Villa Esencia

We loved having breakfast on the veranda each morning, with a beautiful ocean view through the large floor to ceiling windows. We stayed in the Karana Penthouse on the second level, above the trees where a breeze reaches the veranda. The air conditioning was welcome on hot days without wind. Some nearby first floor villas sit lower, with only vegetation for a view and no breeze. The villa had a well equipped kitchen and plenty of plush towels for the beach and shower. The beach is a one minute walk away. There’s a nice cabana, though we mostly used the beach chairs and umbrellas. We took the kayaks out toward the distant shipwreck, La Famille. A couple of restaurants and H2O beach bar are about five minutes away on foot, where cocktails cost about $15 each. Blue collectives kiteboarding is around half a mile up the beach. Everyone was friendly. We booked a kayak tour with them from North Shore, learned about the mangroves, and visited Little Cay, also called Iguana Island. It was so cool seeing so many iguanas. They brought a yeti full of water and a generous snack of fruit, muffins, and chocolate cake for each of us. The villa came with a car, which you need to reach other restaurants, grocery stores, tours, and the Thursday night island fish fry next to Mr. Groupers. Most activities and Grace Bay Gourmet grocery are only 5-10 minutes away by car. I’d definitely recommend the Karana Penthouse.

Our private cottage and its own pool were spectacular, and the beach is only 75 yards away. The owners were lovely and made sure we had everything we needed. Villa Encencia felt like a slice of heaven, and we couldn’t be happier with our choice of resort.

For a quiet beach break, Villa Esencia is hard to beat. The water’s unbelievable, and the soft white sand runs alongside shallow water that stays hip deep for miles. At low tide, you can walk three miles out to the shipwreck, and beach walks are great too. I’m a kiter, and even with the wind keeping me off the water most of the week, I never got too down. Every time I woke from a nap, I couldn’t believe the color of the sea. Our condo was in excellent shape. The bedroom has air conditioning, while a breeze moves through the living room all day. There’s a deck with seating, a dining table, and a gas BBQ. The pool is just a short walk away, and the beach is twice that distance, close enough to come back for food and water. The accommodations were excellent, and I’ve never stayed in a better location. For kiteboarding, you’d be hard pressed to find a better spot. Kiteboarders have compressed air on the beach, self launch posts, use of the owners’ boards, a cubby for wet gear, and a hot tub for tired muscles. There’s lots of room to relax on the beach. If you don’t kite, lessons are a five minute walk up the beach, and you can enjoy the pool and the secluded feel while looking at the water in the warm Caribbean air. Villa Esencia has everything you need for a great vacation either way. You really need a rental car. Main roads are good, while the coral roads off them can be bumpy, though they were fixed up quite nicely this year. The grocery store is a five minute drive and has the same foods as back home, but groceries cost about double what they do in Ontario. Beer costs about twice as much too, except for local Turks Head, which I usually drink.

We were lucky to stay at this beautiful, well kept villa in a perfect spot for visiting the island. Our hostess was lovely, welcoming, and available for anything we might need, though we didn’t need a thing during our stay. My husband and I will definitely come back.