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Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven

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Welcome to Chessies' Cove on Winter Harbor Haven!
Your home away from home!
Amazing sunrises--here seen from the master bedroom!
Peaceful evenings
Overview of living space

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8213.7 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Fireplace
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Port Haywood, VA
  • Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg
    ‪64 min drive‬
  • Cape Charles Beach
    ‪139 min drive‬
  • Newport News, VA (PHF-Newport News - Williamsburg Intl.)
    ‪63 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom # 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom # 3

2 Single Beds

Loft

2 Single Beds

Master Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom # 2

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo

Master Bath

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden

About this property

Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven

Whatever the season, this home is a tranquil, private vacation retreat! Chessies' Cove sits on Winter Harbor Haven, which features year-round water access to the Bay that's only minutes away by boat, plus excellent crabbing and fishing, smooth and peaceful kayaking and robust bird watching. At the house, you can enjoy wonderful views of the wetlands and Harbor out to the Chesapeake Bay from the 10X50 screened-in deck or inside via the expansive windows.

When you enter Chessies' Cove, you are quickly touched by the sun-drenched feel of the house. The home features heart-of-pine floors throughout the main floor, all reclaimed from a factory in Connecticut. The open kitchen plan makes for a welcoming space for all. Separate eating areas, both inside and on the screened-in porch, provide ample space to enjoy a meal. The living room has comfortable seating for reading, napping or watching TV. There are three bedrooms on the same floor; one has two twin beds, another has a queen bed and personal access to the bathroom shared with the great room, and the master bedroom has a queen bed with its own bathroom and waterfront screened-in deck access. The loft space, with two twin beds, as well as a sofa and chair and ottoman, provides another place to lounge and relax. There is a TV in the loft, as well.

Chessies' Cove is located only minutes from Main Street in the quaint town of Mathews, where shopping and dining are plentiful if you want to venture downtown. The house has a gas grill as well as a charcoal grill, and the kitchen is well appointed, so onsite dining might be your preference at least part of your stay.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS:

The charming town of Mathews has a variety of restaurants and shops for you to explore, many of which feature works by local artists and crafts people.

If you want to spend time on the beach, Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve is just a short drive away. Consisting of 83-acres of sandy beach, low dunes and salt marshes on the Chesapeake Bay, Bethel Beach is home to rare plants, nesting birds and the endangered Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle. Other beaches also are located close by.

NEW POINT COMFORT NATURE PRESERVE is a short 15-minute drive. It provides a unique look at life at the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. The lighthouse is the third oldest still standing on the Bay. Depending on the tide, this site combines tidal shallows, mudflats, beach, exposed pilings, and deep offshore channels, all of which offer their own assortment of numerous water birds, lusty displays of fiddler crabs and yellow Seaside Dragonlets, our only truly saltwater dragonfly. You may experience this beauty on the boardwalk, or launch a kayak or canoe there. Located in Mathews County at the southern end of Route 600, Virginia Historical Marker N-89.

In addition to the restaurants in town, you can find waterfront dining close by. Check out Hole in the Wall, located on Gwynn's Island and just a quick 10 to15-minute drive; or try Merroir Tasting Room, which is just a bit further in Topping.

For the golfers in your group, Piankatank River Golf Course is a 25-30 minute drive away.

Mathews is a great home base for you to explore other waterfront towns including Gwynn's Island, Deltaville Irvington, and Whitestone. In addition, historic Williamsburg and Yorktown, Water Country USA, Busch Gardens, and the Williamsburg Outlet Stores are all a 45 to 60-minute drive.

We are delighted to share our peaceful, private getaway with you, and we hope you enjoy your stay!

Property manager

Bob & Mary Beth Murphy
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Please supervise your children at all times.
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 3 total)
Please pick-up after your dog(s) and dry them off.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
No smoking in the house or on the decks.
No smoking anywhere in the house or porches. If you smoke outside (downstairs) please dispose of the butts safely and properly (not on the ground).

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is no carbon monoxide detector on the property, but there are gas appliances; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Port Haywood

Located in Port Haywood, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Deltaville Marina and Bay Creek Golf Club are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve and Cape Charles Beach. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Port Haywood, VA

What's nearby

  • Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve - 10 min drive - 7.5 km
  • Bethel Beach - 11 min drive - 8.0 km
  • Gwynn's Island Musuem - 20 min drive - 21.2 km
  • Yorktown Beach - 51 min drive - 58.4 km
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg - 64 min drive - 74.7 km

Getting around

  • Newport News, VA (PHF-Newport News - Williamsburg Intl.) - 63 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Shun Xing Restaurant - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Linda's Diner - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Hardee's - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Southwind Pizza - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Mi Casa Azteca Mexican Restaurant & Cantina - ‬11 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 3 total).

What time is check-in at Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Private, 7-acre waterfront retreat on Winter Harbor Haven located?

Situated on the waterfront, this holiday home is 4.6 mi (7.5 km) from Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve and within 25 miles (40 km) of Gwynn's Island Musuem and Riverside Walter Reed Hospital. Deltaville Maritime Museum and Deltaville Marina are also within 32 miles (52 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 120 out of 127 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 127 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 127 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 127 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 127 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kim L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful, wonderful stay

House and surroundings are gorgeous and peaceful.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chip F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Waterfront Getaway

Relaxing stay on the water w/ friends. Great first floor open floor plan w/ water views, screened porch and plenty of room around the kitchen island that's perfect for small groups.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tim M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Favorite place

We have stayed here multiple times and love it. The house is perfect and as described. We always have good luck fishing and crabbing. This is our first choice when looking to visit Matthews.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl A M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anniversary Trip

We were at Chelsea‘s Cove for four days to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. The home and the setting were both lovely. The nearby community of Matthews was welcoming. Our experience at Chelsea‘s Cove exceeded our expectations.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Secluded Bay Relaxation

Family and dog had a wonderful time at this off-the-beaten path waterfront gem. Great water access and beautiful views from the screened porch. Enjoyed crabbing, beach walks at nearby preserve, sunrises, quaint town w cute shops.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

hillary w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday anniversary celebrations

Sun, water breezes, kayaking, delicious seafood and fabulous views of the Chesapeake bay
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect quiet place!

Wonderful place to stay. Peace and relaxation!!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

susan d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

This property was wonderful for a relaxing vacation. We enjoyed fishing and crabbing off of the private dock. Our dogs had a great time chasing sand crabs and playing in the big yard. The owners were quick to respond to any questions or problems. Would definitely go back!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

K H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bayside getaway - excellent off the beaten path vacation

My family of 6 (4 "kids" 23, 20, 19, 16) had a great getaway vacation. We like things away from tourist-y areas and a little out of the way and this did not disappoint! Crabbing, fishing, kayaking, porch-sitting, Mathews thrifting and shops, Richardson's ice cream, Haven and Bethel beach days and a lot of family games and play. Would definitely recommend!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joshua D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Home - Well Equipped

Beautiful home. Very well equipped.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Agnieszka A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fathers 80th birthday

It was fantastic!! Beautiful property, clean well cared for home rental very well equipped. Felt like home ❤️hosts were also very nice and welcoming, responding to my inquiries very fast. We will definitely come back!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Frederic W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Chesapeake Bay Cottage with Water Access

We enjoyed staying at Chessie Cove with fun times crabbing, kayaking, making seafood chowder, Coconut Shrimp Curry and just cooling out.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

James B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved this spot

The house is gorgeous and has all the amenities you could need. The dock has amazing view of sunrise and sunset. The water connected to the property is extremely beginner friendly for learning to kayak or canoe. The water is very shallow and it has been unusually hot lately which had an effect on the fishing. Would recommend this location to anyone that wants a fun getaway with lots of potential for water activities
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing Property

Our family enjoyed a fabulous time staying at this beautiful property that provides a lot of serenity and lots of amenities for our entire family. Thank you Bob and Mary Beth for your hospitality!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Francis M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Secluded Serenity with Plenty of Space

This is an ideal place for a large family or for two combined small families to have a relaxing vacation and to build memories. There is plenty of room especially outside, and you have to try hard to spot any other houses in the area. The owners give you a great head start from an impressive dock (with lights at night) to kayaks to crab traps to board games to screened in porches with plenty of rocking chairs to restaurant reviews/suggestions and an indoor fireplace to end the day. One small suggestion is to bring your own tackle box if you like to fish.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tim M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful and relaxing

We have stayed here multiple times. It is our favorite in Matthews. The house is perfect, the fishing and crabbing is good. Lots of wildlife to see and some of the most beautiful sunrises. We will definitely stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kelly H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Vacation!

The house was extremely clean and well-supplied. The screened-in porch was wonderful for watching birds and sunrises over the water. We had a great time sitting on the private pier and kayaking through the peaceful waters. The house and property couldn’t have been more pleasant! We had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend this rental! Thank you so much!!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tami C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Tropical Storm

We are already making plans to revisit this property as a tropical storm prevented us from enjoying all it had to offer. Comfortable beds and gorgeous views. Privacy and wildlife galore!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Casi H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Well kept property with great view and pet friendly.

Pet friendly well kept property with more amenities than others we’ve stayed in when it comes to outdoor activities, kitchen supplies/gadgets to the outdoor dog bowl. Quiet and private location with nice views from porches and even inside. We enjoyed our stay and so did our pups. 1 day with bad weather and it didn’t matter we had movie marathon and a great view. Some hunting dogs would come visit and make our girls wonder further than normal but zero complaints otherwise. Premium beds and bedding. Would definitely stay again and hope to!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lynne E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful waterfront retreat!

We enjoyed our stay at this lovely, waterfront property! The views were beautiful and the expansive screened-in porch was perfect for reading, coffee, breakfast and wine in the evening. Everything you need for a fun, comfortable stay is provided. The owners were very accommodating, friendly and responsive!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Amy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A perfect quiet place!

Excellent place to stay. Remote, quiet, peaceful. Local restaurants and residents are quite flavorful! House was perfect and stocked well with all necessities. Perfect location for kayaking or fishing off the dock. About an hour drive to Williamsburg for an adventure out. Recommend this place for all who want a remote getaway!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Linda R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Really pretty location

We had a wonderful time at this property. There is plenty of room for a large family. The kitchen was well stocked and we were easily able to cook several meals in the space. In addition, there are a number of restaurants in Mathews we were also able to try out during our stay. The dock area is beautiful. Our only recommendation is to remember to bring or use bug spray as there were many mosquitos, as you might expect, in the area. We greatly enjoyed the large screened deck.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nikki P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday on the Bay!

Thanks so much for a great time. We enjoyed crabbing and fishing off the dock, daily visits from a Great Blue Heron, picking crabs, and thusly making delicious crab cakes, games on the screened in porch and just hanging with our dearest friends. Will be back!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

What a beautiful place!

My partner, sister, and friend all had a great time at this lovely house. The view is relaxing and phenomenal at the same time...birds, kayaking, fishing....what's more to say? We're already talking about returning. Thanks!!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Frederic W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

LOVE CHESSIE COVE

Chessie Cove situated on 7 acres with an expansive view of back water Chesapeake Bay is such a private, beautiful and accommodating cottage. We have rented Chessie Cove several times and plan to do so on a regular basis. The owners are attentive to every detail making for relaxing and pleasant vacations. We highly recommend Chessie Cove.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2021

About the host

Hosted by Bob & Mary Beth Murphy

Host profile image
We are Bob & Mary Beth from Richmond, VA. We are both originally from the DC/MD/NOVA area. We are avid dog lovers and love to be on/around the water. When we found Chessies' Cove, we immediately fell in love with it. To be able to share this little slice of paradise with others truly makes us happy!

Why they chose this property

We had been looking for the perfect, waterfront spot for a second home for many years. In Chessies' Cove we have found it! The location is so peaceful, and the town of Mathews is super cute with the friendliest people you will ever meet! We'd like to share our little slice of Heaven with you!

What makes this property unique

Very private, sitting on seven acres! Beautiful waterfront views from almost every room in the house. Sunrises are amazing! And the wildlife is incredible to watch. Quaint and super-friendly town of Mathews less than ten minutes from the house.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests