A Herons Rest - Bowser BC Oceanfront

Description from the manager

Enjoy total privacy and West coast tranquility in this delightful 3 bedroom beachfront cottage nestled in a quiet cove in a small village on the central coast of Vancouver Island. Use as a private retreat or as a base for exploration and adventure, each season has a unique appeal. Please note there is a 7 night minimum rental requirement and must be booked Saturday to Saturday during the summer months.

The year round cottage is decorated and furnished to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere with all the comforts of home. The open main area enjoys 14 foot ceilings and floor to ceiling windows providing wonderful ocean views from the s...pacious kitchen and living/dining area. The king size master bedroom and bathroom are on the main floor. The two other bedrooms, one with a queen size bed and the other with twin beds are upstairs. Each room contains its own electric heat or there is a cozy wood burning fireplace for colder seasons.

Stay close and relax, enjoy the large selection of books, games, puzzles, CDs or vinyl LPs. Play croquet or other lawn games and watch the children enjoy the sand, swing and slide area. Explore the amazing adjacent tidal pool brimming with a large variety of fascinating sea life. Swim or walk the beach as far as the eye can see.

A 5 min walk takes you to the village shopping area complete with a well stocked grocery and butcher shop, as well as shops for video rental, gifts, liquor and the newly added luxuries of a massage parlour and beauty shop with a tanning salon.

Within a 30 min drive radius there are many delightful towns and natural wonders with unlimited opportunity for cultural, athletic or shopping adventures. Explore Qualicum Beach and Parksville's unique shops and miles of sandy beaches. Experience Coombs goats on the roof marketplace with dozens of little shops filled with local and imported produce, arts and crafts. Enjoy Cathedral Grove trails through hundreds year old trees. Hike or walk innumerable trails in the area suited to any level of difficulty. Board a mail boat as it drops off people and products through the islands in the inner passage. Enjoy the whales inevitably encountered on the way. Try spelunking at Horne Lake Caves. Don't miss out on museums, antiques, the Wildlife Recovery Centre, Butterfly and Parrot Worlds and fishing charters. Explore the private artisan galleries on Denman and Hornby Islands. So much to do!

For golf enthusiasts there are sixteen courses within an hour's drive, offering a challenge to suit any skill level. Festivals and parades abound year round. Check out the central region of the Vancouver Island web site for details on this amazing area.

Choose A Herons Rest for your vacation destination and have an experience you will long remember.

Check-In: 4:00 PM

Check-Out: 11:00 AMRead more

Additional Location Information

Located just off the West Coast mainland of British Columbia, Vancouver Island is a 460 kilometre-long and approximately 80 kilometre-wide island that is home to many communities, townships and cities, including the provincial capital city of Victoria. The largest island on the western side of North America, Vancouver Island has an extremely diverse topography ranging from lush rainforest valleys and snow-capped peaks to rugged, rocky coastlines and smooth, sandy beaches. It's this diversity that gives such distinct flavors to the various regions and the communities that comprise them.
The southern tip of the island is comprised of Greater Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula and the Western Communities. Much of Victoria itself can be characterized as a modern heritage city with turn-of-the century buildings standing alongside condo high-rises. And with its ancient oak forests, cherry blossom-lined streets and warm, windswept weather, it's no surprise that Victoria is consistently ranked one of the most beautiful cities worldwide. Only a short drive from the city centre, the Saanich Peninsula is a cradle of agriculture with quaint communities and calm, inland beaches, while the more rugged Western Communities are a cluster of booming townships on the island's more rugged and forested Pacific Coast.
Only an hour's drive up island, the Cowichan Valley enjoys a unique micro-climate, evident in the area's proliferation of vineyards, orchards and dairy farms. Small communities such as Cobble Hill, Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Lake and Chemainus breathe a unique mix of small-town flavor and aboriginal charm into the region.
Further north, the mid-island city of Nanaimo is a quaint tribute to Vancouver Island's oceanic history. With fabulous restaurants, bountiful shopping and numerous outdoor activities at your fingertips, it's clear why this is a growing, prospering community. Just minutes from Nanaimo are the coastal communities of Parksville and Qualicum beach. Parksville boasts the best beach in the world at Rathtrevor Park, it has to be seen to be believed. At low tide the ocean retreats more than 2km our exposing white sand for as far as the eye can see in every direction. One hour further north, the Comox Valley is not only home to the communities of Courtney and Comox but also the island's alpine sports destination: Mt. Washington boasts 60 runs, a high-speed quad chair, a fixed-grip quad (among other lifts) and a vertical drop of over 500 meters. It's easy to see why visitors from the world over make this their skiing destination.
Like your recreation a little warmer and wetter? Take a detour to the island's west Pacific Coast and experience the awesome, wave-crashing majesty of Long Beach, the surfer mecca that stretches between the towns of Ucluelet and Tofino.
Simply put? If you haven't experienced Vancouver Island, you haven't really experienced British Columbia.
Vancouver Island is located off of the west side of Canada and is easily accessible by plane, boat and car. In order to drive to the island from Vancouver you must use the BC Ferries system so please check the schedule before departing. Victoria has a large International Airport that has daily flights to and from Seattle and Vancouver as well as many other destinations. The east side of the island is accessible by car, bus and train. Most of the west side of the island is best accessed by 4x4 as most of the roads are very rugged and much of this part of the island is true wilderness. Please make sure you let someone know where you are going and when you are returning if you intend to head into the back country.

Additional notes from owner

For more information on Rates and Availability, please contact us to speak with one of our live agents who are waiting to help you with your accommodation selection or you can visit our web site to view the current rates for this property

What Past Guests Are Saying

• Victoriajam
  Victoria, BC, Canada

  Privacy on the Beach in Beautiful Bowser BC

  Left on 08/21/2012 for a stay in August 2012
  
  

  This is a great location on the beach in Bowser. The setting is quite private at the end of a long driveway, but you can expect a few people walking along the beach in front of the property. The owners have given a lot of thought to making sure that they have everything that you could want during your stay right down to the last detail and everything is in very good shape. The front wall is almost all glass and you have a fabulous view of the sunrises in the Salish Sea. We had a three day family reunion and slept six adults in the house and had another six at an inland property nearby. One minor drawback is that when you have that many people you need to schedule your bathroom time accordingly as there is only one bathroom. Our only complaint was the bureaucracy at the rental agency currently being used by the owner. Hopefully they can streamline their systems in the future. I wouldn't let this hold you back from renting as it is in a great location and is a very well kept property.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends, Groups, Families w children

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• CarolynUK
  Kent

  Fabulous home with great views over the water

  Left on 06/25/2012 for a stay in August 2011
  
  

  We wanted a waterfront rental on the east coast of Vancouver Island and found this little gem
  
  It's a real home from home, with the entire front of the house being one massive window to maximise the nature watching. We saw sea otters, deer, bald eagles, and a tame heron who visited several times a day.
  
  The ground floor holds the open plan living area (complete with telescope and binoculars), the bathroom and the enormous master bedroom, upstairs has a double room and a twin bedded room, all furnished beautifully, and the kitchen was very well equipped. We also had a wonderful library of books, Dvds and games.
  Outside is a small garden with kids play area and it opens directly onto the shore which has a tidal lagoon - bring aqua does if you want to swim though the beach is stony!
  
  We would strongly recommend this property to other visitors - we had a lovely time there and would love to go back.
  
  Our only complaint (and it's a minor one) was that whoever cleans the property is too thorough when it comes to the kitchen cupboards. In every other property we have rented the kitchen has aways contained a modest supply of things like salt and pepper and matches etc. etc. when travelling its not always possible to bring your own, and you can't buy small portions of these in the shops. Please leave these for the next visitors... I know we did, but I'm sure it was all thrown away by the cleaner!

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends, Families w children

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• daggern
  Victoria bc

  A beautiful place right on the water ideal for a family

  Left on 05/21/2011 for a stay in May 2011
  
  

  We had an excellent time here. You are right on the pebble beach where you can see bald eagles, we counted 6 in one go, and fish jumping out of the water. There are lots of games and activities provided with some useful suggestions of where to visit locally. There is a local supermarket within 10 min walk which stocks everything you would need including local produce. There is also a small strip of shops including a gift shop and a good coffee shop. The house is a good base to explore qualicum and parksville. This is an ideal location for families or a few couples. Just make sure you pack waterproof shoes for the beach if you want to see all the rock pools.

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  Detailed ratings for this rental

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Travelers, Friends, Tourists, Families w teenagers, Romantic, Families w children, Rugged, Singles

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  Was this review helpful? Yes