Surfside Gardens - spectacular ocean views, steps away from the surf
| Sleeps | 5 |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Space | 1,750 sq ft |
| Property type | villa |
| Minimum Stay | 1 - 4 nights |
Overview
This 2-bed, 2-bath villa, a secret hideaway offers a tranquil, serene vacation
With all hurricane repairs completed, we opened for the season on January 1, 2018. Overlooking the spectacular ocean at the front of the villa and surrounded by tropical forest, the breathtaking 360 degree panorama and the lush vegetation around the property will immerse you in tropical mood. Totally obscured from the world, your privacy is ensured as you soak up the Caribbean sun and you enjoy the intimate luxuries of a villa designed to put you at peace with the world. Surfside is an indoor/outdoor type of house with the living area being upstairs to take advantage of the high ceilings, views and breezes. The doors and windows on the sea side fold back to the extent that the indoor area merges with the deep verandah. The bedroom doors also fold back on the sea side, where there is also a deep verandah, and most of our guests sleep with just the screen doors which enables them enjoy the open aspect of the house and wake up to the sounds of the ocean and birdsong.
Surfside Gardens is only a two minute walk to the Cooten Bay ruin, the pebble beach and the fabulous North Shore surf. A short surfboard paddle around the headland each side of Cooten Bay, a five minute drive or decent hike will take you to the delightful sandy beaches of Lava Flow to the West and Josiah's Bay to the East.
There are just eight owner-occupied bespoke and individually designed homes on the entire Cooten Bay hillside, each on approximately one acre of land, which guarantees a secluded secret retreat even though you are only a ten minute drive away from the capital Road Town. Surfside Gardens is the lowest property on the hill and the closest to Cooten Bay ruins and ocean.
To get the best out of your visit we strongly recommend that you hire a car, preferably a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The car hire company that we recommend will leave the car where you arrive, either at the ferry-dock or the airport and you can leave the car there when you depart, all at no extra charge. On your arrival, we will meet you at a convenient meeting point, like the supermarket and escort you to the property. Guests normally let us know in advance if there is any provisioning they will require us to provide for their first 24 hours. The following day we can swing by the villa to see that everything is OK and if there is anything we can help with. Our guests choose how much interaction they want with us during their stay and we can be at the villa in 15 minutes if needed.
The standby generator will kick in automatically if there is a power outage, so there's no need for guests to worry that they won't have power.
The standby generator will kick in automatically if there is a power outage, so there's no need for guests to worry that they won't have power.
For further information and photos please see our website http://www.surfsidegardensbvi.com/
About Mark Chapman
I am a business consultant, principally serving cross border financial services clients. In 2014 my family and I took a year out to build our vacation villa at Cooten Bay in the British Virgin Islands.
Outside of work, family comes first and my boys, Tom, Ben and Joe respectively work in Property, Film and Professional Squash. Heather, who I have been married to for 30 years, does charity work and helps all of our lives run smoothly.
Additionally I spend time at Tortola Sports Club, where I play squash and I work on BVI Olympic Committee and Old Government House Museum matters as the Treasurer of both organisations.
Mark Chapman purchased this villa in 2009
Why Mark Chapman chose Tortola
The family saw the hillside where the villa is located when we first came to live in the British Virgin Islands in 1995. We decided that if development lots ever came on the market, we would build our dream villa here in Cooten Bay. That finally happened 19 years later in 2014.
What makes this villa unique
The Chapman family, which is Mark (husband), Heather (wife), Tom, Ben and Joe (3 sons) have been involved with the Surfside Gardens dream from inception to the day our first guests arrived in late 2014. Every facet of the villa has been hand-picked, uniquely designed or tailor-made by one of the family members, from the chimneybreast, to the chandeliers, to the indoor/outdoor stone spa bathroom, to the stone and tiled patios, to the panoramic windows, to the french doors, to the gourmet kitchen and even down to the spectacular surrounding lush vegetation and fruit trees. We collected stones, rocks and boulders from the property as we built it and fashioned them into pillars, walls, pathways, and both bathrooms are entirely constructed of stone, making for the most natural environment imaginable. For the four years preceding the build we nurtured a vast array of fruit trees, palms and shrubs, ready for the day in 2014 when we would landscape the property. We designed the villa for Caribbean living - no air conditioning, just the sea breeze and fans in every room to circulate the air - no pool, just the ocean a few meters from the front door and panoramic windows and french door to brighten and lighten the indoor features.
Amenities
Tortola Villa Accommodation and Amenities
- villa
- Guests provide their own meals
- 1750 sq ft
- Check-in: 4:00 PM / Check-out: 11:00 AM
- Max. occupancy: 5
- pets considered
- Events Allowed
- children welcome ...
- smoking allowed ...
- Mountain View
- Ocean View ...
- Adventure
- Away From It All
- Historic
- Clothes Dryer ...
- Hair Dryer
- Internet ...
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided
- Living Room ...
- Parking ...
- Towels Provided ...
- Washing Machine
- Coffee Maker ...
- Dishes & Utensils ...
- Dishwasher
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave ...
- Oven
- Pantry Items ...
- Refrigerator ...
- Stove ...
- Toaster
- Dining ...
- Dining Area
- seating for 8 people
- 2 Bathrooms
-
Bathroom 1 -
toilet
,
shower
,
double shower in lovely stone surround.
Bathroom 2 - toilet , tub , shower , outdoor shower , beautiful stone soaking tub and separate double shower.
- The master bathroom contains a stone clad double shower and a window that reveals the ocean beyond, whilst allowing the morning sunlight to illuminate the room naturally. The en-suite bathroom to the second bedroom also contains a stone-clad double shower and stone bathtub, with an amazing vista of the forest beyond.
- 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 5
-
Bedroom 1 -
1 king
Bedroom 2 - 2 twin/ single
- The master bedroom downstairs is spacious with a king size bed, walk in closet, en-suite bathroom and French doors onto a tiled balcony presenting a spectacular scene of the islands around. The second bedroom, with its own stone indoor/outdoor spa bathroom and optional queen bed or two twin beds is equally comfortable and again offers panoramic views of ocean and forest through French doors onto a tiled balcony and large picture window to one side. Both bedrooms feature ceiling fans and subtle lighting.
- Books ...
- DVD Player
- Games ...
- Stereo ...
- Television ...
- Toys ...
- Video Library ...
- Balcony ...
- Deck / Patio
- Lawn / Garden ...
- Outdoor Grill ...
- Tennis ...
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- wheelchair inaccessible
- botanical garden
- churches
- cinemas
- duty free shops
- museums
- restaurants
- ruins
- beachcombing
- bird watching
- boating
- eco tourism
- horseback riding
- paddle boating
- photography
- scenic drives
- shelling
- shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
- whale watching
- ATM/bank
- Babysitter
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- laundromat
- massage therapist
- medical services
- cycling
- deepsea fishing
- fishing
- fly fishing
- hiking
- kayaking
- mountain climbing
- parasailing
- sailing
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- snorkeling
- snorkeling/diving
- sound/bay fishing
- surfing
- swimming
- tennis
- water skiing
- wind-surfing
Reviews
Exceptional!
5/5 -
(33 traveler reviews)
Spectacular Place!
The view from Surfside Gardens is truly spectacular. The decor is very tastefully arty and the whole place is well-appointed and well equipped. Heather is a wonderful, helpful and generous host, and we would recommend their homes to everyone and anyone. Thanks for all your help and the beautiful accommodations both before and after our charter!
As advertised!!
What a great way to kick-start our vacation! My wife and I stayed at Surfside Gardens for 3 spectacular nights to ease into our 10 day sailing trip... and ease in we did! The place matches the pictures in every way. The incredible privacy that Surfside Gardens provides is exactly what we were looking for... and yet Road Town was only a 10 minute drive if we needed to stock up or go out for dinner. Its a true "open air" layout, which made the privacy that much more special. The place is a gem and has all of the amenities of a premium vacation rental, blended with a feel of being "at home". It was just the 2 of us, however the place can comfortably accommodate another couple (or kids) as it has a 2nd bedroom with its own separate bathroom.
Upon booking, the owner Heather graciously helped us with all of our logistics enquiries like ferry schedules from St Thomas, car rental, restaurant choices, and things to see and do on the island. She then met us on arrival - actually helped us with our grocery run - and then guided us to our place. A car rental is a must (but make sure is 4 wheel drive as you will need it to get to the house). It was truly a turnkey way to stay, relaxing from the minute you arrive.
Even with a fabulous 10 day sailing adventure awaiting us, it was tough to leave after our 3 days were over. We highly recommend Surfside Gardens to anyone looking for, or accustomed to, premium accommodations.
Although the place was in top shape after the hurricanes, the only improvement that we could suggest is to clean up and maintain the path from the house down to the pebble beach below. Luckily for us, we made a great friend Maya (a beautiful Weimaraner dog from a neighbouring home) who came over to show us the way down the path!!
surfside gardens
an absolutely stunning setting and a really nice place to stay. the road in is frightening (all the roads on tortola are). the hike down to the beach was slightly daunting but worth it. ruins of a sugar cane plantation and two cannon laying around. gorgeous shells for the taking. the place was well equipped. the price was right.
Classy, Homey, Simple Beauty
What a gorgeous spot - while virtually every house on Tortola has a water view, few are as spectacular as this. The property is clean and well kept. We stayed just months after the devastation of Hurricane Irma, so we expected the worst, but were pleased, if not shocked, to see how well this property stood up. Yes, we had a generator to deal with during our stay (if you drove around Tortola in late '17, you would understand, as virtuously every power line was taken down by the storm), but if you want a place to wind down, this is perfect. It is isolated and quiet (and also quite beautiful).
Fabulously crafted home with majestic views!
Wow! I could not have envisioned a more awe inspiring setting for some very much needed rest and relaxation along with spurts of adventure. We,along with our 20 year old and 16 year old sons, felt very comfortable and at home. After flying to St. Thomas and spending one night at the Windward Passage Hotel, we took the Roadtown Fast Ferry to Tortola. If you get sea sick, take your motion sickness medicine in advance of your departure. Our hostess, Heather, met us at the grocery store following our provisioning, and graciously led the way to her house upon our arrival. She gave us some key tips to making our stay pleasant. We loved the open air floor plan which permitted us to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waves, frogs, and cicadas. We were awoken each morning by singing birds and a glorious sunrise. The absence of A/C added to the experience. We rented a Jeep through Dee Dee's Rentals which allowed us to drive without reservation. Watch out for goats, sheep, and cattle that walk along the winding roads.Greet all the folks you meet along the way with a smile and salutation. The evening breezes and picturesque views brought much serenity as we cooked evening meals in the kitchen or grilled in the garden. We had lunch out on most days. The Fish and Lime, Captain Mulligans, Scrub Island (which include a free ferry trip over), Pusser's Club at Frenchman's Cay, The Tamarind Club, and Sebastian's. We found the best service at Scrub Island and Pusser's. The most delicious food at the Fish and Lime and the Tamarind Club. We snorkeled a few times at Cooten Bay, the beach just below the house. We also enjoyed snorkeling Smugglers Cove and swimming at Lava Flow. Our sons dove on two occasions with Blue Water Divers out of Nanny Cay and had an exceptionally memorable experience. They dove the RMS Rhone and off Norman Island. One of my most memorable days was exploring the "jungle" around the house; climbing the path along the lingering waterfall and enjoying the ruins. Many snails, hermit crabs, lizards, and birds inhabit the forest. We love nature and the outdoors along with the finer things in life. Surfside Gardens at Cooten Bay and the island of Tortola fulfilled our expectations. Get ready for an experience of a lifetime! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Chapman.
Amazing!
My husband and I stayed at Surfside on the front end of our boat trip and with our adult children on the tail end. First and foremost, Heather is the best! She was helpful and accommodating on so many levels, including medical assistance after I returned from our boat trip. Important information that only a true local can provide. The accommodations were gorgeous, the view is literally breath taking. I did Pilates on the deck and had a hard time staying focused. The kitchen is equipped with everything you need for a gourmet dinner, our family had our last meal together before everyone headed home on the deck ... so so special. The outdoor shower was perfection when coming back from the beach and feeling so connected with nature. The house is definitely private and that's exactly what we were looking for. Last but certainly not least, the gardens ... stunning and unfortunately my camera did not do them justice! Note: If you choose Surfside, get a 4 wheel or all wheel drive. You can get to the house without it but definitely should make the trip to Lava Beach (a 3 minute drive), it was one of our many highlights of the vacation and must have a 4 wheel drive to go there, you can also walk to the beach.
Map
Three sandy beaches are within minutes from Surfside Garden. The Cooten Bay ruins are extraordinary, perched beside the Cooten Bay surf break, just a one minute walk from the villa.
The is a zipwire experience within a five minute drive and Dolphin Discovery, where you can swim with the dolphins, is about 20 minutes from the villa. Horseriding lessons or trail rides are available within a ten minute drive from the house.
Photos
Rates & Availability
- Available
- Unavailable
Additional information about rental rates
| Tax Rate | 10.0% |
Owner's Cancellation Policy
- 50% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.
- 100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.
- Service Fee fully refunded on cancellations that qualify for 100% refund.
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