We discovered Cooper Island and the Cooper Island Beach Club on our first cruise in the Virgin Islands. We trooped ashore with the rest of the crew from the Clinton Lake Sailing Club and feasted on Conch Fritters and Rum Punch. I remember looking ashore after we went back to the boat and thinking that this would be the perfect spot for a week completely away from it all. Keith and I have made Cooper Island a regular stop on each of our four sialing trips back to the BVIs. I think we have sampled their entire menu. It is great food and the service matches the culinary offerings.

 

Cooper Island has one of the best beaches in the BVI's the sand is soft pink and their is plenty of shade for Keith's pale skin to hide from the sun. Me, I'll just put on the sunshade and turn brown. It has been wonderful to drop anchor, dinghy ashore and either explore the tiny island or lounge on the sand waiting for time to wander over to the Beach Club for dinner. I have always wanted to spend a week or two in one of the six or seven houses on the island. My own desert island with a view.

 

Cooper Island is just about 5 miles across Sir Francis Drake Channel from Tortola. There is only one way to get there - by boat. Once you are there there is no noise, no crowds, no cars and no roads. There is the reef to snorkle, the beach to laze on, the view of the islands fringing Drake channel and the island to explore. And, which brings me to the reason for this article, Ginny Evans' two hideaways, one on the hillside and a smaller house just built for two nestled on the beach I fell in love with 15 years ago.

The House on the Hill looks out on Sir Francis Drake Channel from a 40 foot porch looking out to sea. There is a large bedroom with a queen size bed and the twinbed-divans in the living room can sleep up to two additional adults. Kids are welcome, but children are likely to get bored with the solitude, which is the islands best quality in my opinion. It is just a few steps and a gentle climb up from the beach.

 

The Beach House is nestled right on the sand, just steps away from the water. It is just big enough for two. It is one big open room with the bedroom and queen sized bed at one end of the house and a fully equipped kitchen at the other.

 

here is no electric service to Cooper Island but Ginney has equiped the houses with solar electricity for the lights and ceiling fans. The fully equipped kitchens are fitted out with gas stoves and refrigerators and every thing you will need to whip up a culinary delight. Water is rain water pumped from ample cisterns to a header tank to provide plenty of pressure for the bathroom shower and the outdoor shower with which each house is equipped. There is a radio and a small barbeque with each house. You may want to bring a small battery powered TV if you can't bear to part with the networks. You should be able to pick up the networks from St. Thomas and Puerto Rico.

What is there to do? Well, I've raved about the beach. The reef kisses the shore and the snorkling is great, especially around the point from the houses. Underwater Safaris has a dive shop and school at the waters edge in front of the Beach Club. They will rent you a sunfish or windsurfer and scuba or snorkle gear if you didn't bring your own. The Beach Club can arrange for day sailing or power boat excursions to the other islands.

 

The Ample Hamper in Road Town specializes in provisioning the bare boat sailing charters out of Tortola. We have used their service when sailing and they do a first rate job. You can order your groceries from them before going down and they will have your order at the ferry in time for your trip over to Cooper Island. The Little Circle at Prospect Reef offers the same service. The Riteway Supermarket in Road Town, Tortola is a well stocked supermarket on the Stateside model. We have shopped there and found a wide selection and good quality. If you want to shop for yourself, it is the place to go. Be sure that you plan well - there is no corner grocery on Cooper.

 

Getting there requires some planning. The Cooper Island Beach Club runs a ferry from Prospect Reef Marina on Tortola every Monday at 2:00 PM, Wednesday and Friday at 11:00 AM. The cost is $10.00 per person. Special pickups can be arranged but are more costly. The Ferry leaves Cooper Island for Tortola at 7:30 AM. You will want to plan your trip around that schedule.

 

The House on the hill rents for about $950 per week on season and the price drops about $100.00 during the off season, Mid April to Mid December. The Beach House goes for $835 a week on season and $730 off.

By : Joan B. Hays

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