Welcome to Provender, a much loved family beach house perched above the miles of pink and white sands of the private Windermere Island. Provender is the secret hideaway where Prince Charles and Lady Diana spent their honeymoon in 1981. Privacy and seclusion guaranteed, it is rare to see another person's footprints in the 2 mile sandy beach in front of the house.
The house was designed as a simple “get-away-from-it-all” beach retreat for an English family who still retain ownership and visit regularly to enjoy its unfussy down-to-earth solitude. It nestles between the picture-perfect beach and the ecofriendly lush vegetation, with sea grape trees, aloes and sand lilies, where humming birds come to feed.
The striking airy living room has glass “picture window” sliding doors opening wide onto balconies and sun porches, bringing the outside in. No better beach and ocean view is to be found anywhere in the Bahamas. The Windermere Club, with tennis courts, small gym and heated swimming pool, is a five-minute walk from the house. Club membership is included with the rental.
The heart of the house is an open-plan living room and dining area, with a pretty Italian tiled floor throughout. Glass doors slide wide open onto balconies and a porch with sun loungers overlooking the beach. The sun porch at the back is a perfect place to barbecue your catch of the day! (Gas barbecue provided.) Steps lead down directly from the house to the beach. Ceiling fans and sea breezes ensure the air conditioners in every room are rarely needed. The kitchen is fully equipped. The five bedrooms can accommodate nine people, comprising two king bedrooms, two twinbedded rooms (which can be converted to kings), and one single-bed room. All bedrooms have a full en-suite bathroom. All bedrooms bar the single one have views of the beach. The sound of the sea will lull you to sleep at night.
The nearby Club at Windermere (five minutes walk) has a swimming pool, tennis courts, pickleball, TV room/library and a small gym available all year round, and a bar and restaurant open November to May.
As well as the spectacular Atlantic beach below the house, there is a more secluded beach cove three minutes away by car. Here in the sheltered sound between Windermere and the main island of Eleuthera, the warm shallow waters are ideal for small children.
Rock Sound, 15 minutes away, has the largest grocery store and a couple of restaurants, and Governors Harbour, the main town on the island, 25 minutes away, has some of the best restaurants.
Provender comes equipped with two kayaks, two paddle boards, and six bicycles. There is an outdoor shower for rinsing off the salt and sand after a day on the beach. Other amenities include air conditioning, broadband wifi, satellite TV, a gas barbecue and a generator. Four hours of housekeeping service six days a week (not Saturdays) is included in the rental. Local style cooks/chefs can be hired separately. It is sometimes possible to source a local yoga teacher or beauty therapist. Please ensure you book any extra housekeeping or other services you may require well in advance.
Windermere Island is for the exclusive use of the owners and renters of the small number of villas situated on it. It has long been the favored destination of those seeking peace and privacy (the British Royal Family amongst them). Eleuthera itself is one of the outlying “family islands” of the Bahamas, famed for its unspoiled, uncrowded beaches with pink sand and clear turquoise waters. The pace of life is leisurely, guaranteed to be an antidote to the stresses of modern day living.
It's a prime location for the sport of bone fishing and the exceptionally clear waters are perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving on the nearby reefs. The adjacent Harbour Island (ninety minutes by car and water taxi), popular with film and rock stars, is famed for its pretty colonial-style buildings – well worth a day's visit
Rates are for the first 6 guests. For each additional guest, add $50 per night.
