Light, clean and spacious flat with good beds, fully equipped kitchen, cozy lighting and all the local literature one could wish - just bring your own cutting knives.
AC noise in living area considerable - relevant only when sleeping 5+ persons
Wonderful private garden, beach and pool area with plenty capacity. Tennis courts great - just bring your own rackets as balls are available. Quiet - only the wind and the cracking waves are heard.
Central location on the island i.e. reasonable driving times.
1 km OK jogging round through the national park available. No footpaths outside the towns.
Very child friendly - bring your friends to ensure playmates
You need to have a car to reach attractions. Get a 4 WD as roads are 3rd world standard - we witnessed 3 pot hole caused front wheel breaks in 7 days. Also, only a 4WD will take you to great places in the rain forest
Very attentive and friendly hosts.
This Condo is on the northshore right next to the Salt River. We found the size of the unit perfect for teenage boy and 22 year daughter, each had their own space. Grounds were perfect, you can see the ocean and hear the waves crashing from anywhere in unit, great for walking too. The visitor center of St. Croix was a walk up the hill and we got a great history lesson of St. Croix which set the tone for all of our landmark visits. The pool was exceptional, gaming room fun and beach with tiki bar even more amazing. This absolutely beats staying in a popular resort, we never had to fight a crowd for lawn chair or get up early to get our spots secured, it was truly relaxing. Some mornings we had our own private beach until almost 10 or 11 in the morning. Having my coffee on the beach without another person anywhere was truly peaceful. Also, very private to sit and listen to waves in evening too. The residents were very friendly. Condo had everything we needed, blender, coolers for beach, beach towels, games. The unit was clean and easy to get in and out of with kids, I also believe it to be very safe.
We were fortunate to be able to stay in Gentle Winds - C-1 for the last part of June, what locals kept calling the "off-season" (as if such a thing exists). The condo is spacious, comfortably furnished and well cleaned, and the décor does a great job of giving you that beach vacation feel. Just about every necessity for a short or long stay was provided (linens, towels, washer / dryer, cooking utensils and basic supplies), all we had to do was stock the fridge/freezer ourselves and replaced whatever we used. There is a propane grill on-site as well if steaks or hamburgers on the beach sounds good to you.
On the days it did rain, we were happy to stay on the screened-in porch and watch the waves roll in. As others have said, the condo is furnished with plenty of activities / cards / boards games / TV and DVDs / Netflix to keep busy when not out in the sun. Rain never lasted for more than a couple hours before blowing away, giving us a chance to be the first back out to the pool or beach.
The Gentle Winds development is very well kept up, with daily grounds-keeping and pool maintenance, even going as far as to comb the beach every morning. Gentle Winds is out of the way of public traffic and sits on private property, so the grounds were never crowded but still had enough people staying in units to make new friends. As the description says, the beach is virtually private.
Gentle Winds also maintains several outdoor activities on the grounds, such as a shuffle board court, ping-pong table and 3-4 short holes for golfing (the office has clubs and practice balls to borrow). There is a tennis court, and a couple well-stocked chests of pool and beach toys. The tiki shack (the Sandy Toes bar) sits on-site between the beach and the pool, and is a great place to stay fed/hydrated during the day if you don't want to walk the 60 or so seconds back to your condo.
Being in the middle of the island, there is quick access to most shopping and necessities, as well as short drives to local sites to see (Christiansted, Frederiksted, the Cruzan Rum distillery, botanical gardens, Columbus' "landing" site). Once we stocked the fridge for the week, we found Gentle Winds and the condo so enjoyable that we hardly left; we actually ended up returning our rental car for several days of the trip just to save money since we weren't using it.
Would definitely recommend to anybody looking to stay on the island, as long as you don't pick the weeks I want :)
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We just returned from a trip to St. Croix. Our Gentle Winds Condo unit was the perfect place to stay. We loved the location, the spacious grounds, the beach and the condo. Maresa, the owner, was so accommodating and pleasant. She answered all our questions before we arrived and checked with us upon arrival. Her on-site contact, Hyacinth, checked with us as well. We could not have been more pleased with the condo. It was an excellent place and served all five of us well. We highly recommend staying at Gentle Winds!
St. Croix is absolutely beautiful! We enjoyed snorkeling, sailing, beaches, Christiansted and traveling the entire island. Much to do, if you want to. We liked the north shore especially, and we would definitely stay at Gentle Winds again. Our best eating was at Rowdy Joe's on the north shore. Belinda sailing is highly recommended and our Buck Island trip with Caribbean Sea Adventures was top notch as well.
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I read all the reviews about Gentle Winds and this particular end unit and I agree with all the positive attributes other visitors have commented on. But, I have a few things to add. It is actually more beautiful inside this unit and outside than the lovely pictures convey and it felt very conducive to playing and relaxing. Perhaps it's because of the open layout, roominess and lush views from almost everywhere in the main living areas. While eating breakfast in the dining area we took in the same tropical picture through the full sliding glass doors as we could while preparing food in the kitchen, or sitting on the screened porch, which also had another table and 4 chairs, (more good room for spreading out) We had the views in all of the living areas: coconut palms waving and sounds of the ocean. No matter where you are you can't help but feel good. The decor was tropical with soothing colors. Playing games (the owner stocked games and books - another plus, in the dining area) or reading on the screened porch even using a tablet, we could always hear the ocean. The condo's layout gave some separation so you're not shoulder to shoulder every moment, yet it felt connected at the same time. (I'm not an architect, I can't explain why it worked) A separate couch (sleeper sofa) in the entry area was another nook to be in which we didn't use because we didn't have extended family or kids with us but it's available. The king size beds were comfortable, the bedrooms felt very roomy and there was plenty of storage space. As we walked across the lawn to the pool and saw the ocean beyond and mountain and palm trees, we started to relax even before we got to the pool and beach. What made the vacation easy in this particular unit was that the owners thought of everything so basically we just provided food in the fridge. They even had spices in the well stocked kitchen: plenty of sliverware, dishes, (very pretty ones too) utensils, pots. Lots of towels and wash cloths and separate beach towels and even extra shampoos and soap under the bathroom sink. A washer and dryer helped also. We ate out when we wanted and did the tours that attracted us. My husband had a great diving experience, his 2nd only dive. We attended a lecture & slide show on the large leatherback and other sea turtles that come to the beaches to lay their eggs. Next day we walked the beach early morning hoping to find the tracks of one of these 500 - 1,000 pound turtles that might have come at night which is when they dig their nests. We found some and that was exciting. Definitely pick up the brochures at the snack bar by the pool for good ideas of what's happening while you're there. We loved going to the free soft jazz concert in town and walking along the boardwalk, eating dinner outdoors near the sea. On the days when a cruise ship comes in, there are street vendors along the port. That was fun to shop. Suggestion: Call to get information on whatever you find in the brochures as they're not always specific or accurate. As we learned, "your're in St. Croix and things are lay back - don't worry be happy!"
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We just returned from a great two week vacation during which our daughter and her family joined us for Christmas week. The condo was pristine and outfitted with everything imaginable - even an egg slicer - and a multitude of appliances. We have traveled quite a bit, usually staying in condos, but have never found one as much like home as this! The view was stunning! Thank you, Maresa and Bob, for letting us share your condo in paradise!
Hyacinth was a dream to work with. She stayed in touch to make sure we had everything we needed and even called Christmas day just to wish us Merry Christmas!
Sheila and Sarah down at the Sandy Toes Tiki Bar on the beach were terrific - great fun and very accommodating. Food and drinks were yummy and Sheila's jewelry is awesome. Be sure to ask her to see her latest creations. Both girls were very helpful, suggesting what we should see and do while we were on island. Snorkeling at Rainbow Beach in Frederiksted was awesome. Dinner at the Brew Pub in Christiansted was a lot of fun too.
Also, just a FYI, we found Plaza Extra West to be the nicest and most complete grocery store in which to shop. They have a very nice selection of gluten-free products, very important to our family.
Finally, a few mosquitoes found me while I was there, but with diligent use of insect repellent, they didn't ruin my vacation this year. Here's a good tip. Ask your veterinarian for some Vetri Science Repel Wipes. They are a natural repellent for fleas, ticks, flies and mosquitoes that smell good (like cloves and cinnamon).
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The condo in question has no. 2302605.
We are form Denmark. The condo was clean. Which is important.
The condo is on the beach, and from the living room there is a full view over the park, beach and sea. A very beautifull view.
There is a swimmingpool and a 4 hole golf training course.
The beach is sandy. No rocks and stones. But further out there is good snorkeling.
The wall is just outside the beach.
The apartment is fully fournished for 2 couples, with 2 bedrooms and bathrooms in connection with the bedrooms. Linnen and towels is provided. There is two sofas so you
can stay 6 persons.
Fully furnished kitchen with a good coffee maker and what else you need for household.
Let me stress this: You want to stay forever.
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