WATERFRONT! GREAT VIEWS, GREAT HOUSE, GREAT SNORKELING!

My husband and I rented this villa for our 25th anniversary; we stayed for a week. The villa had multiple decks; several shaded, and several exposed to the sun. There was a spotlessly clean hot tub; perfect for late-night stargazing. There were 2 gas grills, and since the view of the water was spectacular, we grilled dinner and enjoyed our evening on the deck several times rather than going out every night. The tradewinds were very pleasant but we did use the excellent air conditioning in the bedroom at night. The villa was spotlessly clean and had an excellent washer/dryer among the amenities. It was unusually well stocked with kitchen items and beach supplies (umbrella, chairs, coolers, beach towels). The outdoor shower was great after the beach. Fernando, the owner, was very friendly and helpful, and had many excellent recommendations for restaurants, snorkel spots etc. We did not attempt to swim in front of the villa (it looked to have strong currents and the entry spot had numerous sea urchins right there) but there were excellent beaches nearby. The property had numerous spectacular plantings and there were iguanas, lizards, geckos, Bananaquits, and hummingbirds throughout the gardens. Several donkeys wandered in one afternoon.
Some St. John suggestions; stop and buy groceries in Cruz Bay before you attempt the drive over to Coral Bay. It's not far by mileage, but the road is very twisty with numerous switchbacks; there are very limited groceries available at the other side of the island. Go to the Marketplace in Cruz Bay and shop at Starfish Market for food; there is also an excellent drug store (Chelsea Drug Store) in the same complex. If you like snorkeling, this is the island for you. If you've never snorkeled, this is the place to start. In Coral Bay, there is excellent snorkeling at Salt Pond Bay. On the North Side, Caneel Bay has spectacular snorkeling right at their main beach; go all the way to the right (looking out at the water) and snorkel by the rocks there. Caneel officially charges $20 for parking, but if you eat/shop there they will validate your parking. Trunk Bay is touristy (Mon-Wed cruise ship traffic) but the snorkeling is excellent. By the villa, eat at Shipwreck Landing; highly recommend citrus grilled Mahi-Mahi.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon at La Dolce Vita and it could not have been more wonderful! The apartment sparkled, the view stunned and the soft crash of waves lulled us to sleep each night. You are right on the water and a beautiful breeze kept it cool enough that, with the fan running, we didn't even need to use the A/C. The Dorothy and Fernando were never intrusive, but accessible if you needed anything -- fantastic hosts, and I wish we'd had the chance to cruise around on Fernando's boat, I bet it would have been a blast! The location is great, close to Coral Bay and it's fabulous restaurants (Sweet Plantains and Sylvia's Clean Plates/Sputnik II were highlights) but just a 10-15 minute drive to Salt Pond Bay and some beautiful hikes. As a bonus, there is a hot tub that's great for stargazing and relaxing. Can't wait to go back -- I already miss reading on the deck in the warm sunshine!

I want you to know that we truly enjoyed our vacation on St. John. Your home was wonderful and we appreciate you opening it for us over Christmas. Fernando was a great host and fortunately called us about the St. John Choir singing at the Monrovian Church.

Everything promised in your description was perfect and the new spa was wonderful. The kitchen worked well for our Turkey Christmas Dinner and the convenience of the local businesses was wonderful.

We enjoyed snorkeling and we helped the local marine biologists by finding a Lion Fish right behind your dock.

Thank you for giving us another great stay through VRBO. We hope to be able to come back.