The Black River Villa Review That Never Happened

Every once in a while I go through photos to see what I’ve experienced in Jamaica that I’ve never written about and this villa popped up as one of those things.  This accommodation review never happened because even though my review was supposed to help launch this property as a guest rental, it never launched.

Very early in 2016 I received a request for promotion from the Jamaican owners of a beautiful beachfront property near Black River.  Of course I was happy and excited to oblige because the south coast is where my heart is and I’m always excited to feature more guest rentals down that way.  So in April of 2016 I flew down to the island to experience this three bedroom, beachfront villa.

 

 

 

When I was invited to stay the villa wasn’t 100% ready for guests at that point but the owner wanted me to try the place out, write up a full review to help her promote it and she would provide updated photos at a later date.  No problem…that’s my specialty!  We met at the property and she gave me a full tour of the house before she would leave me alone in it for the following seven days.

This house was such a unique property!  From the outside it looks pretty normal but inside it has several different levels to it, including a sky-high lookout room that has an epic 360-degree view!  The house sits right on the beach and all you have to do is walk outside the gate to reach the Caribbean sea.

 

 

That stretch of beach above is exactly where I had my friend with a boat pick me up for a day at sea.  We hit the famous Pelican Bar and it was that same day I was fortunate enough to have my dolphin encounter in the wild!  That’s the coolest part about staying right in Black River as opposed to a neighboring town and taking a tour to Black River….a boat can pick you up right where you’re at!  No need for tour buses and taxis.

Upon entering this house there are two beachfront bedrooms on the bottom level, a full bathroom and stairs going up to the main living level.  Here’s a picture of the two bottom level bedroom verandas.  They open towards the yard and the sea beyond the yard.

 

 

Up in the main living area above those two rooms is the master bedroom, full living room, dining room and kitchen which got well used while I was there since I brought in plenty of friends who like to cook.  The owner of the villa was also looking to me to help her find villa staff so I took the opportunity to familiarize a couple of my Jamaican friends with the space here.

 

 

 

 

The two most striking features of this home were the feeling of being in the middle of a rain forest, and the amount of stairs and levels it had.  After those two features, the 360 view in the top room stood out the most.  Here are some photos of the surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lush greenery surrounding this home offered complete seclusion and privacy even though it is located directly on the main beach road.  No matter where you were in this house I felt like I was in a tropical oasis.

Now for the sky high top level lookout room.  This room was yet to be furnished and she didn’t know what she was going to do with it at the time.  It wasn’t really built to be a bedroom because there was no door to close it off but there was a private bathroom up there and a private veranda.  I thought she should have put a pool table in it.

 

A funny thing about my week in this villa….this is where I was staying the night the power cut out over the ENTIRE island!  I wrote about that night HERE.  It was quite an event.

On this property there was a little bungalow house right beside the main house.  This is where the caretaker lives.  Interestingly enough, I have run into him at many bars and restaurants in the area over the last couple of years and have asked him if this villa ever launched.  He’s always told me that no, the owner never did anything with it.  She just uses it when she comes down to the coast from Mandeville.  I’ve always thought it was odd that she sought me out to help her launch but she never went through with it.

There was really no purpose to writing this post other than the fact that it’s a beautiful home and it shows what kinds of hidden treasures are in Jamaica.  I guess I should just consider myself blessed that I was given this wonderful accommodation for the week that I had it!