Notes from the host
Island House Above the Trees Near LaHave Islands Marine Museum
Experience Nova Scotia island-living at its finest at SkyView on LaHave Island, a 25-year old home perched on the highest point of LaHave Island, above the treetops. Now with high-speed Internet! Please view our house tour video, which is posted with our pictures. Or search "SkyView on LaHave Island" on the web.
A Unique Experience
Our house is built high like a castle on a hill -- you drive your car up to the second floor door with a bridge to the house. As you enter, you encounter a 2-story atrium with large-window views of the ocean (there are 28 windows and skylights in the atrium alone!)
Nearly every window in the house reveals a spectacular vista. Guests have a 360-degree view of the mostly uninhabited, wooded LaHave Islands, and of a picturesque cove, sprawling bay, and vast Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy amazing views from three new decks with glass-panels.
The LaHave Islands: An Exceptional Destination
From the minute you approach Crescent Beach, a popular 1.2-mile long beach which leads from the mainland out to the LaHave Islands, you know you’ve come to a special place. After driving down the wide beach (or taking the road behind it), you follow a winding road and cross two bridges. You encounter postcard views along every turn -- colorful houses, old fishing wharves, and fishing and pleasure boats passing by. At the end of the road, you’ll find SkyView on LaHave Island.
Conveniently Situated
Accessible by car without the need of a ferry, we’re a 3-minute walk from the water. We’re a 7minute drive from the mainland and the Lighthouse Route, which runs the mainland between Halifax and Yarmouth. It’s 30-minutes to Bridgewater, which is the area’s main shopping area, and 40 minutes from the historic seaport of Lunenburg and seaside town of Mahone Bay. We’re an hour-and a half southwest of Halifax and the airport (YHZ).
Our property offers beauty and privacy, yet is located in a vibrant island community, on the most populated of the two dozen islands which make up the LaHave Islands. We’re also in an area of the South Shore which has much to offer tourists.
Outside
Enjoy the views from 3 decks -- a wraparound deck accessible off the great room, a smaller deck off the den, and a balcony off both the master bedroom and study. Relax listening to the seagulls, watching fishing boats in the bay, sunrises in the morning, sunsets at night, a full moon and stars across the sky, and view deer and small fox which roam the property.
Inside
Come home from a day at the beach to warm yourself in front of an airtight soapstone wood-burning stove in the great room. Our home can comfortably sleep 6 adults in 3 bedrooms (all with skylights), and in a den with a pullout couch-bed. Our guest limit is six people. If you desire to have additional people visit you at any point, you must contact us and see if this is possible. We provide bedding and bath towels, and a washer/dryer. Guests provide their own beach towels. The house also has baseboard electric heating with thermostats in each room.
The master bedroom is huge with a king bed, 6 skylights, and a 50-inch flat screen TV with local channels. It has an extra space with a lounge chair, desk, and can also fit a baby crib. The master has direct access to the bathroom.
The kitchen is large and equipped with a new refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. It has a microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, food processor, quality kitchenware and a small breakfast table. The dining room has a large mahogany table with antique chairs.
The first floor den is a second seating area which supplements the atrium. It has a pullout couch which sleeps two people. The den has a 36-inch smart HDTV with many apps such as Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney, Peacock. The TV has an HDMI cable that can be hooked up to a computer. It also has a DVD player and stereo. The den is adjacent to the first floor bathroom and there is a deck off of the den.
You can enjoy playing ping-pong on a full-size table in the basement.
We have high-speed wireless Internet (25 mbps download & 5 mbps upload) and the cell service is good.
We do not allow smoking of any kind inside our home.
What to Do
Locally, there are many attractions. Half a dozen beaches are within a 10-minute drive, including Risser's Beach Provincial Park, with a fine-sand beach with lifeguards, winding boardwalk along a back marsh, visitor’s center, a snack bar and shower facility.
On our island are many quaint paths and roads to walk or bike, a marine museum, community hall, government wharf, boat launch, a church, and a cemetery.
On nearby Crescent Beach, people love to park their cars on the beach, walk their dogs, surf, kite-board, stroll the beach at sunrise and sunset, and of course, swim!
Several fishermen and their families still live on the islands. Some will take visitors out fishing or on island tours (ask us). Locals also love to share their community's history through casual encounters along the road and at events like the weekly morning coffee hour, serving the best home-made scones and sticky buns you’ve ever tasted – really. The community hall also hosts guest lectures and other events.
Along the Lighthouse Route on the mainland are lots of craft and antique shops, artist studios, restaurants, museums, and historical sites (such as the Fort Point Museum in LaHave, where the French first landed in Canada in 1604). You can take in musical events, county fairs, farmers’ markets, art shows, ox pulls, movies, theater and more.
For sporting activities, you can rent kayaks and paddle boards, golf at several courses, go horseback riding, rock climb, wind surf, para-sail, and enjoy the resort at White Point Beach, where you can get a day pass to use the pools, yard games, and boats.
Don't miss the most famous bakery in Nova Scotia, the LaHave Bakery (15 minutes away), where you can sit down in its quaint dining area and enjoy an amazing breakfast or lunch.
Another guest favorite is 'The Ovens,' which is a series of ocean caves accessible by wooded walkways, where the waves pound in and out. At Ross Farm, children will love to see a “working” farm where they still raise animals and grow crops. And bake sales and lobster suppers in community halls all over the area are delicious!
A Quality Rental Experience
We've been renting our two homes for 25 years to people from places as far away as Germany and Hong Kong. We strive to make our guests' stays completely enjoyable. After you reserve, we will mail you driving instructions, information about the house, and things to do in the area.
The house will be thoroughly cleaned before your arrival and if something should occur during your stay, we have a handyman on standby and a variety of service specialists who should be able to fix any problems quickly. We also provide excellent communication by phone and email prior to and during your stay.
Our Rates
Our rental rates are priced similarly to other higher-end Nova Scotia oceanfront homes. The cost and the minimum nights we require vary depending on the time of year and the duration of your stay. For week-long rentals, we rent from Saturday to Saturday but may be able to make an exception based on demand.
The rent we charge is in US dollars, includes all taxes, and will be converted by the website to CDN$ for Canadian guests. We do not charge a cleaning fee. If staying for two weeks or more, the rate is $100 US less for each additional week. Pets are welcome for a non-refundable $100 US fee.
Availability
If SkyView is booked during the week you are travelling, please note that we also own 'THE FENNEL OLD HOUSE,' a renovated 100-year old home next door. It sits on a picturesque cove overlooking a wide bay, 50. feet from the water. The property has gorgeous views from many vantage points, including from four decks, a gazebo, and dock. It sleeps up to seven people. Please see our VRBO listing #309521 or HomeAway listing #393316.
Contact Us
We hope you have the chance to experience our little piece of heaven. We must take reservations through the website, but please reach me at 617-909-7279 to discuss any questions. I can call you back to save you any charges.