My wife and I are not whiners, but we do need to mention a couple of concerns, especially given the premium price demanded by this property. But first the good news: This property has arguably the very best view on Monterey Bay than anywhere else in Santa Cruz. It sits high on the east cliff for a completely unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. Gorgeous sunrises & sunsets. The property also has a gorgeous front room with a circular architecture that allows a 90 degree plus vista. with a working wood burning fireplace. Our concern was with an ant problem. We woke up the first morning to find thousands of tiny ants all over the kitchen walls and in several of the kitchen cabinets. We did contact management but they could not guarantee any assistance until the end of the day at best, so we needed to spend several hours killing and cleaning up ants.Management eventually sent out an exterminator but it took three days to completely eliminate the problem. The other issue was one we had seen in previous reviews and that is a very weak wi-fi system which kept knocking you off the system so you had to go to the rear of the house to reset you device to re-obtain wi-fi. The fix is so easy; a new more powerful wi-fi modem or a repeater in the front of the home. Both a relatively cheap fix.

The location is fabulous, overlooking Seabright Beach. Stairs down to the beach nearby. Loved watching the whales from the patio, and listening to the surf at night. Downsides: slow wifi, a bit musty bedroom, small kitchen. Pros outweigh cons, we'd come back.

Location, Location, Location! Really enjoyed only a walk down steps to the beach, full front ocean view from the cottage. The house has all original windows, have to be very careful opening them, high risk of breaking. The owner had some amazing wood work in the cottage, it’ was appreciated! I would recommend a window washer after a guests stay, the view is the best part, I took the liberty of cleaning the front ones to appreciate the view better. House is a hidden gem!

Property is right on the beach. Open the windows for fresh ocean breezes.

The house was great and the location unbeatable. The only issues were: 1. There is absolutely no cupboard space for any food items. We had to keep things in cardboard boxes on the floor.2. The wifi is abominable. The router is in the master bedroom and the signal is very weak or non-existant in the living room.

The house was great and the location unbeatable. The only issues were: 1. There is absolutely no cupboard space for any food items. We had to keep things in cardboard boxes on the floor. 2. The wifi is abominable. The router is in the master bedroom and the signal is very weak or non-existant in the living room.

Great experience!!! We’ll be back!!!

We just spent a week at Black Pearl Cottage with family & friends and it was a bitter sweet experience. I will start by saying that the exterior of the cottage was whimsical and full of magic. The location was perfect and within walking distance to many activities. However, the cleanliness and state of the interior was very disappointing (copious amounts of spiders and webs behind beds and in all corners, dust on surfaces, mold & mildew, ripped, dirty broken furniture...), especially considering the cleaning charge incurred by all renters. With a bit more effort and attention to details, this rental would be truly amazing.

This is a lovely house, maybe a little out dated but completely charming. The front yard is a gorgeous garden/place to eat and look at the beach. The last property we rented had some old bikes in the garage for our use which I would have LOVED to find here, but no. BUT the check in process requires driving on the highway to the next small city, in the opposite direction of the airport to get and drop off the keys, instead of having the house accessible by a lock box. I’ve rented a fair number of VRBO’s and his was a frustrating first.

Perfect for our needs. Shows a lot of pride of ownership. Wish the living room opened out onto the patio. The wood counter tops in the kitchen and bath are a minor drawback.

The location of the house is perfect! Beach front and very close to the stairs leading down to the beach. But the inside could use a major makeover and updating. At the least a deep cleaning.

Great location, comfortable and cozy....we’ll be back!

Stayed here with the family for a week-long getaway after memorial day and the house has an amazing location right on the beach, was super clean, and although it has a quirky style is perfectly livable and charming. Would absolutely stay here again.

We loved being able to walk to the beach! We also walked to the Boardwalk and some great restaurants.

You will be hard pressed to find a better view or location than The Black Pearl! We had a GREAT one week stay. The views are astoundingly beautiful and falling asleep to the distant sound of waves breaking on the shoreline was incredible. The hot tub at the end of a fun packed day was divine. The photos do not do it justice!

We had a mini-family reunion, all girls! The Black Pearl became home very fast. Location right between Santa Cruz and Capitola. The little hobbit house by the sea will be our destination again.