Silk Cotton Villa

Why it is Famous : Sport Fishing, Duty Free Shopping, Diving and Snorkeling, Sailing.

Area Information : Here’s what Caribbean Travel & Life editor, Steve Blount, wrote after staying at Silk Cotton: “You can’t get much more comfortable than the Villa Silk Cotton in St. Thomas. An elegant eyebrow on Mafolie Hill overlooking Charlotte Amalie Harbor, the Villa was created by Scott and Carol Schenck. After years of operating yacht charters - he as captain, she as first mate - the two brought their brand of low-key comfort ashore in St. Thomas. "The rental Villa and view are just plain stunning. From the pool and sun deck there’s a 180-degree panorama: patches of crenelated green hills floating on cobalt-blue water, where the cruise ships begin making steam as the cocktail hour gets underway. They’ll exit the harbor with the sun; long lines of twinkling lights voyaging into the dusk. "Named for the huge silk cotton (kapok) tree next to the deck, the Villa combines privacy with comfort. Architecturally, the Villa is exceptional. It's built of 'blue bitch', a very hard volcanic stone that was used by the Danes to create many of the island’s historic buildings. The Villa is very wide but not deep from front to back. All of the living spaces open on to the pool, which overlooks the harbor. Between the rooms and the pool deck are a series of arches, the opening of which can be covered by screens or electrically operated shutters. At the touch of a button, you can shut out the world or open the whole house to that killer view.