Ocean Dreams Beach Cottage

• On a scale of 1 to 10, Ocean Dreams is.....

  On a scale of 1 to 10, Ocean Dreams is.....

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 03/01/13
  • Review Submitted 05/09/13
  ...13! This is a wonderful house and everything on the website is true, but what makes this place so very special is the owner and the people of SW. Tara is so hospitable that we feel we have been friends forever. The evenings we sat by the ocean and chatted with her are amongst our best memories. There is nothing she and her family won't do to make your stay enjoyable. Every few days Tara would wheel into the driveway with a plate of lobster tails or some other delicacy...and, let me say, the cooks on SW are very talented! We were introduced to her friends and we loved meeting the members of her older daughter's senior class. If you want 5-star restaurants, fancy hotels and golf courses Spanish Wells is not for you. If you want to briefly integrate into a community of intelligent, friendly and competent people it is for you. We will be renting the house every March for the forseeable future.

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

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• Vacation of a lifetime

  Vacation of a lifetime

  • Guest Amazing vacation
  • Date of stay 09/05/12
  • Review Submitted 09/15/12
  Wow! What else do I need to say. This was the most amazing vacation we have ever taken. The setting was exactly as described and Tara was most accommodating. Anything we needed she was there for us. We were looking to get away from everything and that is exactly what we did, all week. Everyone on the island made us feel like family. The home was perfect, very clean and well stocked. The views breathtaking. We are planning to make this an annual trip. Thanks Jody, Tara, Kayston, Kerigan and Kalison for making us feel at home and sharing you lovely home with us. See you next year! Randy & Kathy Norris Lake, TN

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• Great Family vacation

  Great Family vacation

  • Guest Paul
  • Date of stay 07/01/12
  • Review Submitted 08/26/12
  My wife and I stayed at Ocean Dreams Cottage for a family vacation the first week of July, for a wonderful and relaxing family vacation. We visited with our twin four year old daughters and my parents. If you arrive via the the airport recommend setting up the transfers for a seamless transition, we were met by a van taken to the ferry landing, Jody and Tarra (owners of the house) met us at the ferry landing in Spanish Wells and got us and all our luggage to the house and settled us in and oriented us to the house beach and town very well. Tarra had prepared a tray of split tail lobster for our first dinner. They were perfect hosts giving you the space you want and prompt attention if you needed any help or information. The house is very comfortable the pictures and previous reviews give you a very accurate description of what to expect. The beach is out of this world (isn’t that why you want to travel there.) The water temperature was in the high 80s F, the reef off shore keeps the water calm. This is a big factor in our selection of a vacation place with two new 4 year old swimmers and proved perfect for them. If we saw five other people on this three mile stretch of beach during the days it was a busy day, you have the beach to yourself. They learned to snorkel, there was a great diversity of fish right at the beach in from t of the house, the girls loved looking at live conches and we even had two wild dolphins swim two yards from us one day. The town was fun to explore (highly recommend getting the golf cart) , people have craft shops they run out of there garages (for example sea shell shops and craft stores.) Everyone was very friendly and helpful. After a day a t the beach and after dinner it was fun to take the golf cart to Papa Scoops for a soft serve ice cream. Beware sizing of slushies and ice cream, the medium is a mongo huge size at all locations. We self catered most of our meals, we brought with us some steaks, chicken, cereal etc. The grocery stores as well stocked but pricess are higher than in the US. Also not the stores are closed on Sunday and milk soon runs out when it arrives at the stores. As we were arriving on a Sunday Jody was happy to pick up a load of groceries for us to it would be at the house for us. We did make a daily trek to the bakery on the island to pick up jonney cakes (yumm). We also swung by the fish processing plant’s store and got some mahi and stone crab claws that made for an excellent dinn

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

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• Wonderfully secluded!

  Wonderfully secluded!

  • Guest Sheila T.
  • Date of stay 04/07/12
  • Review Submitted 04/26/12
  This cottage is an absolute dollhouse! Our family stayed there April 7 – 14th. From the first point of contact in making the reservation up until we departed Jody and Tara made our vacation in the Bahamas a pleasant and stress-free experience. They answered all our e-mails and phone calls promptly, arranged for taxi service, and even called to let us know which church on the island was having Easter Sunrise services. This couple takes great pride in being able to provide comfortable, affordable accommodations in a paradise-like setting. The property description and amenities are accurately advertised on this website. The cottage was very clean, well-equipped and well-maintained. We packed fewer clothes because of the convenience of having a washer and dryer on site. We do not have international cell phone coverage so the long distance service to the U.S. meant relatives back home were a phone call away. Also, the Wi-Fi connection allowed us quick, easy access to the internet on our laptop computer. The bicycles and golf cart enabled us to explore the community, shops and nearby Russell Island. The surrounding property is landscaped with a variety of lush, native tropical plants and following the pathway in the backyard through the woods is well worth the short walk. If you kayak over to Pierre Rock you will not be disappointed. The water is teaming with a variety of marine life which we photographed on our underwater camera. Be careful though as the terrain on Pierre Rock is quite rocky and will challenge the most surefooted. If you are looking for a secluded beachfront cottage this property is for you. The shallow pristine waters here are especially great for young children making it an ideal destination for families. Even those who don’t care for the sand or beach can still take in the beautiful views without ever leaving the deck. Travelers seeking the glitz of fancy resorts and night life will be very disappointed here. Spanish Wells is a charming and quaint community where the locals lead a very quiet and simple lifestyle. We are grateful Jody and Tara are willing to share their adorable cottage with the million dollar views and we can’t wait to return to St. George’s Cay and Spanish Wells for another family vacation.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• Perfection!

  Perfection!

  • Guest Jacques L.
  • Date of stay 03/17/12
  • Review Submitted 03/27/12
  Absolutely the very best holiday ever! We took our children(aged 2 and 3 years) to Spanish Wells last week and could not have imagined a more perfect setting. Oceans Dream is the best located home on the island. We spent lazy days on what felt like our own private beach, swimming in the shallow, calm, magnificent blue ocean. We used the Kayaks provided free of charge by the hosts to explore the nearby beaches and Tara even brought over snorkel equipment when we asked for it. We discovered all of Spanish Wells and Russel island(attached to Spanish Wells by bridge) with the golf cart provided for a well worth $250. Evenings we BBQ'ed lobster and fish that we bought from the harbour seafood shop while watching the sunset from our deck. The local grocery store has more than enough variety to supply whatever you may need. There are a few restaurants/snack bars on the island, but after trying it once we realized that nothing comes close to BBQ'ing fresh seafood oceanfront. There aren't any bars so purchase any alcoholic beverages at the dock on Eleuthera before taking the water taxi to Spanish Wells. They had our favourite wine there, South African KWV. Tara met us at Spanish Wells harbour when we arrived, escorted us to the cottage where lobster supper was already cooked(bliss after 3 flights and a water taxi all with 2 toddlers). She did the same when we had to leave which helped tremendously as the 4 of us and our luggage would not have fit on one golf cart. We always felt safe knowing that whatever we needed, Tara was a phone call away. The weather was around 27degrees with a constant breeze day and night(March). The only thing we will do differently when we go back(and we will go back) is to take the ferry(bahamasferries.com) directly from Nassau to Spanish Wells. I would not recommend the Southern Air charter we took from Nassau to Eleathera to a nervous flyer. If you're adventurous that way then go ahead as it is beautiful! Thank you Tara and Jody for a perfect week, we certainly have recommended Oceans Dream to all our friends and hope that via this review we'll encourage other families to experience your paradise.

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• Perfect Island Vacation

  Perfect Island Vacation

  • Guest Sunflower
  • Date of stay 04/24/11
  • Review Submitted 01/16/12
  We are so tardy in writing to thank our wonderful hosts Jody and Tara for an absolutely perfect vacation. My husband and I rented this charming beachfront home in May to celebrate our anniversary. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed to this special house. Jody and Tara picked us up at the dock and there was a delicious lobster salad waiting for two hungry travelers. The house is immaculate and positioned on a very secluded stretch of beach- we felt like we had a private waterfront beach all to ourselves. We rented a boat from Jody and he was kind enough to take us out the first day and show us the waters. After that, we fished every day and caught tons of fish for lunch and dinner. We rented a golf cart to get around the island, but really preferred going by boat whenever possible. Make sure to visit the local supermarket and look for the shelf with local sweet potato bread and other delights made by local residents. Also mangos from local trees. We slept like babies with the upstairs door open so we could hear the ocean and take advantage of the breeze. My husband is still talking about this trip as "The best ever". So relaxing, the locals are wonderful and friendly and it feels very safe. Not your tourist oriented trip. Would return in a heartbeat!! Thank you, thank you Tara and Jody for your exceptional hospitality.

  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: 2/3

• Perfect home away from home

  Perfect home away from home

  • Guest Erin, Rachel, Dot and Barbara
  • Date of stay 06/19/11
  • Review Submitted 07/07/11
  We traveled with 4 women and 2 children and this house was PERFECT! The kids loved the bunk beds and everyone else was very comfortable. One bedroom was on the main floor which was perfect for Grandma. The house was clean and well stocked. The grocery was a short drive away. The water off the beach was shallow and very calm. We enjoyed the kayak, but did not attempt the wind sail. Jodi and Tara gave us a warm welcome and we really loved the island. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I have recommended this home to all my co-workers. We can't wait to visit again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

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

• Paradise Found

  Paradise Found

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 03/25/11
  • Review Submitted 04/05/11
  My family of 4 just returned from 5 nights at this most incredible location. Jody and Tara are wonderful hosts that make you feel like family right from the start. Spanish Wells is an island gem and Oceans Dream beach house is the getaway of getaways. The house is RIGHT ON THE BEACH an endless white-pink sand beach surrounded by crystal blue waters. Naps while being warmed by the sun and cooled with ocean breezes, lazy walks, sea kayaking, indulgent dinners of seafood and easy swims were our daily agenda. We had fires on the beach at night and just relaxed constantly. Ocean Dreams is a beautiful, clean, tastefully appointed home with all the comforts a person needs to just kick back and completely de-stress in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Spanish Wells has only a few shops, resteraunts and no bars..this is a place to go and be one with nature and relax, there is a fine supermarket and fresh fish store at the marina. We got around the island by golf cart, we spoke to many very friendly locals and we cooked for ourselves and only bought take out once but we ate the best seafood every night that we prepared at "home". Jody and Tara have a kitchen that is well equipped for home cooking..ask Jody about getting some stone crab claws!! I can't wait to go back someday. It is a a very special place and I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to just turn the rest of the world off for awhile.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Better than a dream!

  Better than a dream!

  • Guest Brynjulf
  • Date of stay 03/01/11
  • Review Submitted 04/01/11
  Hello dear Tara and Jody and thank you for the best vacation of our lives! Your house is absolutely a dream, and we all decided we want to come back as soon as possible! We loved everything about our stay in Spanish Wells, and I can truly tell it is the most fantastic place I ever have visited, and I actually have travelled extensively and seen very many places on the earth! Warm greetings from cold Norway, Brynjulf Barexstein + family

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• Perfect Getaway

  Perfect Getaway

  • Guest Todd & Julie
  • Date of stay 11/20/10
  • Review Submitted 12/12/10
  My husband, brother and I stayed for 7 days in November and had the most relaxing vacation. Jody and Tara are excellent hosts and made sure we had everything we needed. We were welcomed at the dock and taken to the cutest house on the island! Tara welcomed us with cinamon muffins and wonderful lobster. We spent our days walking the beach and shell collecting, fishing and riding around the island. Although we rented a boat, we only used it a few days because it was so windy and we weren't quite sure on tides. Not much to do here except relax The house has everything you need and is very clean. I would recommend this warm, beautiful cottage for families our couples. Thanks Tara and Jody!

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

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

$325/night .. $1800/week .. $5800/month .. High Season Dec 15- Aug 31
$250/night .. $1500/week .. $4500/month .. Off Season Sept 1- Dec 14
Special holidays (Christmas/Easter/etc.) subject to higher pricing

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