Entire home
Pura Vida Cottage on Chandler Lake
Lakefront holiday home with kitchen and patio
Photo gallery for Pura Vida Cottage on Chandler Lake





Reviews
10 out of 10
Exceptional
1 bedroom 1+ bathroom Sleeps 6 1000 sq ft
Popular amenities
Explore the area
Traverse City, MI
- Place, Spider Lake5 min drive
- Place, Centre Ice Arena12 min drive
- Place, Traverse City Beach14 min drive
- Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)17 min drive
Rooms & beds
1 bedroom (sleeps 6)
Master
1 Queen Bed
1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom
Loft bathroom
Toilet
Main floor
Bathtub or shower · Toilet
Spaces
Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
About this property
Pura Vida Cottage on Chandler Lake
Welcome to the Pura Vida (Pure Life) Cottage with 115 feet of private water frontage on Chandler Lake where time wasted at the lake is time well spent! This charming cottage built in 2020 is available all year long offering an ideal base camp and easy access to Traverse City and surrounding areas for fall, winter, spring, and summer activities. The cottage and property is fully accessible and provides a quiet and tranquil place to unwind and relax or work remotely. This cottage offers one bedroom on the main floor with a queen bed, and an open loft with a queen bed and a twin daybed with trundle to accommodate six guests comfortably. There is a full bath on the main floor and a half bath in the loft. Loft is accessible via a beautiful spiral staircase. Cottage has a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, and dishwasher, and there is a small stackable washer and dryer. Tall ceilings and an open floor plan make the small cottage feel spacious and allows ease in entertaining and conversing with family and friends. The cottage has a covered front porch ideal for eating meals, sipping drinks, or relaxing and watching the sunset over the lake. A fire pit with wood on site offers a perfect spot to roast s'mores and top off a meal. Chandler Lake is in all-sports 44 acre lake and less than 10 miles to Traverse City center. Enjoy all the amenities Traverse City has to offer and return to a quiet, tranquil home. Or hang out and enjoy the lake for a relaxing, rejuvenating experience. The sandy bottom lake offers swimming, boating, and fishing. The cottage provides 2 kayaks, 2 SUP's, and a canoe. There are several boat rental companies in the area that will deliver a boat if you prefer a motorized boat. You will find friendly lake folk who like to hang out at the shallow, sandy area on the north-west side of the lake which is a quick paddle away. Summer is a great time to visit, but the cottage is available throughout the year, and is an ideal base camp for year long activities with its close proximity to Traverse City and surrounding areas. Fall color tours, hiking, remote work or school, hunting, winter sports with snow mobile rentals and trails nearby, skiing, spring mushroom hunting, winery tours, and shopping to name a few. We hope you will make Pura Vida your choice destination! Please note, a week minimum booking is required to be in compliance with East Bay Township Short Term Licensing Regulations. STR License # 008810
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Have a question?
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
Similar properties

Beautiful farmhouse minutes from downtown Traverse City - Pets Ok
Beautiful farmhouse minutes from downtown Traverse City - Pets Ok
- Hot tub
- Kitchen
- Washer
- Dryer
10.0 out of 10, (17 reviews)
House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 10:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Children must be supervised at all times
Events
No events allowed
Pets
No pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Long-term renters welcome
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
Property Registration Number STR License - STR2021-0074
About the area
Traverse City
Located in Traverse City, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Shoppers can check out Front Street, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Michigan and Traverse City Beach. Centre Ice Arena and Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Traverse City, MI
What's nearby
- Arbutus Lake - 3 min drive - 1.1 km
- Spider Lake - 5 min drive - 2.6 km
- Centre Ice Arena - 12 min drive - 7.9 km
- Traverse City Beach - 14 min drive - 10.4 km
- Traverse City State Park - 16 min drive - 11.9 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- Culver's - 13 min drive
- Wendy's - 15 min drive
- Burger King - 15 min drive
- Sue's J & S Hamburg - 15 min drive
- Margaritas Grill - 15 min drive
Frequently asked questions
About the host
Hosted by Rachel Steelman

Property was purchased in 2019 by family members, Rachel and Randy Steelman, and Deborah and Robert Porter. There was a small dilapidated cabin and outhouse on the property, which needed to be raised. With Randy, our family contractor, and a lot of family sweat equity a new cottage was built. We enjoyed our time planning, cleaning up the lot, rebuilding, and decorating our new cottage. We named the cottage Pura Vida which is a common expression in Costa Rica and means pure or simple life. Felt right to name our cottage in honor of the Costa Rican people who were friendly and gracious hosts.
Why they chose this property
Traverse City and the surrounding area boasts many lakes and rivers, but if you are looking for waterfront, and/or peace and quiet that is close to Traverse City, Pura Vida is an excellent choice. Our kitchen is well stocked with all place settings, glassware, wine glasses, baking ware, pots and pans, toaster, coffee pot that can make a full pot or a single cup, cutting boards, cookie sheets, bake ware, etc., and we also provide BBQ tools and s'more sticks! A stackable washer and dryer on site offers an opportunity to wash and dry clothes which allows more space in your suitcase for shopping treasures.
What makes this property unique
Please note that while there is 115 feet of private water frontage, the lake meets the land and there is not a true beach. However, the cottage includes 2 kayaks, a canoe, 2 SOP boards and a variety of lifejackets which are free for our guests to use. There is a great sandy and shallow spot on the north west side of the lake which is a quick paddle away, and a good spot for kids to play. Also, the cottage sits at the top of the hill and there is a rope handrail with stairs near the bottom to get to the water. Before the stairs begin, there is a deck with table and chairs overlooking the lake great for enjoying drinks and snacks. The water gets deep quickly from shore, and a ladder is installed at the end of the dock to allow swimmers to get out of the water without returning to shore.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback