Tara Tortola

Beautifully designed in the West Indian style and very well equipped, Tara sits at the end of a tranquil neighborhood road for excellent seclusion.

Overlooking lovely sea views and perfectly sited to refreshing tradewinds, this four-pavilion property is arranged hillside in a private garden setting.

From the parking area, a staircase leads up to Tara's generous terrace and to the pool. Tara's first pavilion, on the west side of the pool and terrace, is outfitted as a romantic air-conditioned king suite with a 4-poster canopy bed, TV and DVD player, a large balcony and an alfresco stone shower. The larger main pavilion on the opposite side of the pool and terrace comprises the Great Room where you can snuggle into the overstuffed couches and watch your favorite TV programs or listen to music through the Bose surround sound system.

Just outside the Great Room is a breezy covered outdoor living area overlooking ocean vistas. This wraparound verandah also borders the superbly-equipped gourmet kitchen, which opens out to the pool terrace. Here you'll find a thatched tiki bar, the perfect spot for those island rum cocktails. Adjoining the Great Room on the east side is a covered garden pavilion with a fountain, set for dining with views through arched windows of the sparkling sea beyond.

Adjacent to the dining terrace is the third pavilion with an air-conditioned office equipped with a computer with DSL line and a printer/scanner/fax. A queen sofabed shares space within this office/study. The adjoining bathroom then connects directly to an air-conditioned queen bedroom suite, which opens to a private deck and small garden just outside. Tara's fourth pavillion, an air-conditioned king suite with its own balcony and an exotic alfresco stone shower, is just beyond.

Done up in Caribbean colors and accented with cool tile floors, brick, and by beautiful native stone walls and planters surrounding tropical flora, this island-style haven's interiors flow gracefully out to the delightful picture-perfect tableau just beyond its archways and doors. Tara is a superb vacation villa for family and friends. (Rolex, the cat, lives at Tara).