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Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!

Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!

Photo gallery for Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!

Rara Avis - come relax in your lounge charge & listen to the surf of Hart Bay
Your morning sunrise is breathtaking!
Hart Bay is just below you - why not hike down the hill and take a stroll
A picture perfect postcard setting.
Bring the outside inside by opening the wooden doors in the great room

Overview of Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!

Reviews
9.0 out of 10 Wonderful
4 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 9260 sq m

Popular amenities

  • PoolPoolPool
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • Free WiFiFree WiFiFree WiFi
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer

Explore the area

Map
Cruz Bay, St John
  • Popular LocationCruz Bay Beach11 min drive
  • Popular LocationHoneymoon Beach11 min drive
  • Popular LocationTrunk Bay20 min drive
  • AirportSt. Thomas (STT-Cyril E. King)70 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 9)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 4

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Separate dining area

About this property

Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!

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.

Property manager

Owner / Property Manager
Premier Host
Premier Host

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Ocean view

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
The Terms and Conditions information sheet will be sent with the confirmation

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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
On-site 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

About the area

St. John

Located in St. John, this villa is by the ocean. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Virgin Islands National Park and Honeymoon Beach. Kayaking, snorkelling and parasailing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking nearby.
Map
Cruz Bay, St John

What's nearby

  • Great Cruz Bay - 4 min drive
  • Virgin Islands National Park - 8 min drive
  • Cruz Bay Beach - 11 min drive
  • Honeymoon Beach - 11 min drive
  • Trunk Bay - 20 min drive

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
  • Tap & Still - 8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Rara Avis-Relax in your lounge chairs to the sounds of the surf! Romantic! located?

Situated by the ocean, this villa is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Chocolate Hole and 2 mi (3.2 km) from Virgin Islands National Park. Chocolate Hole Beach and Sunset Beach are also within 10 minutes.

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 11 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 18 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 18 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Michelle S.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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

About the host

Hosted by Owner / Property Manager

Host profile image
We are a family from Connecticut and we have had a home on St. John for more than 25 years. We were the first to build on Hart Bay and we had lots of land to choose from, so we bought the finest lot on the water. We built the first Rara Avis, which I call Rara v.1, and Hurricane Marilyn came roaring in and Rara v.1 vanished in the wind. But we love this island and this land too much to walk away, so in 1997 we built Rara v.2, which is a bigger, stronger and much more beautiful version of Rara v.1. We have traveled extensively in Spain and Italy and we love the aged look of European homes, so we imported a skilled artisan to St. John to give the new Rara the aged look of a centuries old villa in Tuscany. It’s an alluring concept – a European style villa on a beautiful waterfront site on St. John – and it certainly works well for Rara. At night, with the great house doors open and the soft glow of the valence lights, you could well imagine yourself on the coast of Italy or Spain. Twenty-five years and four children later, we’re still in love, with our island, our land and with the Tuscan villa we built here,with the memories we’ve shared here, and with each other. If you ask us why, the answer is easy - like the poet laureate of St. John said – “there is magic here” There really is, so spend a week or two at Rara, and you'll agree.

Why they chose this property

We bought our land in Hart Bay before the real estate boom so we had plenty of choices for fine properties. This particular location was just more appealing than any other location we looked at. We wanted a waterfront lot where you could walk down to a small beach for beach walks and swimming and snorkeling, and over the years we have seen a lot of rays and colorful fish on snorkel expeditions in Hart Bay. Where else can you snorkel until you’re tired and then walk back to your villa and sit on your deck with a cold drink and look out at the places you were just mingling with the tropical fishes. We also love the way this location constantly invigorates and refreshes you. You are surrounded by and immersed in the elements of nature – the sun, the sights, sounds and smell of the sea, moonlight on the bay, lush vegetation, the constant music of gentle surf and the refreshing trade winds blowing off the water. For a family of New Englanders who spend a lot of time indoors, this is where we come to appreciate the simple, but glorious, wonders of Mother Nature. After enduring a long winter, a week or two in Rara Avis is a totally revitalizing and energizing experience. There’s nothing quite like it.

What makes this property unique

The uniqueness of Rara all stems from this location on Hart Bay. When you spend time here you can’t fail to be renewed, re-energized and invigorated from the subtle but constant forces of nature that envelop you and massage you. For anyone who spends a lot of time within four walls, this villa, this location on Hart Bay, and this island, will reboot your spirit

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