Entire home

Caribbean Cottage with Breathtaking Views and Your Own Private Pool!

Photo gallery for Caribbean Cottage with Breathtaking Views and Your Own Private Pool!

Pool
Property grounds
Exterior
TV
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Entire home

4 bedrooms4 bathroomsSleeps 9

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Pool
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Cruz Bay, St John
  • Great Cruz Bay
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Cruz Bay Beach
    ‪17 min drive‬
  • Trunk Bay
    ‪20 min drive‬
  • St. Thomas (STT-Cyril E. King)
    ‪70 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

St. John

With a stay at this villa in St. John, you'll be on the waterfront, within a 10-minute drive of Virgin Islands National Park and Rendezvous Bay. .This villa is 6.3 mi (10.1 km) from Sapphire Beach and 5 mi (8.1 km) from Trunk Bay.

What's nearby

  • Chocolate Hole - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Great Cruz Bay - 4 min drive - 1.8 km
  • Virgin Islands National Park - 8 min drive - 3.7 km
  • Cruz Bay Beach - 17 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Trunk Bay - 20 min drive - 8.2 km

Getting around

  • St. Thomas (SPB-St. Thomas Seaplane Base) - 62 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Cruz Bay Landing - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Beach Bar - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Lovango Rum Bar - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Windmill Bar - ‬10 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Caribbean Cottage with Breathtaking Views and Your Own Private Pool!

Rara Avis is a waterfront villa that is located on an oversized lot in Hart Bay, which is a bay with a small beach on the south coast of St. John. Rara is the last villa on a private drive and it sits in the middle of an oversized lot, so it is blessedly peaceful and quiet without even a whisper of vehicle traffic or other noise. As Rara’s website states, this home is 'located in an unusually quiet and private seaside setting where shimmering moonlight, warm trade winds, mesmerizing views and the background sounds of breaking surf weave a totally relaxing almost magical atmosphere.' Although Rara enjoys an excellent degree of privacy and tranquility, you are less than 3 miles from Cruz Bay. The beautiful 180 degree view takes in the entire south coast of St John, much of which is unspoiled National Park. Rara Avis faces south and the sun hits your decks from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. A short hike down a private path leads to the 83-degree, crystal clear waters of Hart Beach, where on a calm day you’ll enjoy some good snorkeling or swimming.

Rara consists of three distinct buildings – a 2-level stone house, plus two bedroom cabanas on both sides of the great house. Courtyards, gardens and walkways connect the three buildings and the pool. The upper level of the great house contains the great room with the living, dining and kitchen areas, plus a half bath, and a laundry room. A 450 sq/ft tiled sun deck with magnificent views runs along the waterfront side of the great house. The two bedrooms and the deck on the lower level are accessed by two sets of exterior stairs on either side of the great house. In addition to the pool’s sun deck there are four other private sun decks including two off the great house, and one off each bedroom cabana.

The two bedrooms cabanas are spacious (370 sq/ft) with queen beds, excellent privacy, lovely views and an intimate setting. Each cabana includes a tiled bath and a private deck or patio. The two guest bedrooms (twins that convert to a king) are located on the lower level of the great house and also offer romantic ocean views. The lower level guest bedrooms share a bath, and a fourth half bath is located off the kitchen in the great house

The living and dining rooms have been artistically finished to look like the interior of a centuries old Spanish or Italian villa. They are furnished with a combination of antiques and designer furniture that blends comfort with function. From either room screened sliding glass doors open to warm breezes, a spacious deck and sweeping views of the south shore National Park. A cable 32” flat screen TV, stereo and wireless internet are provided. You can dine inside at the stately mahogany table seating 6 - 8, or outside on the sheltered garden patio.

The complete kitchen includes a 4-burner stove and oven, refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, blender, coffee maker, toaster and a fine selection of dinnerware, cookware, and server ware. There is a gas barbeque grill in the courtyard.

Make yourself comfortable in this villa, which features a private pool. There's a private balcony or patio. A kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, an oven, and a stovetop. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected.
This smoke-free villa features hiking/biking trails nearby, kayaking nearby, and scuba diving nearby.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property manager

Caribbean Villas of St. John

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby

Pool/Spa

  • Communal pool
  • Private pool

Internet

  • Available in the villa: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Hob
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 3.5 bathrooms
  • Hair dryer

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Separate dining area

Entertainment

  • TV with cable/satellite channels

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Deck

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: No smoking is allowed on the premises.

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • Near a health/beauty spa
  • Near a hospital
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Kayak
  • Casino nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Note from host: Children Welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Property is also known as

Vrbo Property
49248

Caribbean Cottage with Breathtaking Views and Your Own Private Pool! Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 15 out of 23 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 23 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 23 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 23 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 23 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Barbara E.

Liked: Cleanliness

Heather Roberts and Family and Barbara Entwiste

We.ve been there 4 times now. ALways great!
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Robin K.

Liked: Cleanliness

Et in Acadia Ego

St John, the way it used to be!Rara Avis is a glimpse of life in USVI from the past.A prefect view, witha perfect layout for a faily who wants individual privacy and a place to celebrate together.The photos do not do it justice.It would be impossible to capture the sheer spirit of Rara Avis.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Melinda I.

Liked: Cleanliness

Christmas vacation

Beautiful stunning views and spacious property
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Quinn S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect home for a large family!

Perfect stay! Came with my parents and my 5 teenagers….plenty of space for everyone to have privacy and not be on top of each other. Great gathering places to all come together. The best view you could imagine. Open air living spaces was a dream. The pool though small was perfect for a nighttime dip under the moonlight. Oh and the location!!!!!!!! …..drove all over the island and this home is perfectly located. All 8 of us loved this home and stay!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Susanne C.

Rara Avis

The view is as advertised and is spectacular. However, the property needs a lot of upgrades and cleaning. Screens are very dirty and need to be cleaned. Dishwasher, oven and dryer do not work well. There is no air conditioning which is a problem. The furniture is run down. It seems like it's been quite awhile since the Owner has inspected their property. Even the decorations on the wall are rusted. We will not book at this location again. The Property Management company, Caribbean Villas was great to work with though. We ended up moving our last 2 days to the Westin and had a very enjoyable time there.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Michelle S.

Girls trip

We had a great time and moved the lay out of the house. View and breeze was marvelous. I would like to make 2 comments if constructive feedback…the house was dirty. Obvious places had not been dusted and mopped in some time. It would also be nice if there were enough beach towels for all of us. Overall a lovely stay! Thank you
Stayed 7 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

William M.

Liked: Cleanliness

family getaway

secluded, quiet, just the wave sounds of the ocean bay
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Courtney S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Paradise with a nice breeze

What a beautiful piece of property! We were skeptical about not having an air conditioner but the trade winds and the open doors/windows made for the perfect sleeping weather. Check in process was a a breeze as well. We had a younger adult flying in on a separate flight and on a routine call from The property manager, she offered to meet my young adult and help her find the way to the property! THAT is going above and beyond. Luckily, all the flights landed around the same planned time and we didn’t have to go to plan b. The ground at Rara Visa are lush, mature and absolutely beautiful. We met 2 iguana friends on property as well. A small hike down the waters edge was nice- rocky but it was a nice adventure. The property was conveniently located close to the grocery store, downtown, and other beaches. If we come back to St John’s - we will stay here again!
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

brad b.

What a location!

Amazing views and a short drive to town. We liked that there were two structures separate from the main house for use as bedrooms. Air conditioning in the bedrooms would be a welcomed addition. The breeze was lovely, but we stayed during an unusually warm week. Highly recommend!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

Jennifer M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Rara Avis

I would not recommend staying here during the rainy season. The rain blew in on us while we were sleeping in the bungalow. Had to reserve another villa for our stay. Property is beautiful and if you are used to not having AC then you would probably be good. I live in the south and I am used to ac so we couldn’t sleep. House has everything you need for the week. If we hadn’t gotten wet while sleeping we may have stayed the whole week. It did rain a lot during the week we were there. Beautiful views.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Luke H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Staying for a friend’s wedding on St John

Very peaceful and easy to get to from Cruz bay. As advertised and a wonderful place for a group to stay
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Heather O.

Liked: Cleanliness

Paradise

We loved the layout of this property. The main house with kitchen, dining room, and living room is open and airy. It was perfect even on the one rainy day for hanging out and playing cards. The separate cottages are very close and on level ground with the main house providing privacy and ease. The downstairs bedrooms were equally comfortable for our boys. The path to the beach was a hidden gem, the pool and decks lovely.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

John W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Absolutely the best property we have stayed in yet, in St. John!!!

Would definitely rebook !
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

William O.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful views

Our group of 8 loved this location. The views and breezes were incredible. Falling asleep each night to the sounds of the waves was so relaxing. There is no air conditioning, but we were perfectly comfortable. Location very convenient to Cruz Bay, but also very private. Would happily go back again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

James G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Amazing

Property was amazing, view was awesome.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Megan G.

Doesn't Get Any Better!

The property is not only beautiful and clean - its huge! Meryle met us at the ferry dock and we followed her to the house. She was wonderful and very helpful. This property is great for multiple couples or a larger family because every room/cottage has its own bathroom, balcony, and an ocean view. No one would have to settle. In the evening, you can open up the windows and shutters and have an amazing breeze from the ocean. We will definitely be staying here again!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018

6/10 Okay

Kathy L., South Berwick

Beautiful view

Our group all agreed there are many positive attributes to the property! The view is breathtaking , we loved the large open living area and having separate bedroom bungalows for privacy was a plus. The property managers were helpful and friendly!! We ran into a maintenance guy who asked us what we thought the property needed to make renters stay more comfortable. Overall Rara Avis is a nice property but in desperate need of updates. We come to St. John 1-2 times a year and would consider staying there again. It would be more enticing if some updates were done such as new sliding screen doors, dyer, bathroom plumbing and furniture.
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2017

6/10 Okay

Jeffrey M., A small town in New Hampshire

Excellent location, property showing its lack of maintenance, so add a bit of age to the photos.

The good and then the "needs improvement": GOOD: Caribbean Villas as the rental agency -- very responsive, polite, accurate, helpful, friendly. Use these people for your rental. The property is on a private lot directly above the ocean. No noise other than the surf. And a short drive to Cruz Bay, where one can find everything, but from where one can disappear in 5 minutes back to the solitude of this place. Beautiful views. Watch the sun come up in the morning. Great breeze off the bay, flows through the main part of the house. Nice layout with two lower bedrooms and two separate cabanas. Nice to have coolers, beach chairs and beach towels in abundance. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Property seems to show a lack of regular owner engagement and maintenance. One sliding door does not lock; we replaced three burned out light bulbs (including two of three fairly obvious deck lights); two of four stove burners did not light without manual intervention, coffee machine broken (but promptly replaced by Caribbean villas because that WAS an emergency); DVD player had no remote, no pause, no fast forward, forcing us to enjoy endless previews before our beloved Pirates of the Caribbean; no opener to puncture a can (for that pineapple juice for pina coladas); a door handle fell off; a shower handle fell off. House furnished with a dozen island music CDs, but the CD player was broken. Get the picture? My bet is that Caribbean Villas would have responded well to much of this, but who wants repair people every day when the next thing happens or is discovered? NOTE: There is a beach below the property, accessible by a foot path. It is rocky and we saw no one swimming there -- just a few surfers on a couple of days. So -- nice to look at, but don't think of it as "beach" in the sense of, "Let's go down for a swim." The small pool is nicely shaded part of the day, but that means that the renter will need to scoop out a lot of leaves on a daily basis. Not a huge chore, but not for everyone. OVERALL: We had a good time, because we are used to home maintenance, and could shrug off the growing list of minor annoyances -- but that might not be everyone's cup of tea. We would happily rent this property again, IF the owner decided to reinvest more of the rental income for (a) renewal and (b) upkeep.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2017