Seacrest Cottage

Seacrest Cottage is a detached white cottage on George Avenue, and the thing that sets it apart is stored in a room by the door: kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles and life jackets, all of it there for guests.

The approach is through a white gate and up a narrow side path along a boundary wall, past a nameplate and a small side garden, to a glass door that opens straight into the kitchen. There is parking behind the gate. It is a two-storey building, so the upper rooms are reached by stairs.

The kitchen you come in through

The kitchen has a blue tiled splashback, a gas stove and a dining bar, and it runs open to a lounge with a tan leather sofa, a patterned rug and sliding doors to the garden. A second sitting area keeps a bean bag for whoever gets there first. There is a fireplace, a dishwasher and a washing machine, so a long stay works without a laundrette.

Two rooms, four beds

There are two bedrooms. One has a queen bed under a pink throw; the other is a twin, two singles either side of a chest of drawers, dressed in pastel. The bathroom is bright, with a glass-walled shower and a vanity. Baby gates and board games are kept in the house.

Lawn, pergola, braai

The back garden is lawn bordered by a tall hedge, with an umbrella table and a pergola-covered patio where the kayaks get laid out to dry. There is a braai and an outdoor dining table. An upper-level patio looks down over the lawn.

Water at the end of the lane

The lagoon shoreline is a walk away, with benches, a sandy stretch and a path that cyclists use. Steenbok Nature Reserve is on the island, free and open at all times. Shops and eating places cluster near Kings Park, and our guide to the island covers the rest.

Best for

Two couples, or a family of four who intend to be on the water rather than in the house.