Mountainside Cottage with Unforgettable View - from $165/nt

St. John is a fabulous place that I want to return to often, especially the Coral Bay end where things are quieter and island time takes on its true meaning. We had a great vacation and really enjoyed staying at Mt. Eyrie. The managers were great to work with in preparation for our trip and during our stay. The accommodations were well-maintained and are in a nice location for relaxing in the morning and the evening with a spectacular view for quiet reflection. Mountain Eyrie is a perfect getaway rental for a couple and I'm certain the upper house, Mountain Haven, would serve a small family well. While it's important to use your time on the island to disconnect and get away from it all, the availability of wifi at the house was a nice perk to help upload (and protect) photos from our trip by sending them to "the cloud."

Sadly, Peter & Dorothy are no longer living on St John and so we didn't get to meet them. But Mountain Eyrie is in the very capable hands of a relative and a property manager. It says we're not supposed to mention names, so I'll just say that the property manager is a wonderful individual who is willing and able to help in any way she can.

The place really does look like the photos, and so does the view. Without a doubt it's the best view of any place we've ever stayed at (and that includes an over-the-water bungalow on Moorea, looking at Cook's Bay). The place was just perfect for the two of us. We loved the privacy, too. The drive up Bordeaux Mountain Rd was pretty scary the first time, a bit apprehensive the second, and a breeze after that. You definitely will need a 4WD vehicle, though, in case it rains (or just to back out of the driveway, which is definitely the toughest part of the drive).

It takes only a few minutes to make it down the mountain, and then you are conveniently located less than 15 minutes to Maho, Francis, Salt Pond, Haulover, etc. It is a perfect location, unless you need to go to Cruz Bay every day for some reason. Even then it's only a 30 minute drive, but it isn't something I'd want to do daily.

We'll definitely stay here again if (hopefully when) we return to St John.

If you never left the deck, you would still have a truly memorable stay - a view of Coral Bay 1000 feet below and the British Virgin islands extending on to the horizon. If you can, get up in time for the sunrises. The cottage is very well maintained, comfortable without being luxurious, open yet very private. It's in the shade by late morning, and the breeze and ceiling fans keep it pleasant. The larger cottage is just up the steps, but it's like they are in another world. The drive up the cottage is not for the faint of heart, but after one or two ascents and descents, it's old hat. They provide beach chairs and a cooler, making a day at the beach easy. Crabby's on the bay provides whatever snorkel gear you didn't bring yourself. This is the quiet side of the island, but there are many beaches to choose from on this side, and the north shore beaches are only 15 minutes away. Not many restaurants to choose from - we thought Lucy's was pretty special - a table right on the water, excellent food, with a few goats foraging around for entertainment. Over on Cruz Bay, we liked the Lime Inn so much we returned for a second time on our last night - very friendly and delicious food. We had problems picking up a wifi signal, but we didn't pursue it - they promised to look into it when we informed them when we left. This is just the place to kick back and unplug. The view will stay with us long after we've returned home. Members of the owner's family were around and couldn't have been more gracious. We didn't ask or need anything, but I am sure they would have been very helpful and accommodating if we had