CAPTAINS COTTAGE - 2 BEDROOM OCEANFRONT HOME WITH A SPARKLING POOL.

We visited Captain's Cottage a year and a half ago and could not wait to go back this November. My husband and I find it to be perfect for a two person retreat/ getaway. The shells this time were even better than the last time. We found tons of beautiful shells. The views from this house are amazing! We loved sitting on the deck and taking in the amazing view of the ocean. We were thrilled to see dolphins just off shore two days in a row. We brought a pair of binochulars with us and were able to watch them for a long time, playing and jumping out of the water. I love that you can walk on the beach for miles and only see a few people here and there. We found some great places to dine this time as well. I highly reccomend Aqua Grill for a great dinner close to the house. Also don't miss out on the Metro Diner just a short drive to Jacksonville Beach. Amazing breakfasts!! We love Thai food, and Tuptim Thai, also pretty close to the house, was very good! Being November the nights were chilly so the pool was too cold to use, but we still enjoyed some really great Sunny weather during the day.

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.

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.