Cozy Woodland Retreat, Port Carling, Muskoka

Country living at its finest in beautiful Muskoka! Get away from it all and be rejuvenated at our Cosy Woodland Retreat: a private, well-stocked, centrally-located, 5 bedroom cottage on 9 beautiful acres. Our spacious home is perfect for family gatherings, vacationers and work crews. Ample parking and many close-by attractions, yet the privacy of the forest have made us a favourite choice of hundreds of guests. Over weekends in July and Aug we typically book out at a 4 night minimum. Guests have access to the entire cottage and grounds, and there is ample parking. Our private woodland location allows you to truly relax in nature with plenty of wildlife and incredible starry skies on clear nights. When it's time to come inside, board games, books, games system and movies are available too. We love entertaining in our large, open concept kitchen/dining livingroom, and provide plenty of dishes and kitchen supplies for you to use. There is a quiet basement tenant in a completely separated space, other than access to an emergency exit foyer which locks from YOUR side. (Tenant has a similar lock between the foyer and their apartment, so you can't access them either.) Tenant does not use the grounds, and noise separation between the units is excellent thanks to extra sound proofing, so please feel free to enjoy yourselves or play music. The guests have access to the entire yard and all three levels of the house. (Some storage rooms not mentioned in the listing and the garage are locked off.) We are available to guests at all times via text message or through the Airbnb app. We are there whenever possible to check guests in and out. Just minutes from a number of public beaches, we recommend Hanna Park in Port Carling for its sandy swimming area and docks, (separate boat launch), enormous play structure, walking trail, volleyball and basketball courts, picnic areas and Farmer's Market during summer. The charming town of Port Carling awaits your exploration! Quaint shops, eateries, public library (with numerous movies), swing bridge and lift locks near a huge mural comprised of thousands of tiny historical photos. Keep your ears open for the historic steamship Seguin cruising by, or visit our museum by the bridge. There is also a small grocery, liquor store and Subway in town. Bracebridge is 20 minutes away, has a hospital, parks, outdoor equipment rentals, theatres, festivals, many restaurants and is where we recommend you buy groceries. We highly recommend having a vehicle to get around. (If visiting us during winter, please ensure your vehicle is adequately equipped for snowy roads in Muskoka.) Feel free to play music and enjoy yourselves at this private location. In warm seasons we have some outdoor toys, marshmallow roasting sticks and citronella candles etc. that can be found in the front closet. In winter, we have a few sleds and shovels that are kept on the front porch beside the BBQ. Please return borrowed items there for future guests to enjoy. Please be aware of local fire regulations (posted along the highways or phone to be aware of fire bans during dry seasons. Fireworks are strictly prohibited. There is plenty of parking in front of the cottage, but please do not block the driveway that extends back into the forest past the storage containers. Garbage must be placed in the large Ace's bin (beside the small blue building). For your safety please do NOT leave food or garbage outside as we have lots of wildlife including large bears sharing beautiful Muskoka! Please also be aware that (like most cottages in Muskoka), our water source is a well, meaning water conservation is important. If you run the well dry from overuse, it will take time to refill and you must contact Cathy so that the well pump can be turned off (to prevent burnout.) With 11 people living here full time we have never run out of water - however some large groups of guests have overdrawn. Homeowners *may* be able to switch you over to a backup cistern depending on rain levels, but you must call or message through the AirBNB app. =) Similarly, we are on a septic system so nothing other than toilet paper or human waste may be flushed. No feminine hygiene, no baby wipes, no paper towels etc. Thank you for doing your part to keep our cosy retreat working well for all!