We have been to Spanish Wells twice. The first time, we stayed right on the ocean and yes, it was lovely. This year, we stayed at Conched Out Island Cottage it was JUST AS LOVELY! In fact, we preferred it and plan to stay at Conched Out Island Cottage again next year! This is a nearly 100 year old, traditional Spanish Wells cottage and it's not perfect or shiny new, but that's what's so great about it! You feel like you are becoming part of the community staying here. We absolutely LOVED riding the bikes from the cottage all over town. We loved being able to walk to the Island Mart for a snack. We loved being able to walk to Budda's for karaoke night! Roy will take the kayak and paddle boards to the beach for you and leave them there. Then you just hop in your golf cart and head to the beach and kayak to your heart's content, which is exactly what we did. You can kayak out to Pier Rock and snorkel. Speaking of snorkeling, you can snorkel easily all along Russell Island. You just park your golf cart at the end of any public road on the north side of Russell Island and walk right into the water. The snorkeling is excellent! (Go at high tide.) Of course, the beach is the shining star of Spanish Wells and we feel we were able to experience more of the beach because we didn't stay on it. Every day, we'd pick a different section to hang out on. Again, you just drive your golf cart to the end of any public road, park it, and walk right on to the beach. Each day, we'd pick a different road to park at and get to experience a different part of the beach. The whole thing is glorious, but each section has it's own vibe and features. You do not miss anything about Spanish Wells by staying in town. You gain an immersive experience! Roy and Linda are outstanding hosts and are super friendly. They give hugs and fresh fruit from the trees in their yard! The cottage is well equipped and comfortable and the back yard is so lovely! We took many naps in the hammock and lounge chairs. We highly recommend Conched Out Island Cottage.