Together
VRBO is part of the HomeAway family, the world leader in vacation rentals with over 1 million listings. We offer the largest selection of properties for any travel occasion and every budget. We’re committed to helping families and friends find a perfect vacation rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together.
Stargazer Villa - Stunning 280 Degree Views! With boat & car, Great Camanoe
| Sleeps | 6 |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Half Baths | 1 |
| Property type | villa |
| Minimum Stay | 7 nights |
Overview
Villa, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, (Sleeps 6)
Stargazer Villa is near the top of the tallest hill on Great Camanoe. It was originally built in 1967 by world renowned astronomer Dr. Fred Whipple and his wife, Babette. The site was chosen both for its unobstructed view of the heavens, and for the heavenly beauty of the islands surrounding it. Stargazer, formerly known as 'The Porthole', is consistently cooled by fresh trade winds from the East, so that air conditioning is not required. It overlooks Marina Cay, with a sweeping 280 degree panorama from Virgin Gorda all the way round to Beef Island and Tortola.
Gt. Camanoe is a private, completely residential island that has no shops, restaurants or business, just lots of peace and tranquility. After many years of serving as a site for sugar, cotton, and indigo plantations in the 1800's, the island had been uninhabited until about forty five years ago when two small communities of residential, mostly vacation, homes were begun. Some interesting ruins and gravesites still remain from the past.
To start your rental, you will be picked up at Trellis Bay by our local manager, Andy Gordon, who will take you over to Great Camanoe & drive you up to the house. There either he, or our housekeeper, Maline, will show you around the house & answer your questions. You will also have the use of our 4-wheel drive, 4-door Chevy Tracker to get back & forth from the dock to the house, which is about a 10 minute drive. As noted below, the use of our outboard 17' Boston Whale, which you will need to get to and from Great Camanoe, is also provided in the rental fee.
The jetty sits a mere 1 mile away from Trellis Bay and the Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, easily reached by the 17 ft Boston Whaler with the 70HP outboard motor that belongs to the house. (Boating skills essential.) Stargazer is located in Privateer's Bay, the eastern settlement on the island, which boasts a community building with a library and bathroom near the jetty and community beach. There are several miles of sometimes steep roads and paths that connect you to other houses, beaches, great snorkeling reefs, and the Nature Preserve. Stargazer sits on 4+ acres and is the perfect place for those who crave adventure, seclusion, and luxury.
The 3-bed, 3-bath residence is comprised of 4 structures and has recently undergone a major renovation, including imported teak furniture from Bali, modern appliances, and completely new kitchen and bathrooms. Featuring an open Caribbean Colonial style, stone paths abound and private wooden decks extend from each bedroom and living area. Wonderful indoor/outdoor living spaces with Mexican tiled floors have been created that form the heart of this secluded retreat. The redesigned kitchen opens onto two covered, but open-air and spacious dining areas - one facing east and the other facing west. Loblolly trees and mature vegetation provide shade and resting spots for songbirds and the occasional kestril, while large boulders and orchids bring tranquil beauty to the footpaths.
Keywords: Villa
Why D. Sandra Whipple chose British Virgin Islands BVI
When we inherited Stargazer and decided to completely renovate the house in 2008 we fell in love with it for the second time.
What makes this villa unique
We love this spot because we enjoy a relaxed warm-weather rest in a gorgeous hilltop paradise with easy access to beautiful swimming beaches, fantastic snorkeling reefs, most forms of water recreation, and a lively restaurant and shop scene.
Amenities
Other Islands Villa Accommodation and Amenities
- villa
- Guests provide their own meals
- Max. occupancy: 6
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters ...
- children welcome ...
- pets not allowed
- smoking allowed
- Ocean View ...
- Adventure
- Away From It All
- Family
- Romantic
- Sports & Activities
- Air Conditioning ...
- Clothes Dryer ...
- Garage
- Hair Dryer
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided ...
- Living Room ...
- Mobile Phone ...
- Parking ...
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer ...
- Telephone ...
- Towels Provided ...
- Washing Machine ...
- Wireless Internet ...
- Coffee Maker ...
- Cooking Utensils
- Dishes & Utensils ...
- Dishwasher
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave
- Oven ...
- Pantry Items ...
- Refrigerator
- Stove ...
- Toaster ...
- Dining ...
- Dining Area
- seating for 8 people
- 2 Bathrooms,
- 1 Half Bath
-
Bathroom 1 -
toilet
,
shower
,
ocean view
Bathroom 2 - toilet , shower
Bathroom 3 - toilet , outdoor shower
- All the bathrooms were remodeled in 2008. There's a hair dryer in every bathroom.
- 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6
-
Bedroom 2 -
1 king
,
2 twin/ single
,
Either 1 king or 2 twins, w/full bath & oceanview porch
Bedroom 1 - 1 king , w/ensuite full bath w/shower & oceanview covered porch
Bedroom 3 - 1 queen , w/ensuite full bath, outdoor shower & oceanview porch
- 1 King size four-poster bed in the Master suite, with en suite full bathroom with shower, as well as a private covered lanai. The twin beds in the 2nd bedroom can be made into another king bed. This room also has an ensuite full bathroom and a private covered lanai. The 3rd bedroom has a queen bed with ensuite full bathroom (outdoor shower) and a private wood deck.
- Books ...
- CD Player
- DVD Player ...
- Games ...
- Stereo ...
- Television ...
- Video Library ...
- Boat ...
- Deck / Patio ...
- Lanai / Gazebo ...
- Lawn / Garden ...
- Outdoor Grill ...
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- wheelchair inaccessible
- Car Available
- botanical garden
- festivals
- health/beauty spa
- marina
- restaurants
- ruins
- beachcombing
- bird watching
- boating
- paddle boating
- photography
- scenic drives
- shelling
- shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
- wildlife viewing
- ATM/bank
- groceries
- hospital
- medical services
- deepsea fishing
- fishing
- hiking
- sailing
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- snorkeling
- snorkeling/diving
- sound/bay fishing
- surfing
- swimming
- tennis
- water skiing
- wind-surfing
Reviews
Wonderful!
4.8/5 -
(11 traveler reviews)
Great Views!
We were able to book Stargazer last minute and enjoyed our time there. The home has incredible views, especially when the full moon was rising. The home itself is well kept and maintained. The main downside was that we were unable to get the myfi router to function so we were without the internet during our stay. This proved only to be a minor distraction as the majority of our time was spent enjoying the water and reefs around the British Virgin Islands.
Best Caribbean Vacation Ever!
We love the beautiful Stargazer! The villa is lovely! You feel like you are viewing the British Virgin Islands from heaven. The sun rises, sunsets, rainbows, stars and moon still fill my mind with happiness and joy! The Stargazer offers the very best view in the BVI’s!! Daily adventures or complete relaxation…we enjoyed 10 days of paradise!
This was our second amazing visit to Stargazer and I cannot wait to start planning our next one.
The snorkeling around Great Camano is incredible. I was feeding a pair of full grown file fish! They are supposed to be very shy. I was able to swim very close to them as they were feeding on the natural plants that were floating in Diamond Reef. They continued enjoying their meal right out of my hand! Amazing memory and experience! We boated every day to a new beach or reef and relaxed every night taking in the gorgeous starlit sky!
Stargazer is our favorite Caribbean destination!
Absolute Paradise!
We dream about our times at Stargazer all the time! We had visited three consecutive years, but it had been 15 years since our last stay... Now, with both children at ages where we knew they'd love it as much as we do, we returned to find this perfect getaway better than our memories served us! The home is spacious, clean and recent upgrades are obvious - bathrooms are beautiful - each room has its own private deck, and the views from every part of the home are a dream. The kitchen has everything (and more!) than you'd ever need. The whole visit is an adventure and we love every minute of it - whether it is snorkeling or diving from the boat or bone fishing on the flats or driving up the jungle road to the house, watching the sunset and stars from the top of the island (where the house so ideally sits)...
If you like a little bit of adventure and want to do something a little different, this is the place for you! You can get away from it all at Stargazer... while having the comforts of home! A great asset of the location is the proximity of the (relatively) new development on Scrub Island. The Marriott-run resort has lots of amenities that we used - Dive BVI is an amazing dive shop. Since we dove on our own most of the time, they filled tanks for us twice a day and took us on some wonderful dives (that were a little too far for us to take the boat to!)... we used the market almost daily to pick up supplies, deli meats, and basic things, and we ate at the restaurant a few times (which was very good). 15 years ago, Scrub wasn't developed. Now, you've got Marina Cay and Scrub for resources.
We couldn't recommend this property more - we adore it and can't wait to return next year!
Christmas/New Year's Heaven
We would have stayed forever! Two couples went down to enjoy a relaxing and sun-filled vacation, and we were not disappointed! Stargazer's views are well-worth the short car ride up the hill (which was intimidating the first time up and down because it was steep, but easy after that). We explored every last inch of the property and you can truly sit anywhere and be wowed by the view. Everything was clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Kitchen was well-stocked with cookware and basic spices, BBQ was ready to go, plenty of towels for the beach, good sized cooler to bring on the boat. Andy and Maline, the two local people who maintain the house, could not have been more helpful or welcoming! Andy was even kind enough to wait to ferry us over from Tortola in a rainstorm at night, and Maline impressively tracked down a missing bag from the airport in tip-top condition! Trust me, we tipped them well for all the extra hassle we caused! The boat was perfect for trips around the island, to Scrub Island (we got a day-pass there to use the pool which was fun), to Marina Cay, and to Tortola. We ventured to Cooper Island which was a bit far, but we think that was because it was somewhat rough that day. On a clear day, it'd be a breeze. The house had books, DVDs and maps to borrow which we took full advantage of. One of the best parts, with all the incredible breezes, no bugs! Overall, the Stargazer was the perfect vacation heaven for us! Seriously, when can we return?!
Rustic Beauty
Our family of six stayed at this home built by noted astronomer George Whipple for 10 days and had a wonderful vacation. You arrive at trellis bay where the property manager takes you by boat to GC. The house is at the top of the island and is reached by a rustic road containing hairpin, steep turns. The reward for the 7-minute climb is the privacy and the amazing views. The compound is, in realtor-speak, simple indoor-outdoor living at its best. Each bedroom has a newly renovated bath and opens out onto a private deck and the beds and bedding are great. One bedroom is set apart by 75 feet or so; we put our 9 and 11 yo sons in there and they loved it. The remaining two bedrooms are connected by a covered patio/dining area. We watched many planes land and take off at beef island airport during cocktail hour on the patio. The kids loved finding hermit crabs of all sizes as they crossed the patio; they also found a few snakes in the yard. The kitchen is simple and functional and we made dinner every night. The house uses cistern water and the owners ask that you use it conservatively. There is a laundry area with washer/dryer. The boston whaler was in decent shape and gave us no problems. We used it to explore the area: scrub island (they give you a discount if you say you're staying on GC--which is good because the resort fee that lets you use the pool is, like, $100pp or something. We had a nice lunch), cooper island (excellent restaurant and snorkling/beach), little camanoe (snorkling), and marina key (fun!). In summer the calmer water lets you take the boat farther; we didn't feel comfortable doing so in December. We spent a lot of time at trellis bay, ten minutes away. The restaurants/bars here are great, you can get a taxi to anywhere on tortola (we went to the main grocery, as the trellis bay market was pretty grim), and ferries leave from here to take you to the baths and leverick bay/bitter end yacht club. The only part of the trip that we didn't love was driving up and down the road each day. It was a bit white-knuckle for us but I will say that the geo tracker that comes with the house is an excellent vehicle for it. We just made sure to be home before dark. Others might not find the road a big deal. There is a nice beach near the boat dock and a lending library with old paperbacks in it. The development is very low-key and not fancy, which we loved. The house could use more books/dvds, a soft-sided cooler for picnics, and a hammock/outdoor couch.
Great House at a Remote Location!!!
Just returned from a five night, six day stay at Stargazer! What a wonderful property! From the boat ride over to the car ride up the hill you immediately feel a sense of isolation and we found it was the refresh we needed. The house layout is the perfect incorporation of inside/outside. The views from EVERY porch literally make your jaw drop. We loved spending the evenings watching the sunset having cocktails on the main porch facing Trellis Bay!
We opted to order food from the local grocery store and had supplies delivered to Trellis Bay at the same time we met Andy. We ate most of our meals at the house and found the kitchen to be fully equipped and supported our preparation needs! We had one meal at Scrub Island and the food was DELICIOUS, highly recommend going over for at least one meal (new chef).
The small boat worked well but the first two days the swells were high which meant we had to stick close to Great Camanoe (Monkey Point, Cam Bay, and Marina Cay). We did take the ferry from Trellis Bay to North Sound for one full day and it proved to be a great option for high swell days. The last full day the seas were flat and the boat made it over to Cooper Island which was a beautiful option for lunch and snorkeling. (One comment on the boat, the motor (and boat itself) are older and despite doing the correct ratio of oil to gas the engine was skipping a bit during all of our adventures so get used to the boat before you venture out too far!)
We have literally never experienced such beautiful views (one of the best might be from the master bedroom shower)! Now... back to reality.
Map
Scuba diving & scuba instruction as well as snorkeling trips available with Dive BVI at nearby Scrub Island Resort. Endless opportunities for exploring inhabited and uninhabited islands, beach-combing, and swimming at beaches off the beaten path.
Photos
Rates & Availability
Other Islands Villa Rental Rates
- Rental Basis:
- per property
- Owner accepts payment in:
- USD
| Rate Period | Nightly | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly | Event | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Economy Season 2017
May 1 2017 -
Nov 30 2017
7 night minimum stay
|
$450
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Notes: Rates are based on 5 guests; add $20 per night, per additional guest | |||||||||
|
Winter Season 2017-18
Dec 1 2017 -
Apr 30 2018
7 night minimum stay
|
$498
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Notes: Rates are based on 4 guests; add $20 per night, per additional guest | |||||||||
|
Economy Season 2018
May 1 2018 -
Nov 30 2018
7 night minimum stay
|
$450
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Notes: Rates are based on 5 guests; add $25 per night, per additional guest | |||||||||
Additional information about rental rates
| Property Damage Protection | $99 |
| Refundable damage deposit | $1,000 |
Rates apply to 2 guests. Add $29 for each additional guest/day. Children under 2 yrs. old are free.
All rental rates include use of the owner's 17 ft. Boston Whaler with 70HP outboard motor & the 4-door Chevy Tracker. The BVI Hotel taxes of 7% are included in the rental fee.
Owner's Cancellation Policy
- 50% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date.
- 100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.
- Available
- Unavailable
You might like these similar properties
You might like these similar properties
Request to Book