Belle Mer Cottage - Best on Tar Bay

• Great Home in Exuma

  Great Home in Exuma

  • Guest Kent
  • Date of stay 04/22/13
  • Review Submitted 05/02/13
  This is a great home for a family. It has top of the line appliances. The view from the porch is unbelievable. Close to Georgetown and the Airport. We will stay here again.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• 6 women, celebrating 30 years of friendship together!

  6 women, celebrating 30 years of friendship together!

  • Guest Vicki
  • Date of stay 11/10/12
  • Review Submitted 11/28/12
  Well, all I can say is that Belle Mer Cottage was a fabulous home, even more beautiful than the pictures on VRBO. We arrived in the evening and were delighted to walk along the sandy beach, steps from the back door. In the morning we awoke to sunshine and the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. Went on a day trip with Four C`s, swimming with the pigs, sharks and saw iguanas and starfish. Swam into the Thunderball grotto where 007 movie was filmed and would recommend that trip to all. The owners of Bell Mer were very accommodating and Cynthia, from housekeeping was also helpful with our questions about places to eat and supplies. All in all, a memorable place to visit and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a private vacation paradise.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Family vacation

  Family vacation

  • Guest loves the caribbean
  • Date of stay 06/16/12
  • Review Submitted 07/14/12
  We were very pleased with our stay here! The views are so majestic, and beautiful!!!!! We had 2 families with a total of 10. The bedrooms worked out great, adults in masters downstairs, girls in master upstairs, and boys in the garage apartment. (plus the bedding was super comfortable) The furnishings were nice, and had more than enough room to move around without being on top of each other. The memories made are priceless~take the adventure tour to the cays if you can get it booked. We had booked a trip with Coastline Adventures and Bob Smith was our captain. Due to the weather conditions other outfits did not choose to go out for the day. Which was to our favor. We were able to see all the sites without a crowd of people or boats. During our trip we were able to stop off at Little Farmers Cay to have the best cracked conch I've ever had. And to top it off we got to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill with their family leaving the island to fly back to the states!!!!! I would definately do this adverture to this island again and again!!!! Thanks to Belle Mer Cottage for helping us make great family memories!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Best House! Best Beach! Loved our stay!

  Best House! Best Beach! Loved our stay!

  • Guest LAM
  • Date of stay 04/10/12
  • Review Submitted 05/29/12
  Oh my. This house is wonderful! Just reviewing the pictures of this great place brings a smile to my face. We were a party of 9 meeting here from Texas, NYC, and from aboard a sailboat cruising the Bahamas. This house will not disappoint! It was roomy for all of us and the beach can't be beat! The kitchen was fabulous, down to all the darling beach themed serving pieces. A fabulous time was had by all! Thanks so much for sharing your sweet property!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Exuma in May

  Exuma in May

  • Guest Chris
  • Date of stay 05/02/12
  • Review Submitted 05/07/12
  We had a fabulous vacation in Exuma this past week and being able to stay at Belle Mer was a joy! We have two children under 5 and when we arrived they were exhausted from the trip. Being able to arrive at Belle Mer allowed the children to enjoy the beach effortlessly, being that it's only steps away from the back door. And the house is a joy for children - between the games, play do, Wii and beach toys. It is really a fabulous house either for a family with children or adults. The kitchen is amazing and begs you to stock the double refrigerator and wine frig with goodies. We loved being able to enjoy breakfasts at the house, packed lunches for the boat/beach days and then we went out in the evenings to enjoy the fabulous bahamian fare. I grew up spending my summers in Georgetown, specifically on Tar Bay. If you ask the locals they'll tell you Tar Bay is THE BEST BEACH on Exuma. Add the best beach and a truly amazing house and it makes for a perfect vacation. You will not be disappointed if you book Belle Mer Cottage!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Excellent Home

  Excellent Home

  • Guest SummerVacation
  • Date of stay 03/09/12
  • Review Submitted 04/26/12
  Our family of five along with my mother and grandmother all stayed for a week in this lovely home. The location is fantastic - just a few miles from the airport and a short drive from Georgetown. The best part was how close we were to the beach and the incredible views that the home afforded us. We did contact the owners about a few very minor things we had questions about upon arrival and they were incredibly responsive and helpful, as was the caretaker there on the island. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. Exuma is a beautiful place and this home and these owners were absolutely wonderful to work with. As a bonus, they had a ton of kid toys for the beach available and lots of beach towels as well. We have very fond memories that we will always cherish.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• All of the luxuries of home on a spectacular beach

  All of the luxuries of home on a spectacular beach

  • Guest Cynthia Z.
  • Date of stay 04/01/12
  • Review Submitted 04/26/12
  This is a great house on a superb child friendly beach with all of the comforts of home, and more!. The kitchen is well stocked with utensils and appliances and the double refridgerators provide all the space we need for drinks and food for our 2 families. We have visited several times to Exuma and this house is so conveniently located to the airport and nearby Georgetown that it makes our vacation really relaxing and easy. We love Exuma!, The people are among the friendliest we have met and we feel safe and comfortable on our visits.The beach is long and provides good walking. The direct Air Canada Flight from Toronto is a bonus, making our vacation even easier. We rented a boat from Minn's and had 2 great days of snorkelling and discovering the Cays around Elizabeth Harbour. There is great snorkelling at Guana Cay and Fowl Cay. If you can believe, it we also encountered 2 wild dolphins and swam with them!. The swam, within 2 feet of our reach, for at least 10 minutes. They were jumping out of the water - like at marineland! The kids were thrilled....and so were the adults! The grocery and liquor stores are well stocked on Exuma, but make sure you visit the day after the supply boat comes in as the selection is best. The restaurants we visited - Pallappa, St. Francis and Chat and Chill always provide good eats. Fresh fish can be ordered if you just ask the locals in town. We are always looking forward to our next visit to Exuma.....it feels like we are arriving "home" when we visit.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Exceeded Expectations and centerally located on the Great Exuma

  Exceeded Expectations and centerally located on the Great Exuma

  • Guest Justin
  • Date of stay 02/25/12
  • Review Submitted 04/25/12
  We had two families for a total of 4 adults and 4 kids between ages 7 and 3. The Belle Mer Cottage was a perfect fit. The house is new and comfortable and the beach is spectacular and clean. It's perfectly located on the island so nothing is too far away. The owners of Belle Mer were extremely helpful for fun activities on or around the island such as flyfishing for bones, boat trips to gorgeous beaches and others. I'd highly recommend this house to anybody looking for a comfortable vacation in Geat Exuma.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Awesome home!

  Awesome home!

  • Guest Robin
  • Date of stay 02/01/12
  • Review Submitted 04/21/12
  I have been on many beach vacations and this is one of my all-time favorites! I have stayed in this home twice and have found it to be well-maintained and a perfect place for a quiet beach vacation. I was worried about hurricane damage and was happy to find the house and beach in excellent shape on our February 2012 visit. Highly recommend a boat trip to the Chat 'n Chill and a day trip to Little Exuma and Santana's. We haven't been lucky enough to see Taylor Swift or Johnny Depp but we hear they hang out there. This is a great place for families or couples. If you try it, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Needs work

  Needs work

  • Guest Gord F.
  • Date of stay 10/29/11
  • Review Submitted 04/05/12
  This was the second time we had stayed at Belle Mer, the first time was when the house was new. This time we found the house in a state of disrepair. There were mice in the house! The first day we were there we found a mouse in a trap that was in a kitchen drawer. The next day we found one in a trap in the closet. When the caretaker was called he was less than concerned and made it sound like no big deal. The bed in the upstairs bedroom was totally wore out. It sagged so bad in the middle it was not possible to sleep in. When we talked to the homeowners after our vacation they sounded surprised to hear about the bad bed and the mice. I kind of found it hard to believe that they would not know about these issues as they reportedly visit the house regularly. The owners offered to give us $500.00 off of our next visit if we were to stay there again. We most assuredly would not!! Overall we found that the house was very poorly maintained for nearly new house, windows did not open properly, windows leaked when it rained, all examples of a property that is going to worse at the years go on. I would not recommend to stay here.

  Owner response: We are very sorry to hear this negative posting in VRBO from a gentleman that stayed in our home six months ago. Hurricane Irene struck our island in September of 2011 (the month prior to this guest’s arrival). The hurricane-force winds measured 130 mph and endured for 24 hours. There was considerable damage to many trees and homes in our neighborhood. Our property manager and his crew spent countless days and hours helping fellow islanders and neighbors repair damaged roofs and scattered out buildings. Because this gentleman was a returning client, we decided to give him a discount and open up our home which had been boarded up with hurricane shutters since Hurricane Irene. While our property manager was on site, the guest notified him of seeing a mouse, so our manager secured pest control services who responded to set traps in multiple locations inside and out. It appears that island ecosystems are uprooted during a hurricane and displaced insects and rodents seek shelter elsewhere. During his stay, our pest control service attended to the problem three times to remove trapped mice as needed. Our pest control service returned to monthly routine and to date, there have been no mice reported in the home. Our property manager had not been notified until checkout there was any concern with the king-size bed in the upper bedroom. Otherwise, it would have been taken care of immediately. Upon his inspection, a few slats under the frame had slid out of place and were easily corrected. One upper window leaked while he was staying at our home during a westerly wind. Two windows in the living room did not open as sand from the hurricane was blown into the tracks of the windows. As soon as we learned of the window issues, we arranged for repairs and they were completed in a timely fashion. It is true, we did not visit our home in September nor October due to hurricane season and because they can be the wettest months of the year. We did, however, have a lovely visit in November. We performed several home and landscaping improvements as we typically endeavor while in residence. We truly enjoy our home in Great Exuma as well as the opportunity to offer the island experience with wonderful clients from VRBO. For the past three years, our home has had over one hundred weeks of clients and return clients with glowing reports. We always appreciate feedback and it serves us in maintaining our Belle Mer Cottage between our visits.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

$500 - $600/night
$3,500 - $4,200/week  ask about monthly rates.
We accept credit cards but will charge the user a 2.5% processing fee that VRBO
charges us.  We do not accept credit cards for the security deposit.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.