Captain's Cottage in South Ponte Vedra Beach

LOVE LOVE THIS HOUSE!!

JoAnne F. (Columbia, MD.)
Review submitted: January 4, 2012   Date of arrival: December 29, 2011

This is the most amazing house ever for a romantic getaway. Perfect location right on the beach, convenient both to Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine. And the house is an architectural gem, full of all kinds of neat nooks and crannies and details, beautifully decorated, and bathed in sunlight all day. If this house were for sale and I could afford it, I would buy it in a heartbeat. It has a magical quality to it that is not entirely evident from the wonderful photos of its rooms. It captivated me and my two adult kids who stayed here. We plan to return again!

The only downside is that there is a bit of a privacy issue--no curtains/blinds on any windows and no walls between the second floor and third floor loft bedrooms. So while this is a very romantic place for a couple or even two cooperative adult couples, a young family might have to get creative about finding couple time and would have to be careful when getting out of the shower on the third floor (master bedroom) if there are kids in the beds on the second floor who can gaze up at the third floor shower from that location via the opening in the floor for the spiral staircase. You can also hear any noise or see any light on any floor of the house from any other place inside the house--so that really means that everyone has to agree to go to bed at about the same time every night.

The lack of curtains was not an issue for me in winter, because there was no one on the beach at night, but I wonder if you would feel "exposed" a bit in warmer weather when folks are out walking on the beach at night and could see into the lighted house. The house is elevated off the beach, so maybe the problem is not as significant in warmer weather as it appeared it might be.

With those caveats, which were minor issues with us, we felt that this house was special and wonderful in every way and we just loved it. It was clean, well-maintained, and had every amenity one would expect to find, including great wifi. I honestly did not want to leave.

I have rented many houses through the Internet for vacation, and this one will always stand out in my mind as the most extraordinary and special house I have ever rented. Even in its imperfections it was totally charming.

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A week in paradise.

angela (Jacksonville, Florida Duval)
Review submitted: July 28, 2011   Date of arrival: July 16, 2011

The views were spectacular, but early in the mornings the sun would blind you. The beds weren't as comfortable as everyone had said and there was a spider infestation..to which one of the girls were bitten. Aside from that, it was the most relaxing, gorgeous, peaceful, stress-releived, much needed vacation.

Recommended for: families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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Gorgeous, Quirky, Stunning & Unique

Elizabeth of North East England (Newcastle upon Tyne, England)
Review submitted: May 4, 2011   Date of arrival: April 15, 2011

If you are looking for the wow or 'X' factor, this is certainly the go to place for a one-off unique holiday experience. Stepping from the house onto the decking and the near-deserted golden clean beach is absolute luxury & the Atlantic was lovely and warm - enough for swimming and boogey-boarding. The sunrise over the ocean in the morning is spectacular, as is the moonlit sea on a clear night & yes, we did see dolphins gliding through the water on a morning. We have never stayed in a home like it, and as this was our honeymoon, it was as special as you can get.
The downside is that there is no shelter from the severe sun as there are no shades or blinds at the vast windows - so you are woken up by the sun at sunrise and the aircon is a must. The openplan arrangement of the bedrooms makes privacy a bit of a problem and if our children were younger we would have been concerned at the low-level balcony on the mezzanine floor. Also, the uneven floors in the corner of the property made eating at the breakfast table really feel like you were on a ship!
The house had all the amenities we needed and they were of good quality. All in all, a lovely property to spend precious and special time with loved ones.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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