Don't know these villas, but you might also check out Secret Harbour Resort. They have two bed/two bath condos, as well as one bedrooms at reasonable rates on a very pretty beach with snorkeling right off the beach. All oceanview or beachfront ...steps from the water. All have kitchenettes (even the single rooms) and the resort is 5 minutes from Red Hook for the market and ferry to St. John if you are interested in that. Nice pool, too. And their Blue Moon restaurant is one of the best places to eat on the island.

kzdallas, Thanks for your input. We prefer renting villas because we like the privacy and space. I appreciate the info regarding the Secret Harbor area. We've narrowed are choices to Cabrita Cliff House (Cabrita Point area), Villa Azula Vista (Secret Harbor area), and Paradise Found (Magens Bay area). (There aren't alot of places available for our dates.) How do these various areas compare? How are the roads (paved?). Are taxis available? We plan to rent a vehicle but sometimes it's nice to hire a taxi and not worry about driving. Thanks!

I live in St Thomas and know the owners of Villa Marea. I have spent many a day on the pooldeck just listening to the waves crashing below and looking out over the chain of islands. The setting is private, and the landscaping is at it's prime. Great choice. Also friends own Katmari House, also in Peterborg. Another fine choice with it's elegance and fantastic reading room Last but not least, Villa Amour on the Northside has a zero edge pool that will have you wishing you never had to leave, in fact you may as wel stock up on groceries, 'cause you won't want to miss one minute of being up on that mountain. Tell them Renee said you wouldn't be dissapointed.

villaamour.com

katmari.com

if you want to get in touch with the owners directly at villa marea, email me at rhumrich@starband.net and I will forward it along

Good vacationing!

Which Villa did you choose? We are considering Villa Azula Vista....have you seen it?

We stayed at the Cabrita Cliff Haus. Beautiful, private, relatively convenient. Must have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Have seen Villa Marea and I agree about the view and the sound of the sea breaking on the rocks below. The pelicans also put on a diving show - it seems like every afternoon. Just wanted to mention, since you do mention privacy, that there is a direct site line down into the Marea pool area from Allure Villa which is situated just above and to the east of Marea. I don't think that it is a big deal unless you are looking for a "clothing optional" villa but, other than that, I don't think you can beat the area and the view. Even though it is cliffside we have never had the need for a 4wd when staying at Allure - newly paved roads all the way - and you are only about 5-10 minutes from Udder Delight Dairy and from Magens Beach.

- Margy