We were looking for a quiet place to unplug and unwind by the sea. Curlews was exactly that!It is a cozy, unassuming cottage with sea views from every window. Nothing fancy - just unbelievable beauty and privacy. We will be regulars I suspect!
Beautiful location on the water. Fireplace for turf fires. Basic accommodations but basic is all you need in such a fantastic locality. The folks in Carna were accommodating. Be careful while driving here - but you probably already know that.
Excellent location by the coast and view of the Connemara mountains.
The only negative being for pet owners, to beware of the dogs at the adjoining property, if they are out of their cage they could attack your pet, as happened to ours.
A very nice house with charm. It is very cozy and we felt very comfortable. The technology for electricity and hot water is a bit special, but that doesn't matter. The garden and the view of the bay directly from the large windows in the living room are fantastic.
Our family stayed at this lovely home for a few nights during our 2 week holiday to Ireland. The cottage is quaint with it's traditional decor and lovely homey feel. Check in was a breeze and communication with the owner was great. The real clincher and the reason we will most certainly be back is the gardens around the property and the VIEW. Incredible. I wish we'd had more time to enjoy it! Thank you for hosting us!
The property is as described in a beautiful, remote area. For people looking for a peaceful holiday, you would not go wrong in booking this. Great base to explore Connemara.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay, house was very clean and had all the amenities needed for our week long stay. There was an unexpected cost for electricity, which I was not aware of before booking. Place would also benefit from dehumidifier due to location close to water.
The electric was not on and we were told to ask the neighbor since the owner did not live in the country. It was quite confusing and frustrating. We never had internet and had to choose between heating the living areas or the bedrooms. Cannot honestly recommend this cottage to American travelers who are not accustomed to paying electric prior to staying
Beautiful cottage overlooking Bertraghboy Bay in Co Galway with distant views of the Twelve Bens mountain range. The cottage is full of charm and character, is very comfortable and in a peaceful location.
The house is situated right on the beach in a very quiet area with beautiful views. It's the place to be if you're looking for peace and solitude. Everything in the house is nicely done and is furnished with everything necessary. Only in the kitchen a few old cooking utensils (e.g. frying pans) could be replaced. Jeanne is very friendly and will help if needed.
We stayed for a week and had the most wonderful time in this cozy cottage! It was beautiful to wake up at morning, seeing the fishermen already doing their work. Enjoy the rural and calm surroundings by foot or car.
The home was very clean, kitchen is well-equiped and the stove provides cozyness and warmth in stormy nights! We would warmly recommend to stay at Jeanneâs place, when traveling Connemara the laid-back way! We felt like home right away and would definitely come back! Wonderful, relaxing stay!
Things to do and Towns to see see in the area or further: Clifden, Roundstone, Galway, Boattrip to the Aran Islands or Inishbofin, Ballynahinch Castle, Hike up Diamond Hill, Kylemore Abbey & Gardens and many more (consult the brochures in the house for more tipps!)
Beautiful country and lovely people. The house needs updating and new mattresses. No sleeping there!
The grounds and surrounding countryside are spectacular. The house works, but is damp and needs updating. A good, comfy couch for reading on rainy days would be a plus. The beds are awful and sore bones ensued. Most things work, some are broken. We did enjoy our stay and loved the natural beauty of this area. I believe the owner will be updating, which in case, we would visit again. Loved Ireland and its wonderful natural beauty.
We enjoyed our time here and the location and view truly cannot be beat! To address some items mentioned in others reviews:
When we got there there was a musty smell, as others have mentioned, but it did get better over our time there. The heat was off and it was extremely cold on our arrival, and I feel like living there and keeping it warmed up helped the situation.
There is a small fishing operation off shore (3 rings) but in our opinion it doesnât detract at all from the ambiance. It is really beautiful and we actually enjoyed seeing the activity.
You do have to pay as you go for electric online. Not ideal, but also not a problem. We found it easy to figure out and spent âŹ50 for our four day stay. We did laundry and were fairly liberal with the heat so it could have been less.
All in all we enjoyed with our time here and got to know the neighbors who were super nice. It was a special experience and we will look back on it fondly. I addressed those few items because I remember reading about them in the reviews before we booked and appreciated when others spoke to those things impartially.
We stayed at the Waterfront cottage from August 14, 2021 to August 21, 2021. Based on the good reviews (excellent!) and the reasonably high price by Irish standards, we thought we had booked the ideal accommodation. But what a disappointment!
Pro
Nice view, beautiful private garden and is located in a beautiful area.
Con (some points, see also other reviews!)
The entire cottage is damp and smells horrible. Not all canât be ventilated away. Especially in the smallest double bed room and the entrance room. The carpeting in the entire cottage is covered with stains and in the two single bed room where a lot of hairs which couldnât be cleaned. The kitchen has charm, but can use a good intensive cleaning. We couldn't get the washing machine to work (no water). The linings of the curtains in the living room have various holes and tears. The double bed (largest room) is good. The second double you will feel the springs. The two single beds are just bad.
The old bathroom doesnât meet the current requirements. Some points are: no sufficient ventilation, dirty carpet and gets wet in the corner of the shower. Which is resulting in wood-rot of the bath cladding. Possible due to the previous points, woodlice and worms (health risk and also mentioned in an earlier review!). A mouldy tiling shower, a non-working Jacuzzi and a boiler capacity for just two quick showers (will only fill the bath for about half).
See for comparison on Vrbo: âFamily & animal friendly house located on a working Hillside Sheep Farmâ County Kerry / Cahirciveen. We rented this house in August 2019 and this house is in perfect condition. This house is in 2021 even less than 80% of de cost we paid for the Waterfront cottage. Due to the additional costs of the Waterfront cottage.
Sorry there is no more room for more comparisons.
Our conclusion
The Waterfront cottage gives you poor value for your money. Especially for Ireland. And the quality offered is questionable. That's why the Waterfront cottage gets just one star from us.
The owner can, like with other reviews, downplay or even deny things. But what benefit does a former tenant have in giving a critical review? Our goal is only to give a fair picture, so that a future tenant knows what to expect.
Worth mentioning
The cottage was not ready on arrival. (miscommunication between owner and new house keeper) But this is well solved by the house keeper.
The location on the waters edge is enchanting and it's a quaint, relaxed house. Jeanne, the owner, was easy to communicate with, and was very understanding of a change we had to make in our schedule. Also, the people who are the "next door" neighbors are very kind and helpful. And there is a nice restaurant a short drive away.
The location of the house was enjoyed by the whole family! The 3 youngest loved being able to go straight down to the sea when returning from excursions when the weather allowed! We took advantage of the wooden chairs in the garden in the evening: a good beer, a good book, a good jacket with hood and what a pleasure to watch the sun set behind the clouds or the Errisbeg Mountain (which we climbed with the four children)! We found the seclusion and calm that we wanted to experience in Connemara. We took advantage of the proximity of the very good and friendly restaurant "Glynsk House" (7 min by car). In short, an excellent stay!
Wie bereits in frĂŒheren Bewertungen immer mal wieder beschrieben , war das Haus leider feucht, muffig, belebt mit Ungeziefer, nicht renoviert, schlechte Wasserversorgung, ohne benutzbare Boote und FahrrĂ€der, mit zusĂ€tzlichen Strom - und Holzkosten (ca. 120⏠fĂŒr 14 Tage im August). Alles in allem absolut keine angenehme WohnatmosphĂ€re!
Die Lage und der Garten sind jedoch traumhaft!