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In the British Virgin Islands, on the western coast of Virgin Gorda, a stone’s throw from the ocean, nestled among the trees, sits the Aquamare Villa compound. Consisting of three 8,000-square-foot, five-bedroom villas, a private beach, a private yacht, and a concierge house, the Aquamare Villas are a sumptuous choice for the yachtsman looking to add a little turf to his surf.
Located about ten minutes north of IGY’s Yacht Harbor Virgin Gorda in Spanish Town, the Aquamare Villas are easily accessible to cruisers passing through the area. For those who don’t bring their yachts to Virgin Gorda, Aquamare still offers guests a chance to get out on the water, with an Azimut 62 available for rent. “We wanted to offer [our guests] the opportunity to explore all the British Virgin Islands,” said co-owner Guillermo Paz. With a captain and crew already aboard, the boat is available for day trips around the British Virgin Islands. Tours include diving and catered beach picnics.
For those who have been at sea however, the villas will offer a welcome break from the rock of the waves. “We wanted to build a very unique experience for our guests, where renting the villas would be something closer to staying in a five-star hotel,” said Paz, “Sometimes you go to a villa and there are some things that are not working properly, particularly when you’re in a beachfront villa that requires a lot of maintenance. There are many details that are overlooked and not really taken care of. We wanted to make the villa rental experience as flawless as possible.”
This goal of perfection guided the construction of the compound throughout. Paz and his team gave great attention to each detail, making sure that each piece of the villas was as elegant as possible. “The toiletries are Bulgari, your china in the kitchen is all Rosenthal there are no floral prints,” Paz said “It’s up to the scale of the way our guests have their own houses, really quite an upscale setting, very elegant.”
The Aquamare group made sure to avoid what is perhaps the most common argument that begins shortly after guests have arrived at a villa: Who gets the big room? “We wanted that not to be an issue among friends staying at Aquamare…there are three master bedrooms rather than one master bedroom and four kids’ rooms,” Paz said. “We wanted this experience to be a very cordial one.” The villas rent for $20,350 for a one-week block in the high season, and for $13,750 for a five-day block in the low season. “Typically our experience is that people use at least four of the rooms. Eight people per visit is our average,” Paz said. “It is ideal for groups and families.”
During your stay all guest needs are met, thanks to the full staff on hand. “There are two housekeepers per villa, and there’s a concierge on site to take care of all your needs, and there are chef services and spa services,” Paz said. If you want to do your own cooking on vacation, instead of hiring a chef or sampling the local fare at one of Virgin Gorda’s restaurants, you can arrange for all of your grocery shopping to be done prior to your arrival.
Pampering and relaxation may make guests want to stay in their villas night and day, but visitors to Virgin Gorda shouldn’t overlook what the island has to offer. Visit Yacht Harbor Virgin Gorda and check out the shops, chandlery, and restaurants, or take a quick tender ride to the south around Fort Point and you will find the pristine Valley Trunk Beach and the world famous Baths, a collection of giant boulders scattered about the coast that form grottos, pools, and trails, all on the edge of the crystal blue water.
With their oceanfront views, private beach, exclusive yacht, and proximity to Yacht Haven Virgin Gorda, the Aquamare Villas are a sublime destination for cruisers in the area looking to give their sea legs a brief repose. With the villas built to optimize views of the Sir Francis Drake Channel, Tortola, and the Dog Islands, Paz says that “Having a bottle of champagne there and watching the sunset is something really spectacular.”
Villa Aquamare, (787) 461-2638; **www.villaaquamare.com**
