Balboa Island Charmer

Cute little cottage in short walking distance to town and the bay front.

The owner Cheryl and her son Henry were so gracious. Cheryl's son helped us with our luggage as there was unexpected construction in the alley; designated unloading area. The apartment was charming, decorated with the proximity of the ocean in mind. Cheryl thought of every little thing that one would need; such as a beach umbrella and chairs. My daughter Anna and I had a fabulous visit to the Newport Beach area; this sweet apartment was close to everything that we planned to do. I want to come back and bring my husband. I would highly recommend this property!

Cozy place everything we need and in great walking distance to all the shops and stores on Balboa Island. Price was great, was a little cramped for 3 people, 2 adults and daughter, but otherwise had everything we needed for mellow vacation stay.

We enjoyed using the wood burning stove. The smell was amazing! My family are runners so we loved the 2 1/2 mile loop of the two islands! We’d wake up early and set out on the beautiful paved trail. I miss it already!

Very, very nice place to stay! Property was amazing, and there was everything there that we needed. And then some. We will definitely be coming back! Easy access to everything. And the local areas were gorgeous. Walking around the island was easy. And beautiful. Many beaches within 10-20 minute drive. Balboa area had charm, as did the rental. See you again soon!

We absolutely loved our stay in this little apartment! Communication was great! The owner is very warm and gracious. Balboa Island is charming! Everything is within walking distance; even the ferry. It was fantastic to have the full kitchen and used it daily. It was perfect for our girls trip and slept three adults comfortably. Would love to come back!!

Well acquitted with all necessary items. Lovely quaint hidden little loft type apartment. Grew up on the island in a similar style home so loved in and will return if opportunity arises. Not to criticize at all, but a few upgrades might be helpbul. Mini-split heat pump, bathroom in general (but most urgent, remove mold from tub, toilet replace, flooring. My girlfriend thought more bath upgrades were needed. Still, we loved it as is.

Perfect location to explore Newport Beach and to simply enjoy the neighborhood. On street parking always available. Cozy and quiet!!!! A short stroll to the shops and restaurants. Ideal location!

We loved this little cottage in the heart of Balboa Island. Super great hosts and comfortable upstairs apartment. Could not have been in a better location for walking to Marine Ave where all the shops and restaurants are, along with wonderful walks around the island every day. We will definitely stay here again when needing accommodations in this part of Orange County! :)

Wonderful stay and a fabulous location!

Great host. Always replied to my messages very quickly and was very helpful. The place was very clean and close to all the activities in the area. It was well-stocked with cooking supplies, linens, towels, etc. For me, the only thing missing was a blender, as I enjoy making smoothies. The jet noise took me awhile to adjust to, but I am more sensitive to noise than most people.

2nd time staying, close to everything. Well put together.

Excellent! Wonderful space, wonderful amenities, wonderful host!

Great location and space. There are portable heathers if weather gets cold. Will stay there again.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to step directly into a 1930’s, over-the-garage, beachy, vintage apartment with minimal updates this is your chance. The location is great, steps to the beach and 3 blocks from Main Street which is filled with retail shops, restaurants and coffee stops. The separate bedroom has a comfortable queen bed with plenty of warm blankets. (We stayed there Nov/Dec). The VRBO Host was very responsive and accommodating, making sure we had everything we needed without being obtrusive. There is street parking only. In the light-filled main room there is a wood-burning fireplace (wood provided!), and a large smart screen TV. The wifi was fast and the place was quiet except for the occasional jet flying overhead. The little kitchenette had everything we needed to prepare and make our meals. Bathroom was well stocked, big fluffy towels. With some deep cleaning and modern basics, this could be a cute, retro retreat. As it stands, it’s authentic to the 1930s in ways most travelers would not expect. Enjoy!

Charming accommodations, simple but with everything you need! We have stayed here before and will again!

wonderful location. Had the old home charm. Lots of fans.Great howerhead pressure. Comfortable seating. Very comfortable queen bed. The tap water tasted fine. Plenty of outlets for our devices. High ceilings were nice. We experienced a heat wave and the AC couldn't keep up so we we uncomfortable by mid morning. Things cooled off nicely at night.

Super cozy and comfortable stay! We had a wonderful time! We will definitely come again.

Parking was miserable

Great location. Very close to the beach. Small place but had everything you could need

this place was so cute & perfect for my boyfriend and I! we were able to walk down to the Balboa shops & to the ferry. We were also able to bike around to newport and the beach. The place is bigger than the pictures give off and we had plenty of room for the two of us to relax and hang out! would recommend & book again!

everything was great except parking. Had to hunt and park 1/4 mile away.

My friends and I had a lovely stay at the balboa island charmer! The home is within walking distance to so many activity and iconic spots. 10/10 would stay again!!

This place is so perfectly located and Cheryl is such an awesome host! The place is perfect hub for everything before going out and exploring Balboa, Newport or wherever you choose to go! Like the title says, this is our 3rd stay and look forward to our 4th, 5th and 6th stay!

We were hit with a smell upon walking in. Smelled old, not clean- not really sure how to describe it. Pictures made it look much nicer than it was. I wore flip flops the entire time I was in the unit, not wanting to go barefoot. Just felt gross. The bathroom was disgusting. It was a step up from camping. The shower was barely a trickle coming out of shower head. We were very disappointed. The place needs cleaned up and updated.

It is very convenient, well located! Perfect for 2 people.

Well-appointed and well-maintained and in a great location!

Warm comfortable place. It has everything you would ever need. The bed is very comfortable. The owner is very nice.

We really enjoyed our getaway in this cozy spot with an amazing location and a great host. Will definitely book again.

Excellent

Quiet and convenient spot on the island… close to stores, coffee and restaurants.

Location was perfect. Enjoyed the stay.

Everything was just perfect. Bed is comfortable and has everything you need in the kitchen. Very close to town with places to eat and shop. Nice walk around the island on the bay front. There is a 3 car ferry to take you over to the ocean and Fun Zone. Nice restaurant on the bay with a great view. Newport Landing. Our host is the best and it's probably my 5th or 6th time staying there. I come back every year. :)

It could use some new bed pillows because the ones available were very badly stained and old. We found cockroaches in the kitchen so a treatment needs to be applied to the unit. Would be helpful to have had additional linens in the bathroom since we were there 4 nights & had to use 3 towels between 2 people. Good location.

Super cute place! Has everything you need and able to walk to great places. Also being from Texas, we loved having the AC unit.

We are from the area so we knew we wanted to be on Balboa Island. It was the perfect location! The price was reasonable and it had all the amenities and then some! We really, really enjoyed our stay!

Great location, walking distance to shops, restaurants and ferry. The unit was upstairs. It was cozy, all the amenities we needed were there. Window AC was ok,it was loud. We kept windows open to let breeze in which meant curtains also had to be open so there was no privacy. The shower in bathroom had a low pressure and the toilet bowl at times didnt flush properly. There was a little note by the toilet bowl handle that said the handle when water is running. It was kind of annoying.

The location could not have been any better. We were centrally located on the island as well as close to Newport Beach, where our daughter lives. Our son also had a house on the island for our family get together. It could not have been planned any better logically. Everything Was just as listed in the description.

What a wonderful time! Balboa Island is such a charming place. The main street has plenty of restaurants and shopping to keep you well fed and entertained. I particularly enjoyed Ciao Balboa for dinner and Wilma's Patio for breakfast. The pizza at Snipe Island Craft House was very good for lunch. Be sure to take the ferry and explore the Balboa Pier area as well The property was as advertised and very well kept. Check in and check out were very easy and the owner very quick to respond to communication. I look forward to visiting again.

We had a great stay on the Island. Great central location.