We (husband, teen-age son and myself) were looking for a week of rest and relaxation during the 2014 holidays. We wanted a place that was sunny and warm and easy to get to. All we wanted to do during the holidays was nothing! Found Haven del Mar via a Google search. We booked this place more than 6 months before our vacation and by chance had the opportunity to meet the owner, Jason, in person which was very helpful. Also, prior to our arrival Jason was able to face time us from the vacation rental and gave us a tour of the house as well as filled us in on other pertinent information. The information sheet that is sent prior to our visit had a wealth of information (print this out or download it-we forgot to write down the Wi-Fi password and spent about a hundred dollars on our US domestic mobile to access our email from the house to get the password).
The house is located on a canal-There is a dock attached to the house and the water was crystal clear. We could just look down and see all kinds of fish. There was a sea urchin whose progress we monitored daily.
We do not do any water activities-i.e. kayak, boating, snorkel, dive. Swimming in the ocean or sitting in the sun is not our thing either. We are walkers and runners. Yet, we enjoyed this cottage by the water. It has all the modern amenities-TV, Wi-Fi, hot water, and electricity.
We achieved what we came here to find – relaxation, read, family time and be lazy.
Below is a list of some things that stood out for us:
Neighborhood – House is located in a quiet cul-de-sac. There are about 8 or so houses. Safe and quiet-I did not see anyone. Now and then I would hear a car go by. It was far enough away from the crowd but close enough to everything.
House – About 2000 sq. feet – I think. Has all the modern conveniences – hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi. There are three bedrooms-master, guest and kids. Both my son and I have perennial environmental allergies. My son had an allergy attack and sneezed for two days. We finally figured out it might be the room and moved him to the master bedroom and the allergy attack completely ceased. I am not sure what it was but something in that room triggered his allergies. There were no allergy attacks in the master or guest bedroom. Also, size wise, I felt the house was perfect for the three of us. More than that would have been a bit crowded.
Car – A must unless you have other means of transportation. The car allowed us to explore the island. We drove to the West End; we drove to the East End. We Drove to Lucaya National park, several beaches, restaurants, wherever we wanted to. Driving on the left was not as difficult as driving in the UK. There isn’t much traffic and the speed limit is about 45 mph. Gas is very expensive, but having your own wheels is still a lot cheaper than getting a taxi.
AC - Did not use it as the owner did not want it turned below 80. We just opened the windows and used the fans.
Beaches – We walked to three different beaches in the mornings from the house – Xanadu, Princess Beach and the Beach off of Lil Dirt Bar (don’t know the name). None of these beaches have any amenities. They were quiet, peaceful and we had the beach to ourselves. Walking and exploring took us about 1-2 hours. We came home and had breakfast after our walks. Our original plan was to do morning runs, but we didn’t wake up early enough when it was still cool.
Bakery – Jason gave us directions to this bakery which is about 3 miles from the house. There is no sign – it is on Pinder’s Point Road (Ronnie’s Bakery). They make several things here. I tried the white bread, raisin bread, sweet potato bread, carrot cake, Christmas cake, coconut tart and the pineapple tart. The best out of all of these were the white bread & raisin bread (they look like our dinner rolls and come in a pack of 12 – we ate so much of this) and the pineapple tart. Everything else had an oily texture and tasted a bit rancid.
Grocery – We visited the Cost Rite (like BJ’s and Sam’s but don’t have to be a member) and Solomon’s. We preferred the Solomon’s located on the way to the Lucaya Market place (bigger and more organized), rather than the Solomon’s we stopped at near the airport.
Prices – Be prepared for sticker shock at the grocery store. Pineapple was $7.99 on a tropical island! I was glad I brought two bottles of wine from the US. A cheap Yellow Tail cabernet was $18/bottle.
Washer and Dryer – There was a washer and dryer in the closet in the garage but I didn’t use it. The garage was full of stuff and I just didn’t want to go in there. There was a lot of useful stuff – beach chairs, coolers, bikes etc. along with the usual garage stuff. Would have liked to use some of the stuff, but didn’t want to deal with the garage.
Taxi – Jason arranged airport pick-up with Mr. Tynes. We used him for our trips to and from the airport. Very nice gentleman.
Water – Jason ordered four 5 gallon jugs of water for us. Thank you – we drank almost 10 gallons of it.
Trash – Pick up on Monday – put out on Sunday. Everything is trashed - they do not recycle.
Kitchen- Had crockery and cutlery, pots and pans, paper towels, salt and pepper, a new sponge. There was also some other staples – not sure if these were left over from other guests. I would have liked to have had a broom handy. Not sure if it was in the garage – I just didn’t want to venture in there.
A suggestion to enhance a guest's stay here would be to put away some of the stuff that will not be used by guests. There were broken chairs, drawers full of tools, papers, stuff and lots of cleaners, half used lotions, and bars of soap. Also, if some of the things in the garage were organized a bit more, they may be better utilized by guests.
All in all a great week – highly recommend this place.