Long Weekend at a Witless Bay Airbnb
Screw stopping to smell the roses, I’m all about them ocean views. When I first starting booking Airbnbs I focused on what the place looked like on the inside (Does it have cool art? What about the modern furniture?). But these days, I’m more concerned with what it’s like being inside looking out, and this Witless Bay Airbnb has the best of both worlds. Plus, the location couldn’t be any better. Witless Bay is only about half an hour’s drive from St. John’s, so it’s easy to get there on a Friday evening, but it feels like it’s a million miles away. The ocean is visible from most of the windows in the house and it was the perfect setting for a group of us to enjoy the May long weekend together.
Full disclosure: The Witless Bay Airbnb is owned by my cousin Rhonda and her family who let us use it for free.
Witless Bay Airbnb
The house has been lovingly restored with lots of historic touches like stained glass in the doors and antique furniture. The living room has a giant l-shaped couch for watching movies on rainy days and there’s lots of board games to keep everyone entertained. There are three bedrooms in total — two with queen-sized beds with one looking out at the ocean and the other looking out onto the road from a window seat just made for long reads and hot coffee. The third bedroom is on the smaller side with only a single bed, but it’s perfect for the kiddos you have on the trip with you!
Whale watch from the bathtub (or the bedroom)
One of my favourite parts of this Witless Bay Airbnb was the bathroom. The room itself was massive and the antique clawfoot bathtub was huge! You could even see out the windows into the bay, and during whale season you could probably spot a humpback or too, maybe even an iceberg. The back bedroom, where Adam and I slept, also had great views of the ocean and we spent two of the mornings lounging and reading, watching the waves from bed.
Enjoy the crackling fire inside and out
Who doesn’t love the glow of a fire? This house has a big fire pit outside for those lovely summer evenings when you can sit out and watch the sunset, but it also has a wood stove in the kitchen, perfect for chilly mornings (which, lets be honest, is a year-round occurrence in Newfoundland). The coffee and tea are ample with a kettle, Keurig, and a coffee maker and the kitchen has all the necessary amenities to make up awesome meals, plus a big table with plenty of room for a crowd.
Hike, sleep, repeat
There are several access points to the East Coast Trail from the house, but there are also several beaches within walking distance to enjoy. We took several walks around the town just moseying and enjoying the rare May sunshine. Witless Bay’s convenient location on the Irish Loop makes it perfect for doing the Ferryland lighthouse picnic, which is only 40 minutes drive away. The Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve World Heritage Site is less than two hours away.
Walk to make your reservations
One of the things that is somewhat lacking when you take a trip to rural Newfoundland is fine dining. Luckily Fork, a pop-up restaurant running out of the Irish Loop Coffee House, opened up last summer just around the corner from this Airbnb! I had eaten there before, but Adam had yet to experience Fork, so I was excited to show him the deliciousness. I had yet another magical dinner there, with honestly the best duck dish I have ever had. Needless to say, Adam liked the ribs.
Make your escape
Three things that I loved about this place that set it apart from other Airbnbs? 1. The plentiful towels! I hate when Airbnb’s skimp on the linens, leaving me chilly after a hot bath, but this place has more than enough towels of varying dimensions! 2. Self-checkin. While sometimes I love meeting my hosts who are able to offer valuable insight, it can be tricky organizing getting the keys and who wants that hassle on vacation? 3. While there may be other Witless Bay Airbnbs around, you can’t beat them views.