Retreat to Longford Hideaway

Our one bedroom cottage in the setting of a private historic cattle ranch, nestled in the middle of an organic vegetable farm, offers a different way to see St. Croix, the best of the U.S. Virgin Islands! Come and enjoy our island, our sea, our beaches and our hospitality. We are especially eager to please you. (Please be patient, there are a lot of pictures on this page!) The front door and front porch of the cottage: shaded by palms, fruiting vines and a lime tree.

About our unique rental...

Our family has lived and worked at Longford for nearly forty years. Welcome to our home sweet home, on an old agricultural estate with plantation buildings dating back to the 17th century!

Our only offering is a very private and cozy one bedroom cottage, comfortably appointed to sleep two to four. The cottage stands separate from the Great House on the Longford Estate: home to ARTfarm, a working commercial organic vegetable farm, and also adjoining a cattle ranch, home of the gentle red Castle Nugent Senepol cows.

The cottage is situated on the South Shore of St. Croix, a view you will enjoy from the pool deck. The South Shore delights the viewer with its long stretches of scenic bluffs and beautiful hills. Longford rests at the base of these hills. Walks to the nearby beach (a local favorite for Permit fishing) or hikes on the surrounding hills will add to your enjoyment of this rural setting. The trees have grown up around the cottage quite a bit since this photo was taken!

We originally built the cottage near our house with the idea that it be a place for family visitors to have more independence. Staying at Longford Hideaway is like staying at the house of a friend. This is not a commercial resort experience, it is more personal.

Lounge around on the private pool deck with beautiful gardens, fruit orchards, farmland and pastures all around you.

We recommend renting a car during your stay. All is within easy reach from the cottage because of its central location. Yet it is a world away if you cherish a secluded and private setting.

Cottage, pool & grounds

Over the years we have planted lots of flowers and trees around the houses at Longford for privacy and shade. (Many of these pictures bear updating, and 2010 was a bumper rain year and many trees had wonderful growth.) Something is always blooming or fruiting - orchids, frangipani, papaya, cactus, aloe, mango, gooseberry, neem...

The outside deck (downstairs) has a gas grill, a table and chairs, and lovely breezes from the east.

 red hibiscus

 bananas
 from our trees

The pool and pool deck are for your exclusive use while you are staying at the cottage.

Lounge chairs and picnic tables make it a great spot for entertaining.

Many of our guests choose to spend their time relaxing on the pool deck. From this vantage point they might see a morning cattle drive pass across the main road into the corral, just as in the 1800s when Estate Longford was built.

The lower 'cactus' deck, wrapping around the south side of the cottage from the front door, offers a cactus garden, lime and mahogany trees and some potted palms for shade. A wonderful spot to escape to with a book.

 donkey ear cactus in bloom

We enjoy taking walks around the house and pastures. There is always something new to contemplate growing in a garden bed or old coral brick wall, blooming on the side of the path or washed up on the sand.

Let us give you a tour of our farming operations. We love to show our guests around the gardens, and give you first dibs on the harvest for the farmstands.

One of our family dogs may join you in an afternoon stroll to our very private beach, where you'll find great snorkelling and beachcombing.

Inside the cottage

Your every convenience has been carefully thought out at Longford Hideaway. You will find it to be fully appointed; opening a kitchen cabinet finds complete pan and dish sets, a peek in the hall closet reveals a tidy organization of beach chairs, linens and basic cleanup tools.

Longford Hideaway is complete with a real kitchen, with all the basics for preparing meals and snacks with full size appliances, sink and counter space. As easy as home!

Eat in or out: inside at the dining table or kitchen counter, or have a barbeque on the gas grill and eat outside at the tables on the cactus deck or the pool deck!

The dining area and kitchen are open onto the living room, with a pull-out queensize bed in the couch, TV with VCR, a portable CD/radio player, and a set of mirrored closets. Ceiling fan plus floor fan will keep the sea breezes moving!

The artworks you'll find decorating the cottage are made by family members and other local Cruzan artists.

The cottage has air conditioning, but we prefer the more restful ceiling fans or simply letting the trade winds lull you to sleep with the sound of the ocean in your room.

Our Mission Statement

Longford Hideaway is a place to retreat, a place where our guests are surrounded by small discoveries of natural beauty. It is our philosophy that in order to enjoy nature's beauty we must also do our part to respect, protect and preserve her.

On a small island, conservation must be our way of life. With this in mind we strive to do our best and our share in the many ways we can: we recycle and reuse, compost, use the gray water (from sinks and showers) for plants, abstain from using harsh chemicals in our cleaning, buy locally made products as much as possible, and conserve our resources, be it gasoline, electricity, water, or paper, all as part of our philosophy. Most of our guests share our concerns and appreciate the cottage stay for this added environmental plus.

It is no accident that our Longford Hideaway is a naturally beautiful and environmentally friendly accommodation. We work at it :)