Balboa Island by the Bay

We loved staying here, and Carol and Greg were the perfect hosts— they shared all of their toys with us — kayak, beach chairs, unbrellas and buckets. My husband and two teenage children had plenty of personal space and we were allowed to bring our other child, our yellow lab. We literally walked to the beach area within 2 minutes and set up for the day. There are so many friendly people in the water with their kayaks and paddle boards and sailboats. This was one of the best vacations we ever had and the house was the perfect place for us to stay.

Great. Can’t wait to come back

This is our first time renting a cottage instead of staying in a hotel. Carol has been super responsive to all of our questions. She is the absolute perfect person to rent from. We hope to do it next year. Balboa is relaxing, diverse and entertaining. And Carol is the best to deal with.

Will always remember sitting on the perfect front porch watching the sunsets, walking into town to eat at one of the many restaurants and taking the Ferry over to the peninsula for a walk along the boardwalk.

We stayed in this darling cottage last summer and my middle school daughters insist we book it again this year. The location just can't be beat, as it's super close to town and steps to the bay. It's an easy 15 minute walk to the ferry, which takes guests over to the Balboa peninsula and the ocean. Newport Beach is my hometown but I now live on the East coast. I can't see us renting anywhere else for our annual trip to Newport. The kitchen is beautifully stocked, everything is clean and new, and the neighbors are quiet. The second bedroom is a bit small, but honestly, the pros outweigh the cons 99-1. Parking can be a challenge on the Island, but we seemed to find a spot close to the cottage almost without fail. I suspect many neighbors are year-round residents who use their garages, which leaves more street spots for visitors. Can't say enough nice things about this rental.