Affordable Coral Bay Sanctuary. Quiet, walk to park beaches, sea & pond views.

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 484 sq m

Popular amenities

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Washer

Air conditioning

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Enjoy the area

Coral Bay

Virgin Islands National Park15 min walk
Trunk Bay14 min drive
Cinnamon Bay Beach24 min drive
St. Thomas (STT-Cyril E. King)102 min drive

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Single Bed and 1 Double Futon

Calabash Cottage

2 Single Beds and 1 King Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Outdoor shower

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Balcony

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

Fiddlewood Cottage is an affordable breezy, private, one bedroom (with AC), fully equipped, home on the undeveloped, quiet side of St. John, nestled within the Virgin Islands National Park. It is located a short distance from the end of the bus line at Saltpond Bay, above Mandahl Pond, with walking distance to Grootpan, Kiddel, Saltpond and Lameshur beaches. There is another 1 room efficiency "Calabash Cottage" with 2 twin beds that can be converted to a king sized bed, with separate entrance and bathroom that can be rented separately or together to accommodate larger parties. It is at the end of the driveway but both spaces have privacy. Mature gardens, with large shade trees. A peace filled sanctuary where all creatures find comfort. Except mosquitoes!!! 8 minute drive to Coral Bay for groceries, shopping and restaurants.
A VERY well equipped cottage comes with all amenities including:
Dish soaps, paper towels, toilet paper, all kitchen supplies, bath & beach towels, beach chairs, swim fins (masks not provided), outdoor gas grill, full size kitchen and drinking water is separately filtered at the kitchen sink. In addition to the great breezes, there are ceiling fans in every room with AC in the bedroom only.

Fiddlewood's bedroom has a queen size bed, a queen pull out couch in the living room plus a single sleeping settee on the screened in porch overlooking Mandahl Pond's amazing bird life. Affordable for those who loved camping at Maho Bay, Cinnamon Bay, or Concordia but want to upgrade with more privacy, comfort and easy access. Off road parking right to the front door. Dining on both the front and back decks with fresh herbs growing in the front deck garden.

WIFI provided and cell phone works best using WIFI mode. Breezy with living room that opens to screened in porch above Mandahl Pond for lounging & great bird watching.

Deck with 2 lounge chairs for shaded morning coffee, sunset views to Grootpan Bay with the distant sounds of crashing waves & star filled skies devoid of light pollution. Dining inside on porch and outside in the garden. A perfect place for retreats, honeymoons & nature filled getaways. The light is always changing, magic and a plein air painters dream!

We have been clearing a flat space below the cottage, planting more medicinal and edible herbs , trees and grasses. This space can be used for intimate weddings, celebrations of life, plant ceremonies or grounding within your yoga practices.

Affordable, quiet, peaceful, comfortable, unpretentious living in the Caribbean is what we offer to the traveler who wants to get away far, far from the maddening crowds.

Property manager

Les Anderson

Premier Host

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

Ocean view

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Check out before 9:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

2 children max.

Events

Events allowed: family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings

$200 Event fee. Extra tables, coolers available.

Pets

Pets allowed: less than 50 lbs per pet (limit one pet total)

With a $200 damage deposit. And $25/day per pet.

Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas

Outside only.

When using sprayed personal body products: sunscreen, body oil, bug spray, etc. please apply outside only.

Body products that stain linens & towels will cost $75 Sheets, $4 Washcloth, $6 Hand Towel, $8 Bath, $25 Beach &will be deducted from Damage Deposit.

Lost beach chairs, fins, $45 will be deducted from Damage Deposit.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

About the area

St. John

Located in St. John, this cottage is in a rural area and on the waterfront. While the natural beauty of Virgin Islands National Park and Cinnamon Bay Beach can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can check out Tortola Cruise Ship Port. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Coral Bay

What's nearby

Virgin Islands National Park - 15 min walk
Cinnamon Bay - 12 min drive
Trunk Bay - 14 min drive
Maho Beach - 21 min drive
Cinnamon Bay Beach - 24 min drive

Getting around

St. Thomas (SPB-St. Thomas Seaplane Base) - 100 min drive

Restaurants

Lime Out - 25 min drive
Tap & Still - 29 min drive
Skinny Legs - 8 min drive
The Windmill Bar - 24 min drive
Greengo’s - 30 min drive

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Susan M., El Granada and Land O Lakes, WI

29 March 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Fiddlewood Cottage

My travel partner and I stayed for 12 days at this artfully decorated, immaculate, and well equipped cottage. The kitchen had any spice, bowl, and pan we would ever need. The beds were comfy with views galore to the National Park and Grootpan Bay. Outside the gorgeous plant and plentiful bird life surrounded the decks. Our superlative host Mary gave us great advice before we came and for our daily adventures. We will definitely book this cottage again in the future.

Stayed 11 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan S.

11 May 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enchanted April

Perhaps you have never seen a flamingo beyond the confines of a zoo. Maybe you have never heard the subtle, secret sounds of nature as night falls in a garden. If you haven’t witnessed a cloud of hummingbirds feeding on a flowering cactus or watched a tree frog’s vigil on a rainy night you will be able to do so in Mary’s garden. St. John in April is the strangest mix of lush and arid. The stony road that leads to the cottage is the prelude to a garden where orchids cling to a tree that itself erupts into blooms that previously only existed in a book by Dr. Seuss. Cactus live cheek by jowl with blossoming perennials and palms. St John is full of magical contradictions. Water is precious here but St John blooms with proper stewardship. This cottage was private and quiet, immaculately kept and sweetly whimsical. You have every amenity necessary for comfort. Mary is a responsive and lovely host. Need a tent to shelter from sun at the beach? She provides it. Flippers? They are available, sunscreen? In a basket, along with cortisone for the occasional bug bite. Towels? Check. Shampoo? Absolutely! A grill? On the porch. Ice? Waiting for you in the freezer. Filtered water, every item one needs to cook a meal to enjoy after a long day on the sand. There will never be silence there – it is filled with the hum of life. Geckos, land crabs ,birds, frogs. At night? I think Mary even arranged for all those stars, as they are placed just so. Of course we will want to go back!

Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Neal S., Overland Park, KS

9 March 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A colorful West Indies feel

The flora and fauna (bird sanctuary) here surround a quaintly-decorated cottage, giving one a true feel for the West Indies. Tucked away from the bustling tourism one finds on the opposite end of St.John, this place is a peaceful retreat, with everything a family needs for a fun vacation. Salt Pond Bay and Little Laneshur Bay are closeby, and we found then to be great beaches with awesome snorkeling.

Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mary H.

19 January 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful spot!

We loved our vacation in this beautiful cottage! The location was perfect for easy access to hiking and snorkeling/swimming. Many national park trails are walking distance from the house, as are several snorkeling sites. We greatly enjoyed snorkeling in Groopan and Kiddle Bays, close to the cottage, and exploring the park trails. The cottage was very well outfitted, and the garden and views are inspiring! Thank you Mary for the perfect vacation!

Stayed 12 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Stacey K.

20 February 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet Island Getaway!

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time at Mary’s place. We loved how remote and quiet it was, and we had beautiful views off the back deck. Definitely a great place to stay if you are looking for something less busy than Cruz Bay, and right by great hiking trails. Would love to come back again!

Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2022

About the host

Hosted by Les Anderson

We are 40 + year full time residents of St. John and Fiddlewood Cottage will become our retirement home when we can no longer negotiate our 50 steps to our current home in East End. We are both artists and built our East End home plus did all of the remodeling at the cottage ourselves with aesthetics and comfort as our focus. Mary managed 10 successful vacation villas starting in 1986 and sold it in 1996. Having done the vacation rental dance for 10 years we are "old school" and believe those who visit are truly our guests and not just renters. We know what it takes to have our guests feel welcomed, comfortable and secure knowing we are here 24/7 to insure a great stay.

Why they chose this property

We purchased this property because it is flat land, has established gardens, totally private, walking distance to GREAT snorkeling beaches and is also waterfront. Completely different environment from our beach front, windward side property. The pond below the cottage is full of every variety of bird here in the Virgin Islands. We also love to garden and the property's topography with native vegetation is very inspiring. The contrasting environments is what we LOVE about St. John the most!

What makes this property unique

We saw Fiddlewood Cottage at 4:30 and bought it at 5:00 in July 2013. We are gardeners and the topography is perfect for our old age. Also, short, easy walking distances to beaches with GREAT swimming and snorkeling was another plus we were thrilled to find.Right above Mandahl Pond and sea views of the National Park insured we would never be looking at another house or resort. There are great breezes and the feeling of being surrounded by a sanctuary full of wildlife is heavenly! It's a short 8 minute drive to Coral Bay, grocery stores and nightlife. The quiet, serene atmosphere is a huge contrast to many other neighborhoods on the island, especially now with all of the building going on post Hurricane Irma. In addition, being on this side of the island where the Atlantic and Caribbean waters come together are nutrient rich so sea life abounds. The reefs had some damage but nothing comparison to the Northshore or East End beaches. Especially in off season, one can have beaches all to themselves in this part of the island. Truly a rare piece of property we were blessed to find!