We had such a great week at The Retreat House! There really wasnât any reason to leave and consequently, we only ventured out to the grocery store, a little antiquing, and a Fort Knox exploration. The beach is wonderful and busy with seals, porpoises, osprey, loons and eagles. My granddaughters played on the beach the entire time and loved the many toys, the activities available, and the âLibrary â clubhouse. Everything we needed was there and sometimes in multiples. The owners are incredibly responsive and lovely. They supply the things you need, like trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. Once you get there, you donât need to scurry out to the grocery store for household staples. This is a house equipped to take a lot of people and still provide privacy. Our group of 8 could really spread out and still leave extra beds. Excellent week!
Wonderful time with family spent at this beautiful property!
The accommodations were great and our host Shankari was available to answer any questions, and gave great recommendations for local attractions and food.
Beautiful spot with wide variety of activities available
There was something for everyone in our extended family: water view, sunsets and wildlife, space for yard games, reading nooks, close proximity to historical sites, kyak rentals, etc. One of the best places we've stayed!
The owner was amazing to answer questions and was helpful in finding restaurants and things to do. The house was roomy, clean and had everything you need! Excellent stay and weâll head back.
We arrived to find the house filled with snacks, Everything to make sâmores, Spices, sugar,flower, fresh cut flowers, multiple coffee makers, All the glassware and coffee cups you would want and every item needed to cook a maine shore dinner. Inside or out, propane fire pit on the house deck and fire pit in the beach, chairs on the beach for 24 with a cool structure perfect for reading or napping, the rocky riverfront is perfect for walking to Sandy point.
My family and friends had an amazing time at this house. The house is equipped with everything you'd need to enjoy your Maine vacation, from extra coolers to toys and games for kids. And to top it all off, the owners were above and beyond helpful and responsive with any questions we had. I highly recommend staying here for your family vacation!
Fabulous views! Private Beach. Deck with plenty of seating for your group of up to 20. Amazing live edge dining tables that hold a feast!!! Perfect for a small wedding, multi-family, multi-generational vacay. Kitchen is well stocked with everything you need and house is even kid friendly and dog friendly!
We enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace and the inviting tables where our family gathered and shared food, stories and merriment. The variety of activities in the area from long walks, to scavenging on the beach, to local charm along the coast kept everyone busy and happy. Communication from the owners was timely and helpful. We look forward to another visit to The Retreat House.
Wonderful stay at fantastic property!! Paul is great and was so helpful at every point of the trip- he even had some kittens for the animal obsessed kids in the group to cuddle and feed!! House and beach are amazing! Beach has few, if any, other folks on it. Views are gorgeous!! House has everything you could need. In a quiet area but all necessities within 10 min drive. Convenient for day trips to Acadia, Bar Harbor, Camden/Rockland. Absolute treasure, highly recommend!!
We had a great experience in this eclectic and artsy home. There were two huge tables so our group of 15 could eat together comfortably, and there were plenty of beds for everyone. One sleeping area required going through another bedroom to get to it, but we were fine with that. We had gorgeous fires in the fireplace, and the best part of all was the quiet beachâthe kids could have spent all their time there, playing in the water and playing beach games like badminton. The adults were happy to sit under the beach umbrellas and relax. The house is well stocked with extra bedding, lots of towels, and games and cooking supplies. We had such a lovely stay!
This home and our experience in it were wonderful. We were a party of 9 with an age range of 10 months up to 87 years old. The bedroom with attached bath on the first floor was perfect for my mother in-law- no stairs for her! The rest of us could have slept in a different bed almost every night, there are 14 not including the futons, couch beds and cots! The deck is large with gorgeous views over the water and the foliage was to die for! The kitchen is well stocked for large parties but the pots and pans could use a little updating. Paul is absolutely wonderful and was a pleasure to work with! He provided us with everything we needed - Iâve never had a more attentive owner experience in all my years using VRBO! We were in town for a wedding and only had time for a trip up the road to Fort Knox but plan to come back when itâs a bit warmer to sit on the beach all day and relax! My 4 year old had a ball searching the beach for shells and crabs and loved it despite October being too cold for a swim! I would for sure return and recommend this for large gatherings - great!!
A part of me wants to keep this place a secret, but that would be selfish, and Paul and Janet deserve all the positive praise!
We have been taking an extended family vacation together since 2005. We were looking for a place with plenty of room for adults, teens, young children and pups. That search led us to Retreat House. With an abundance of sleeping options and plenty of open space to gather together, this house offers it all. The large dining table was key for our family meals. Everything about this home was beyond amazing!
The location was serene and peaceful but close to many attractions within driving distance. Sitting on the deck for the view or going down to the beach were equally amazing. We rented kayaks from Don Pedro's which is a must!
The wildlife! Seals, bald eagles, seagulls, osprey, cormorants, deer in the field...we even got to experience a RARE whale sighting right from the beach! All incredible blessings for a nature/animal loving family. Did I mention the rainbow?
Paul and Janet were the absolute best hosts! Janet met us at the house for a tour when we arrived, and they were always quick to respond if there was a question. The little personal touches such as the smore's bar and popcorn/candy bar were so thoughtful and appreciated. Two amazing people who truly care about your experience.
Wonderful memories were made! Our week was as perfect as it could get, and we can't wait to head back next year to continue our annual week together in Maine!
We were looking for a house that would fit our big family to spend the New Yearâs together and this house did not disappoint. The house was so big it accommodated 16 of us and our three dogs. We met Paul on arrival and he was so welcoming and showed us around. Everything in the house was beautiful and the fire pit in the beach was a great way for our family members that came from Colombia to have a fire pit on the beach experience during the winter. Everything was close to the house as well and we were even able to go skiing with a 46 min drive which wasnât bad either. We would definitely want to come back again! Thank you again for opening your lovely house!
My family and I had a great time staying here. The views are beautiful and the area was quiet and peaceful. The place is spacious and has plenty of room for a big family or group. The rear porch has a beautiful view of the river and the beach. This place has a private beach access. This place also has several fire pits and seating available. On the day that we arrived, the owners Paul and Shankari greeted us at the entrance which was a first for me. They are very welcoming and very helpful with any questions or concerns we had. Paul even recommended us many places to go see and visit in the area during our stay and even recommended many restaurants to eat. We enjoyed the indoor fireplace and the fire pit at the beachfront. The kids played volleyball at the beach since there is a net available, I myself played a few rounds of badminton. I would definitely look forward in booking this place again in the future. I can highly recommend this place to anyone!
Fabulous house with great views. There were loads of beds and conversational seating areas, both inside and out. House was filled with everything a group could need. The owners obviously gave a lot of thought to what people might need or want. The beach was also well stocked with chairs, umbrellas and games.
The only downside was the multitude of stairs down to the beach which apparently is common in this area. It was not a problem at all for our group of kids, dogs and grandparents but it may be for some. Also, there is no air conditioning on the ground or second floor. Again, not an issue for us (even though the weather was unusually hot during our visit) but it could be for some.
The house was easy to get to and quiet, yet close to loads of trails and about 50 minutes from Bar Harbor. Of course, you could just stay at the house and beach and be perfectly content!
The owners were super friendly and attentive. They even found and delivered a cord for our outdoor projector that we forgot. Thanks for saving our outdoor movie night. I would highly recommend this as a home away from home!
Exceeded expectations. 12 adults, 5 kids under 5 and a dog. We had our dinners delivered each day by Coastal Critters - and they dropped off breakfast for the next morning also. Didn't have to cook....buy food..... Rented kayaks & Paddleboards which were also delivered - at the recommendation of the VRBO owners. The private beach and sheltered access to the water were perfect for kayaks & paddleboards. Padded out to see the seals who live on the shallow rocks/island 1/4 mile out from the beach Kids loved it
We wanted to make new memories at Christmas the retreat house was perfect Leo was making sure we had everything we needed we relaxed played games had great meals went antiqing and got pics of beautiful sunrises we are talking about going back in the summer thank you Mr Barclay
We were all very happy with our stay. Paul is very informative and helpful whenever we had questions. This home/retreat house is a beautiful place to stay. The house gave everyone plenty of room to have their own space, as well as areas we could all be together!
Our family of 8 adults and 6 boys of varying ages were so pleased with our decision to stay at Paulâs home. Paul was a communicative and attentive host. He was in the area over our first few days so made sure to check in with us, answer a few questions we had plus provide us with a welcome basket of delicious foods and sâmores! Our family had plenty of room to spread out and the boys loved âtheirâ third floor room and bathroom. The beach area was spacious and provided many opportunities for relaxing and exploring. Us landlubbers were amazed by the changes in tides! The dining room tables were wonderful to have as usually we have to eat meals all spread out. All being together with plenty of space was great. We enjoyed exploring the area, with Fort Knox/suspension bridge just down the street and Belfast, Camden, Bangor and Acadia all easily accessible. Thank you again for an amazing week!
We had a wonderful stay at the Retreat House. We were there for our sons graduation from Maine Maritime Academy. The house allowed all of our family to be together. We had a lobster feast on Friday night that so much fun. The beautiful dining tables allows for everyone to eat together.
There is a great burner and lobster pot there to use. Well stocked kitchen and home. The beach was so beautiful and private. This home will surely be enjoyed by all that stay there!
Paul, The homeowner couldnât have been more accommodating!!
We searched for over 2 years searching for a property that was not jut on the ocean but a place with a private beach which is rare in Central/Downeast Maine. Located 13 miles north of exciting Belfast allows us to spend our days on the beach and dine at wonderful restaurants at night. The property is private, quiet and perfect for large groups.
Sunrise from our large waterfront deck is mesmerizing. Having your private sandy beach is practically unheard of in this part of Maine. The view from every window in the house looks out to water or forest. Most of our guests are here for family reunions, weddings or multi family vacations.We have owned numerous rental properties in Down East Maine since the late 90"s and The Retreat House is by far my favorite.