The Tarpum Bay Residence

This house is a wonderful getaway. It’s not particularly close to many restaurants or other activities, but it’s an idyllic place to go if you want total privacy with the Caribbean in your backyard. Our kids had an incredible time exploring the shallow bay, kayaking and digging for crabs. Don’t miss eating at Fishbone, Surf Shack, and many other recs the wonderful hosts leave.

We stayed at La Bella Vita in the middle of September and while its technically offseason we had nothing but sunshine and empty beaches for us and the children to explore. The location is beach front on the caribbean sea side with very calm warm water, perfect for children as well as adults, kayaking and paddling boarding friendly. There are lots of board games, toys, cards and a dvd player with lots of children's tv shows in addition to the satellite stations the tv gets should you decide to stay indoors. For those with very little ones I would just caution that there are lots of items on lower shelves that are too tempting for toddlers to resist so you'll have to clear a few shelves 3 feet and shorter to be safe. We put everything up on higher counters or on top of the fridge and that worked. We rented the car and had a lot of fun exploring the island and hit up many beaches on both the sea and ocean side of the island. Everyone we met was super nice, welcoming and helpful and it really leant to a pleasant experience. The biggest advice I can give is to either bring snack food in your luggage as groceries are hard to come by and/or expensive. Otherwise we had a blast and will be back again!

We could not have been happier with our stay on Eleuthera and at La Bella Vita. Owner, Sara, is incredibly sweet and helpful with every detail down to providing suggestions on travel and even car seats for our children. The house is in a fantastic location with a gorgeous beach that feels private. In the 5 days we stayed there we saw only 3 other people crossing the beach. Perfect for kids too because it's on the side of the island with calm water so no waves, very little wind, and amazingly clear water. We used the toys, kayaks, paddle board and, of course the jacuzzi, every day. Everything you could need for the house is also provided (sheets, towels, washer/dryer, plates, utensils, etc.) and it is in immaculate condition. Best part is the book about the island that includes every piece of information you could want including recommended beaches with directions (definitely necessary), restaurants, grocery stores, and even doctors! We looked at it all day every day and based our trip around it. Such a great touch. We could go on and on about how much we loved the people, beaches, culture and life on this island. No part of us wanted to leave (our 5 year old even begged us to change our plane flights) and will most definitely be visiting again.

We stayed at La Bella Vita for a week in mid-March with our two young children (almost 4 and 16 months). The house works exceptionally well for little ones because while there are steps up to the entrance, the entire living space is on one level, so you can let them roam about a bit on their own. The house is right on the beach and it was fantastic being able to just walk down to the water. The hosts clearly love their home and want to make it as welcoming as possible to guests - there is a binder full of information about the island and they provided a ton of kids' stuff, like life jackets, a pack 'n' play, car seats in the car (if you rent theirs), lots of puzzles for all ages, and a few beach toys. A highlight for us was being able to take our kids out kayaking each day right from the beach. We loved using the grill and tried to eat outside at sunset once, but that was a mistake as the bugs do start to chomp around then. They weren't a problem at all during the day though. The hot tub was broken during our stay, but the hosts were gracious about trying to get it fixed and proactively compensated us when it couldn't be done. The house managers were also wonderful and very easily accessible, as they live immediately next door. We would recommend packing an extra charger for any necessary devices, since power outages are not uncommon on the island and on the one night that we had them, our phone charger was fried. This part of the island is pretty isolated, very quiet, and feels a lot more local than other areas. It can take a while to get to the grocery stores, etc. so we didn't travel very far away or do any adventurous off-roading with the kids. Overall, La Bella Vita was lovely and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a secluded beach trip, especially with little ones in tow.

First off, Sara was outstanding to deal with as a host. She was so responsive, so helpful, and so informative. She provided pictures when she could, and answered all of my questions so sincerely. The house is exactly as pictured, and the beach is beyond incredible, especially for our 20 month son. He could walk out so far and we had so much fun in the water. The beds were comfortable, there was a fold up pack and play for my son to sleep in. The kitchen was great, however for some reason lacking in kitchen knives. There were beach toys to play with, though the salt water from the sea had damaged quite a few. The information book left by the hosts is so thorough that you would be so well prepared to explore the island. My parents did some day trips, and enjoyed themselves, though my husband and I chose just to play on the beach with my son. Would just echo Sara’s warning of sand flies. Stay out of any of the debris on the sand, shake out the towels, and I would then wash them immediately Dailey as well to make sure you don’t bring the flies in the house. Also my son’s sunscreen was zinc and he got almost no bites so I would really suggest wearing one like that! The flies can’t be seen and on our last day we had quite a few itchy bites. But the beach is so amazing you will want to go, just prepare! It felt like paradise.