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Black Sand Cove, a house at the beach set in wonderful gardens
| Sleeps | 8 |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Space | 2,000 sq. ft. |
| Property type | house |
| Minimum Stay | 3 - 4 nights |
Overview
2 bedroom oceanfront vacation rental near Charlestown, St. Kitts and Nevis
Our vacation house is set amid delightful gardens in a secluded part of this out-of-the-way island. The West Indies-style house features a new kitchen, a large screened porch facing the sea, a patio with views of the volcano and other hills, and a swimming pool. There are two bedrooms, a sleeping porch, and three baths -- plus a sofa bed in the living room. The two bedrooms have air-conditioning for warm summer nights. Local artwork complements the home's lovely color scheme. Sitting at the convenient, built-in computer desk with WiFi access for your laptop and other devices, you'll enjoy an expansive view of the sea. The high, vaulted ceilings, traditional wooden awnings, and ceiling fans maximize the cooling Atlantic breezes coming over the mountains behind you. A beautiful wooden staircase takes you through gardens and down to a secluded beach with soft black sand.
Amenities include Internet access, a washer/dryer, and a grill on the patio.
The beautiful and innovatively designed gardens were developed by Julie Toll, who has won many awards in England, including 4 Gold and 2 Silver awards at the famous Chelsea Flower Show. Her special interest is the use of native species, and environmentally-sound landscaping. Secluded on our private acreage, you'll hear only the sounds of nature: the wind in the banana trees, the birds, the crickets, and the waves on the shore of the virtually private beach. (While all beaches are public property on Nevis, the only way to get to this beach is down our stairway.) The 360-degree views provide fabulous sunrises and sunsets, and the passing spectacle of the changing clouds all day long. This is a great place to get away from it all, and write, paint, play music, or just relax.
Black Sand Cove has a Facebook page with dozens of photos, including photos and recommendations by guests, guest reviews, and information about what's going on on Nevis. You don't have to be a Facebook user to see it:
just search for blacksandcove on Facebook.
On the sides of Mt. Nevis, the now-quiet volcano, are tropical forests with near-rainforest vegetation. Our comprehensive guest information books give recommendations for our favorite restaurants and activities, with details about where to go and how to get there. With temperatures in the 80's year-round, guest sometimes tell us they regret having to ever leave!
About Linda
Tim and I bought this home to use for vacations, family gatherings, and eventually for retirement. People who have stayed at many rental homes in the Caribbean describe ours as one of the best equipped they've seen. That's because we spend quite a lot of time there ourselves. We designed the kitchen so that more than one person has convenient space to work together, because we like to cook in teams when a large family group gathers. Every room in the light, airy house has delightful views. We planned the swimming pool with broad, shallow steps to make it user-friendly for parents playing in the water with young children. With an additional cottage, close by but entirely separate and not visible from the house, a larger group of 8-12 can be comfortable, so it's a great place for an extended family get-together. If Tim ever felt ready to retire, we would spend more of the winter here ourselves. Maybe later in our lives...
Linda purchased this house in 2002
Why Linda chose St. Kitts & Nevis
Nevis is a small island, popular with those who seek a comparatively undeveloped tropical island to enjoy nature, hiking, swimming, and the wonderful views. Hiking in the rainforest is a popular activity. Knowledgeable guides are available to take adventurous hikers to the top of the volcano. Horseback riding and biking are available, and deep sea-fishing, sailing, scuba, and windsurfing are popular activities. There are art galleries and 2 museums. Information about activities and restaurants is waiting for you in our guest information binder. Black Sand Cove is on Facebook, with lots more photos of the property and of Nevis. Guests have posted their reviews, recommendations, and this own photos. No need to be a Facebook participant to see the Black Sand Cove Facebook page. Just search for blacksandcove on Facebook.
What makes this house unique
One of our guests, who grew up on a different nearby island, declared our garden the most beautiful in the Caribbean. We just use simple plants, largely native species, local plants that thrive in the dry, sunny, seaside location. Native hardwoods like logwood, sandbox tree, and wild almond, and majestic royal palms: these are main features. The main reason for the engaging and delightful appeal is the inspired talent of Julie Toll, a well-known landscape designer based in Britain. And the setting itself is charming: sea in front, mountain behind. There's plenty to do on Nevis, but some of our guests tell us that once they get here, they don't feel motivated to leave very much for other places. They'd rather just hang around and enjoy Black Sand Cove.
Guestbook comments from the owner
Kaitlyn, age 13, wrote in our guestbook: "Black Sand Cove is a wonderful place to stay, from the pool, to the garden to the beach, everything is just so-o-o beautiful. I had a wonderful time, and I do not want to leave at all. My best memories are when my family and me spent time in the pool together and when we met the funniest, cutest and nicest taxi driver named TC. She is VERY fun. When we walked down to the beach, the sand is so warm and soft on your feet. We caught some little hermit crabs and let them walk on our hands. I loved Doggie and Adolfo, they were both so sweet. I love how the garden looks, and when I am exploring in the gardens I feel like a detective. I hope to come back very very soon!!!! P.S. The house is beautiful."
Map
Nevis is a small island, comparatively undeveloped, and off-the-beaten-track. Nature, hiking, swimming, birding, enjoying the rainforest and the fabulous views, and just relaxing: these are popular activities. Nevis has lots of nice restaurants, but if you're looking for casinos, nightlife, and shopping, you need a different island. For a delightful natural environment, on a comparatively undeveloped island, we recommend Nevis!
Amenities
Saint John Figtree Parish House Accommodation and Amenities
- house
- Guests provide their own meals
- Housekeeper Included
- 2000 sq. ft.
- Max. occupancy: 8
- pets considered
- children welcome ...
- smoking allowed ...
- Beach ...
- Beachfront ...
- Mountain View ...
- Ocean View ...
- Rural ...
- Away From It All
- Family
- Activities Guide
- Air Conditioning ...
- Alarm Clock
- Basic Soaps
- Broadband Access
- Ceiling Fans
- Clothes Dryer
- Hair Dryer
- Internet ...
- Iron & Board
- Laundry Soap
- Linens Provided
- Living Room ...
- Local Activities Guide
- Local Maps
- Local Restaurant Guide
- Paper Towels
- Parking Off Street ...
- Security System
- Sofa Bed
- Telephone
- Toilet Paper
- Towels Provided
- Washing Machine
- Wireless Internet ...
- Blender
- Coffee Maker
- Cooking Utensils
- Dishwasher
- Freezer
- Grill
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Toaster
- Dining ...
- Dining Room
- seating for 8 people
- 2 Bathrooms
-
Bathroom 1 -
Bathroom 2 -
Bathroom 3 -
Outdoor - outdoor shower
- The house has 2 bathtubs, and 3 showers, plus an outdoor shower stall off the patio. I always like to use the patio shower, with the great views of gardens and the mountain. There's also an outdoor shower by the pool, for rinsing sand from the beach, before you jump in.
- 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 8
-
Bedroom 1 -
1 king
Bedroom 2 - 2 twin/ single , 1 baby crib
Bedroom 3 - 1 sleep sofa /futon , A sleeping porch with bath, drawers, curtains to close off
- There are 2 bedrooms with baths, and a sleeping porch that closes off with curtains and has its own bath off the patio. So the house sleeps 6, plus another child or two if you use the second sofabed in the living room. We also have a cottage on the same property, Black Sand Cove Cottage (see its listing, # 164256 at homeaway.com). It is entirely separate, with its own entrance gate and parking area. You don't see the cottage from the house, due to extensive landscaping. The cottage has a queen-size bed and a sofa bed. Some guests rent both properties for a larger group. With both units, you can easily accommodate 8 - 10 people.
- Books ...
- Books for Adults
- CD Player
- Games ...
- Games for Kids
- Radio
- Toys
- Beach Chairs
- Beach Towels
- Bicycles ...
- Binoculars
- Gazebo
- Lawn / Garden
- Outdoor Grill
- Patio
- Screen Porch / Veranda
- Small Cooler
- Terrace
- Unscreened Porch / Veranda
- Walkway to Water
- 8 garden chairs
- 6 beach chairs
- suitable for elderly or infirm
- Hot Tub ...
- Outdoor Hot Tub
- Outdoor Pool
- Private Pool ...
- Car Available
- bay/sound
- botanical garden
- churches
- museums
- rain forests
- restaurants
- ruins
- volcano
- beachcombing
- bird watching
- boating
- horseback riding
- photography
- scenic drives
- shelling
- sight seeing
- walking
- wildlife viewing
- ATM/bank
- Babysitter
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- massage therapist
- medical services
- cycling
- deepsea fishing
- equestrian events
- fishing
- fly fishing
- golf
- hiking
- jet skiing
- mountain biking
- mountain climbing
- sailing
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- snorkeling
- snorkeling/diving
- sound/bay fishing
- surfing
- swimming
- water skiing
- wind-surfing
Reviews
Exceptional!
5/5 -
(32 traveler reviews)
Always amazed, tranquil and relaxing
Having just ended our 5th stay on the island of Nevis and at this amazing property we continue to expand our length of stay, but it will never be long enough. The property is secluded from the slightly less laid back other side of the island and this is what makes Black Sands special and perfect for us. The main home is modern and well supplied with all the necessities that are required to entertain and cook. Both bedrooms have separate bathrooms and AC units for those in need of these mainland amenities. There is also an outside bathroom and an additional outside shower which overlooks the small picturesque extinct volcano about 5 miles from the property. The property manager Adolfo and the rest of the staff have always extended a warm welcome and made sure each stay was memorable.
We enjoy spend the mornings at the home, taking in the black sands cove beach, cooling down in the pool and walking around the well maintained gardens. The vehicle is needed if you would like to explore the further reaches of the islands 36-mile circumference. Afternoons are spent on one of the many amazing beaches of Nevis, but watch out for the non-existent crowds as you may be the only ones on the beach.
The availability in the choices of restaurants for Lunch and Dinner dinning are many and one needs to make sure and try a variety from the very local Mems Pizza and sit under the very large mango trees to our personal favorites like Banana’s for sunset and Golden Rock which has a great vista of the easterly views from the island along with some great trails.
All said we enjoy each stay at Black Sands, relax and refresh ourselves from the winters challenges of the North East and hope to come back another year.
Mark
Exquisite property with marvelous staff and thoughtful owner
We stayed in the cottage Aug 18-25. What you’ve read in other reviews and seen on the website is just a glimpse of this achingly-beautiful property in one of Nevis’s most pristine locations. Travelers seeking a unique, secluded, close-to-nature experience, while also demanding a residence up to modern vacation standards (and then some!), will find no better than this on the island. Everything about our first visit to Nevis - arrival/departure on St Kitts and everything in between - was arranged to perfection by the owner and her team, and completely worry-free.
The cottage is right-sized for a couple, distant enough from the main house to feel private and with its own hot-tub for the inevitable wine-fueled star-gazing evenings. The only passers-by will be the occasional fitness fanatic or the local fishermen - wave, and they might special-deliver you some fresh-caught lobsters or conchs! The cottage’s kitchen was well-equipped, and the porch overlooking the garden particularly nice for morning coffee. Bring a few extra memory cards for your digital camera - the grounds offer plants of incredible shape and color, as well as painterly vistas to the sea.
When removed from the small-but-vibrant village of Charlestown and the strip of more traditional lodging to the north, Nevis is serene. If the beach near the residence isn’t enough, there’s plenty of choice, each with a different character. The island’s sugar cane history lives on in the many evocative ruins and in the spectacularly-reclaimed properties at the Montpelier, Golden Rock and Nesbit Plantation Inns. At the other end of the spectrum, we found wonderful inexpensive local cuisine in the village. The owner has prepared a wonderful guide to the island - plan to use it daily, the recommendations being spot-on.
Words to the wise: There’s so much natural beauty in the vicinity that you won’t need a car full-time. However, unless you hope to cloister yourself away from human contact, you’ll need transportation to manage the not-inconsiderable distance to restaurants, tourist sights and food stores. We appreciated the provided bicycles and used them often. For those less fitness-confident, the owner’s car can be day-rented - handy for tours to the farther reaches or for night travel (taxis can be expensive). To limit the need for big food-shopping trips, House Manager Adolfo can help you pre-stock the house for your stay.
We highly recommend this property.
Two great visits, ten years apart
My wife and family visited Black Sand Cove for the first time in 2004. This time, it was just the two of us, celebrating our 30th anniversary. We chose Black Sand Cove again, because we couldn't think of a place we would rather be together for two weeks. It was a good decision.
It is even more beautiful here than it was 10 years ago. We like the fact that the road goes around the property now, rather than in front of the house. The landscaping is great! The mature trees now give the place more shade.
We went on several hikes that we didn't get to complete the last time we were here and ate at a few really good restaurants. We love the ocean view from the pool. Black Sand Cove is a great place to read a few books and with internet access now, to watch a few good movies. We even watched a season of episodes of a show we had been wanting to see.
It was a completely relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
Beautiful, spacious home and garden by the beach
My sister, mother and I just spent a week at Black Sand Cove and enjoyed it immensely. I work in Lagos, Nigeria and after living in an environment with high population density and very few places to enjoy time outdoors, our visit provided just the kind of relaxation and rejuvenation I had hoped for. Black Sand Cove has so much space! I was so happy to be able to go outside in a beautiful environment and wander around the property with only the noise and action provided by nature. The property has been beautifully designed, with many different spaces and views to enjoy. My sister enjoyed the butterflies and the amusing sound of the donkeys in the background. My mother enjoyed the hammock by the pool, and I loved being able to wander down to an unoccupied beach whenever I felt like it. If you want to get away to a place that has many of the things you can’t find in a busy crowded city, this would be the right place.
The house had everything we needed to cook with and was very much like being at home, but much, much nicer! Adolpho provided excellent support if we needed anything and made arrival and departure vey smooth for us. The notebook describing restaurants and activities on the island made it easy for us to figure out what to do. We also got to meet the very friendly and interesting owner Linda, and talked with her about how the place had developed over the last decade.
Caribbean perfection
My only regrets were - (1) we should have stayed longer and (2) a five star rating does not do this property justice. I want to give it seven!
Black Sand Cove is, as far as my wife, myself and our two teenage children are concerned, as close to perfection as imaginable:
- The property is spacious and well equipped.
- The views out over the gardens and sea are amazing.
- The extensive gardens are the most fantastic I have experienced in the Caribbean (my family has lived in the Caribbean for nearly 50 years, so I have plenty to compare it with)
- The private beach was fantastic for our daily swims
- The pool, looking out across the amazing garden to the sea just beyond, was a dream.
So the property was perfect. Add to that the amazing unspoilt beauty of Nevis and the fantastic welcome and assistance of Linda (Adolpho was away), and this truly was a perfect vacation.
When we return to Nevis, we will not look to stay elsewhere. I would go as far as to say that we would not return to Nevis unless we can stay at Black Sand Cove.
As far as Nevis is concerned, this is a true gem that befits such a lovely home. The people are friendly, the hikes are fantastic (we did the Source Trail & Nevis Peak), cycling is great (we did a tour of the island one morning on Linda's bikes). The historical sites are great. Charlestown is beautiful. The meals we had out were good (not always the case in the Caribbean).
All in all, our vacation at Black Sand Cove on Nevis was a real winner!
With our friends, Murray ...
With our friends, Murray and Debbie, we thoroughly enjoyed our 10 days in February, 2010.Idyllic days by the pool, quiet nights 'n quiet stars, moon rise over Mt. Nevis. The mornings; delightfully fresh and peaceful, the afternoons' welcome daily heat always moderated by the Christmas Winds. We shopped, explored the beaches, plantations and restaurants..but Black Sand Cove was 'home'.Thanks Linda...it was magical.
Photos
Rates & Availability
- Available
- Unavailable
Additional information about rental rates
| Damage Deposit | $300 |
Add $100 per week for each person over 4, to cover for extra cleaning time during and after your visit. The maid comes twice per week.
1/2 down to hold reservations, 1/2 on arrival, by personal check or PayPal on-line
Owner's Cancellation Policy
Request to Book