Cherry Tree Villa Apartment
A three-bedroom home base a minute from the runway and a short roll into Oranjestad
Why Go
Statia has a grand total of a few dozen guest beds, so finding a full apartment with a balcony, real kitchen and parking is a small win — Cherry Tree Villa is one of the quiet ones that regulars book before they even confirm their flight.
The Experience
The villa sits on the leeward side of Sint Eustatius just outside Oranjestad, close enough to Franklin D. Roosevelt Airport (about 1 km) that you can wheel your bag over after the twice-daily Winair hop from Sint Maarten. It's a three-bedroom, one-bath apartment sleeping up to six, with air-conditioning, a full kitchen, flat-screen TV, private parking and a balcony that catches the trades. The vibe is homey rather than boutique — think expat-owned island rental where the fridge is stocked with Prestige beer and the host leaves a hand-drawn map of dive sites on the counter. Because Statia sees maybe a few hundred overnight visitors a month, you rarely cross paths with other guests; most evenings you'll hear roosters, tree frogs and the distant surf below Fort Oranje rather than any neighbour.
What to Try
Cook in at least one night — the Duggins or Mazinga supermarkets in Oranjestad carry surprisingly good produce off the weekly barge from St. Maarten, and grilling snapper on the balcony beats every restaurant on the island. Use the parking spot: rent a small 4x4 from one of the nearby outfits (Antillean Horde, ARC) so you can drive the ten minutes to Zeelandia Beach for sunset or up to the trailhead for The Quill, the dormant volcano whose crater floor is a genuine cloud forest. Divers should book two-tank mornings with Scubaqua or Golden Rock Dive Center — the Aquarium dive site listed among your neighbours is one of Statia's signature reefs.
Insider Tip
Cherry Tree's location near the airport is a feature, not a bug — the runway only sees two or three arrivals a day, so it's silent 95% of the time, but you can literally walk to your Winair flight instead of paying for a taxi. Ask the host about the water schedule; Statia is cistern-dependent and short showers are the local etiquette even when the tank is full.
The Practical Stuff
Three bedrooms, one bathroom, sleeps six. Rates run around US$295/night or ~US$2,065/week with free cancellation and a one-night minimum. Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM, both flexible if the calendar allows. Air-con, full kitchen, balcony, flat-screen TV and free on-site parking; no pets and no elevator. USD is standard currency, tap water is cistern-fed (bottled is easy to buy), and mobile coverage is solid on Digicel. Nearest supermarket, ATM and the Fort Oranje historic core are all under 2 km — easily walkable in cooler months, best driven midday.
Pair It With
- Aquarium Dive Site — One of Statia's marquee reefs, ten minutes by boat from Oranjestad Bay — book a morning two-tank and be back on the balcony by lunch.
- Baby Beach Guide — A calm, shallow cove on the north coast that's easy for kids and non-divers; pack a cooler from the villa's kitchen.
- Alvin V. Courtar Park — Small neighbourhood park a short walk from the apartment, good for a stretch or a sunset stroll before dinner in town.
- Antillean Horde Car Rental Guide — Nearby rental outfit — grab a small 4x4 so you can reach The Quill trailhead and the windward beaches on your own schedule.
