09 Review Submitted: 08/04/09

Thank you so much Tom. Our stay was better than expected. Your place has a very nice beach house setting and our family was very comfortable. The beaches were beautiful and having the SUV available was a definite PLUS. Thank Victor for being so nice to us. He was a great guide during our stay. We are looking forward to booking again soon. Thanks Again. Luis

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Better than expected!!! Very Nice Beach House.

Guest: PR167 (Main Land, Puerto Rico)
Date of Stay: 07/27/09 Review Submitted: 08/04/09

Thank you so much Tom. Our stay was better than expected. Your place has a very nice beach house setting and our family was very comfortable. The beaches were beautiful and having the SUV available was a definite PLUS. Thank you Victor for being so nice to us. You were a great guide during our stay. We look forward in booking again soon. Thanks Again. Luis

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

would rent this house again

Guest: JenainHouston (houston, texas)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 07/01/09

The house was big and the home owner and caretaker were great help and very quick to respond to any problems. The house was equipped with everything we needed. We didn't have cell phone service at the home but we did have it in Dewey.

Owner response:We do have a phone at the house, but one needs to bring a calling card in order to call out long distance.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Short trip, wish it was longer

Guest: EricM (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 06/20/09 Review Submitted: 07/05/09

The trip we had to Culebra was too short in my opinion, it was great! We only stayed at the home for two nights, and it went by too fast. There were problems with the water pump, but it didn't deter any of the fun we had on our trip. I highly recommend renting the jeep while there, it is needed to get around town. Ask where to get breakfast, and make sure to get the jamon/queso/huevo sandwiches on the pan de aqua. Flamenco Beach is worth seeing, but honestly, the best beach is Zoni, which is a short drive from the house. When we went on Sunday, there was only one other group on the beach, and we could walk far enough away to not even see them.

Owner response:We replaced the old water pump with a new one the following day and offered Eric a partial refund, which he graciously declined. His review is accurate and we agree with all his comments!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

great place

Guest: iljusha (New York, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/26/09 Review Submitted: 04/30/09

We are middle age couple traveling with a 14 year old boy and initially were looking for an accomodation so that we could have a private room for ourselves and also to have a comfortable place for the boy as well. This place did it for us. Firstly, the location is secluded and private ( Victor, who met and drove us back and forth to the ferry and, in general, was extremely helpfull, is the only neighbor in sight). Second, getting Jeep is a must if your time on Culebra is limited and you want to see Flamenco Beach, the town etc. Third, the house is spacious, breezes (we did not need to use A/C) has plenty of ceiling fans which do the job just fine. Internet and DVD is definitely a plus. Overall, would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for comfortable, private and affordable accomodation on Culebra.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Kim Spensley (Pittsford, VT)
Date of Stay: 04/26/09 Review Submitted: 04/26/09

We loved the simplicity of the house...and the breeze that continually cooled the space. We enjoyed the mix of hiking, body surfing and snorkeling... and we enjoyed the mix of people we met. We experienced the island as a welcoming community. Having Victor and Wanda next door was very handy when we had questions. The car was perfect for the local roads. The stars were spectacular from the yard and from the beach. We feel very fortunate to have spent a delightful vacation on Culebra! We wish others the same!

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Amazing property

Guest: cabriche (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 01/02/09 Review Submitted: 01/21/09

Stayed at this property from 2Jan2009 to 4Jan2009. The house is clean and well maintained. Instructions are available around the house to operate and enjoy the house amenities. Our group included a toddler and he had a great time. We were even able to watch the NFL playoffs after dinner. We took a taxi to the property and later rented a car to drive into town (it is a long walk to town so rent a car). The property is surrounded by nature with a bunch of trails, we even saw a deer. Zoni beach is a few turns down the road and the area is really peaceful. Able to contact house management for assistance before, during and after stay. Highly recommend this property. Looking forward to return soon.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/01/08 Review Submitted: 12/22/08

Hello Tom- Thank you for the use of the house on Culebra. Wow! Our family loved it! The first thing I noticed when we arrived (after dark) was the patio. It was nice to have a place to set our bags down while we unlocked the house. Eventually we lay out and looked at the stars! The house was very clean and our beds comfortable. The tv was a nice addition for an occassional movie. We loved the open air feel with the windows open. There is a simplicity to the house that makes it very livable- very functional with everything we needed. It was very quiet and peaceful while we were there and we enjoyed being away from town and to ourselves. We found the locals to be friendly but not overly concerned with us. We were very pleased with the environmental awareness among many people we met, the preservation of the island for it's ecological and cultural qualities and the gorgeuos natural surroundings. As we were there to dive and snorkel, we spent much of our time on the water and at the beach and it couldn't have been better spent. We certainly hope to return, and recommend this to folks who would enjoy an opportunity to get away from the more commercial side of travel and to live like a local!

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