Smugglers Nest

In Depth

Smugglers Nest is a mesmerizing property, which has graced the pages of Architectural Digest and more recently MACO Magazine, a Caribbean lifestyle publication renowned for featuring the most outstanding and unusually designed homes in the region. It is a two bedroom property but seems enormous and there are many nooks and crannies to retreat to. Perched on a seafront promontory at Smugglers Cove, within divine Eden-like gardens, Smugglers Nest is located at the northernmost point of St Lucia within the exclusive environs of Cap Estate. It is close to, but hidden from other villas including Smugglers Nest enjoying fabulous views to Pigeon Point to the south and north across the water to Martinique

The villa is an enchanting, rambling adobe style home with white painted plaster walls, exposed bleached roofs, timber beams and woodwork. It is quite earthy in appearance and certainly it is something special - a villa of quality that has been cleverly furnished for comfort, keeping to neutral tones in the main living areas. Smugglers Nest has all of the attributes of a dream home in the Caribbean, from its stunning location with awe inspiring views, distinctive open plan architecture, comfortable furnishings and enchanting tropical landscaped gardens, so if you are looking for something with barefoot charm and a touch of class, this is it.

The villa is delightfully warren-like, with numerous sitting areas to escape to. Despite being only a two-bedroom house, the sitting areas are extremely spacious, and there is extensive terracing. There are sea views from every room, and with its open plan design, the house seems to merge with its lush surrounds, creating a natural ambiance and sense of outdoor living, especially with birds darting in and out. There are two very cosy living areas, one for lounging and another a raised area that is more of a snug (it also has cable TV). Both are furnished with a mixture of antique Indonesian furniture, plump white sofas, built-in seating with scatter cushions, rocking chairs and various artefacts for a stylish and casual look. The dining area, located next to the large and well equipped kitchen, is open plan and has a large table and antique dresser. The kitchen is fitted out in pickled pine and has a breakfast table with built–in seating, and yet again tremendous views.

Steps lead down from the main living room, past a study and a conveniently located shower room, to a patio and then down again to a wonderful, lagoon like swimming pool which is surrounded by lush vegetation and a sun terrace. Above the pool is a shaded cocktail area, and there are two lovely gazebos, one tucked away in the garden and the other with a spectacular position hugging the cliff edge and overhanging the sea – a fabulous spot at sunset.

The two bedrooms at Smugglers Nest are located beyond the living area. An unusual minstrel’s gallery overlooks the second bedroom which has a queen-size bed. With its own very private wooden patio with sea views, this room features a large, green painted, distressed look wardrobe from Indonesia, and a 6ft wooden screen in place of a headboard to the bed. There is a large en suite bathroom with stable doors to the shower. The master bedroom, has a romantic, bamboo four-poster, king-size bed draped with netting, with a wrap-around sea view veranda and breakfast area. There is a huge en suite bathroom with separate shower and tub for two, with views of the ocean.

Beach & Swimming

Smugglers Cove, a small sandy (volcanic sand) cove beneath the property has excellent snorkelling and a good swimming area. A ten minute drive will get you to Causeway Beach which has two stretches of white sand leading to Pigeon Island National Park. The northern area of the beach is popular with St Lucians on weekends and bank holidays, and has a picnic area. Reduit Beach is the island's most popular beach and is located on the other side of Rodney Bay, with a lovely mile long stretch of powder soft sand. It is fairly active. It has a few hotels and a good variety of watersports is available, including waterskiing, parasailing, jetski, sunfish and hobie cat sailing. It takes about ten minutes to reach by car.

Sports & Recreation

The 18-hole, 6829 yard, par 71 course at the St Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate is within five minutes drive and has a pro shop, driving range and restaurant. The nearest tennis courts open to the public (courts must be booked in advance) are at the St Lucia Racquet Club at Club St Lucia, also in Cap Estate (within walking distance), which has seven floodlit Laykold cushioned tennis courts, a squash court and gym. There are also two squash courts at the St Lucia Yacht Club at Reduit in Rodney Bay. The Sportivo fitness centre at Rodney Heights is St Lucia's largest gym and offers yoga, Tai Chi and Karate classes. There is a full service spa at LeSport Hotel which you can visit with a day pass.

Luxury Wedding Villa St Lucia

With such spectacular scenery and Tropical Villas' well trained staff in the background, a St Lucia villa can make for excellent wedding venue. Smugglers Nest is a St Lucia private rental with a wonderful setting and Tropical Villas offer an excellent service for villa weddings. The company does a good basic St Lucia wedding package, but of course you can build on this. Please see their review for further details of Tropical Villas' services for St Lucia weddings. Alternatively if you would prefer the specialist services of a local wedding co-ordinator Tropical Villas are happy to work with a company like Awesome Caribbean Weddings, which can provide imaginative suggestions and the logisitical support to make a perfect day.

Locality

Smugglers Nest is located close to Pointe du Cap within Cap Estate, a large residential development at the northern tip of the island. There are many luxury homes dotted on the hillsides of the Cap, some holiday homes, some residential. There are two other villas located on the Smugglers Cove promontory, with Saman House to the south and Smugglers Point to the south. Two of the best restaurants in St Lucia are nearby - the Great House and Tao at LeSport. Views from the estate include Pigeon Island National Park, a forty four acre National Trust reserve which was joined to the mainland by a man-made causeway in 1972. The island features ruins of many 18th century British and French military buildings including Fort Rodney, and has an Interpretation Centre, a restaurant featuring local cuisine, a historical themed pub and restaurant, and lookout point at the top of the fort. The island is also the main venue of the annual St Lucia Jazz Festival, held each May which attracts a host of international stars. A ferry runs between the island and Rodney Bay on an hourly schedule.

Opposite Pigeon Point (as it is now called), is Rodney Bay, St Lucia's busiest tourist area, where there are hotels, good restaurants and bars, a shopping mall, banks, mini marts and a nearby supermarket (on the main road) called Super J and a very lively nightlife. It has a busy marina and attracts over 200 boats for the annual ARC (trans-Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) which usually sees its first arrivals in early December. The nearby village of Gros Islet hosts the now famous Friday Night Jump Up, an all night street party. The Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island area is a ten minute journey by car. Castries the capital and George F L Charles Airport (formerly known as Vigie) which receives inter-island flights only, are about 25 minutes drive away.

Useful Hints

Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival (a starter food pack costs approximately US $40 per person), so that the cook/housekeeper can then prepare a simple welcome meal should this be required. Thereafter, your housekeeper will be happy to assist you with your shopping should you wish to delegate this chore, however do expect to provide transportation and appropriate gratuity for this service. Rental rates for villas in St Lucia do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.

Personal laundry is not included in the rental rates and charges are approximately as follows: machine wash small load EC$10, hand wash small load EC$25 and ironing small load EC$25.

Airport Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct ask the villa management company Tropical Villas to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. These are arranged with their taxi driver Desir (pronounced Daisy), who normally waits in the area just outside the customs hall at Hewanorra airport. He will hold a Tropical Villas sign and if you miss him go to the Tourist Board desk and they will page him for you. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 1hr 30 minutes from Hewanorra and 20 minutes from George Charles. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include helicopter transfers, you should consider hiring a concierge service, we recommend St Lucia Representative Services.

If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking.

Getting Around

A hired car is strongly recommended for all St Lucia villas, unless you would prefer staff to call taxis for you as required. A vehicle will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Drive-A-Matic (Tropical Villas will book this for you) or Cool Breeze Car & Jeep Rentals for your St Lucia car rental and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately 3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on St Lucia or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.