See all properties
Entire home

Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront.

Holiday home in Cowes with kitchen and balcony

Photo gallery for Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront.

Coastal cottage 50m from the sea front
Small driveway, street parking
Open plan living area and kitchen
Fully equipped kitchen
Dining area

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
1 bedroomSleeps 2

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View map
Isle of Wight, ENG
  • Place, Gurnard Beach
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Cowes Harbour
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Place, Osborne House
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Airport, Southampton (SOU)
    ‪76 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Bed

Shower room 1

Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront.

PLEASE NOTE - Sat to Sat bookings only April - September
The Ark is a lovely coastal cottage, situated next to the beach, sailing club and promenade. It is in the popular village of Gurnard, a very friendly and welcoming place and somewhere you'll want to come back to time after time. The Ark was renovated to a high standard a few years ago and is full of seaside charm with its coastal theme décor and wooden floors. It is a one bedroom property with en-suite bathroom. Patio doors, accessed from the bedroom, lead onto a large sunny decked area with garden furniture. There is an open planned living/dining and kitchen area with lovely sea views from the sofa, the perfect spot to spend many hours watching boats, the famous Gurnard sunsets and the ever changing seascape. The property has all the modern luxuries and conveniences you would expect from holiday accommodation and bedding and towels are provided. The Ark is close to cafes, pubs, shops and restaurants as well as within very easy reach (by foot and car) of Cowes, the Mecca of world sailing. If you are looking for a quaint but modern cottage, close to amenities yet within a peaceful setting then The Ark is for you. Many of The Ark's guests return each year - the best compliment I could hope for.

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Parking available

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

entrance to cottage
The Granary at French Mill: charming cottage set in extensive garden with stream
  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Free WiFi
9.0 out of 10, (94 reviews)
The Granary at French Mill: charming cottage set in extensive garden with stream

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM
default

Children

Adults only
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

Pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

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 a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

About the area

Cowes

Located in Cowes, this holiday home is near the beach. Yarmouth Isle-of-Wight Ferry Terminal and Southampton Cruise Terminal are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those in the mood for shopping can visit Gunwharf Quays and WestQuay Shopping Centre. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's going on at St. Mary's Stadium, or consider a night out at Wickham Estate. Take the opportunity to explore the area for water adventures such as sailing.
View more Holiday homes in CowesOpens in a new window
Map
Isle of Wight, ENG

What's nearby

  • Gurnard Beach - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Royal London Yacht Club - 3 min drive - 2.4 km
  • Cowes Harbour - 4 min drive - 2.7 km
  • East Cowes Ferry Terminal - 5 min drive - 3.4 km
  • Osborne House - 8 min drive - 4.7 km

Getting around

  • West Cowes Ferry Station - 9 min drive
  • Southampton (SOU) - 128 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Fountain Inn - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪The Garden - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Cowes Ale House - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Anchor Inn - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪The Woodvale - ‬1 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront. pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront.?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront.?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Coastal cottage with sea views, lovely village location, 2 mins from seafront. located?

Situated near the beach, this holiday home is within 3 miles (5 km) of Cowes Harbour, East Cowes Ferry Terminal and Thorness bay. Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is 2.6 mi (4.2 km) away.

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. 163 out of 171 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 171 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 171 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 171 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 171 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Anne H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was our third stay here, we just love the accommodation and area.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Samantha B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely little place, in a beautiful and quiet location. Everything we needed for a couple of nights away from our day to day!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ursula C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The Ark a quirky, charming one-bed with lots of personality and everything you need for a relaxed self-catering stay. The house looks straight across the Solent, so we spent most mornings with coffee just watching the water. It’s peaceful, spotless, and really well thought out. A great base for coastal walks but also a lovely place just to slow down and stay in.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Communication with Kate and Maria were so easy, and they made everything work. So much attention to detail to make guests feel welcome - including a telescope. We've stayed in many properties both in UK and abroad, and this was the best-equipped kitchen ever. Properly sharp kitchen knives! Fabulous sea views from the sitting room, bedroom and terrace. Amazing sunsets. Can't rate this cottage highly enough.
Sunset from the sitting room.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

carol m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
An absolute perfect little,quirky home with stunning sea views from the bedroom and lounge with short walk to a pub that serves meals all day.Cowes is a flat walk away along the seafront with little coffee shops,ice cream stops along the way.This is our 2nd visit to The Ark and have booked again for next year,communication with host is fabulous,cannot fault.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

John P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, listing accuracy
Disliked: Communication, location

Brilliant accomodation

Wonderful location,views out to the sea from every room Maria looks after us wonderfully and is very helpful. Would stay there again
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lauren W.

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

Weekend Escape

Had a great weekend away at the Ark- was just what the doctor ordered! Would absolutely stay again and recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Liz J.

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

Wonderful property and location

Just delightful. Beautiful cottage and a lovely location. So peaceful and the views are wonderful.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Angela N.

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

Our visit to family

We enjoyed our stay in The Ark,we have everything we needed for a comfortable stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Naomi N.

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

Very comfortable in a lovely location

The Ark is a lovely (and very comfortable) place to stay, and so convenient for the beach and for Cowes. The instructions for finding it were very clear, and I felt very welcome on arrival. Highly recommended!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark S.

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

The Ark

Beautiful very well equipped and spotlessly clean property with a fantastic sea veiw. Perfect getaway to relax and chill in comfort.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hayley P.

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

Perfect property

We arrived and was greeted by Maria who kindly let us park up and informed us she would be to long even though we were early and suggested we have a nice cold drink from the pub across the road. Great advice! Property itself is beautiful spotlessly clean, great location and everything you need in there for a relaxing holiday. Home from home. Great decked area with plenty of seats and the sunsets are to die for, the views from the property are stunning. The kitchen is well equipped lovely lounge and dining area. Bathroom with the best shower ever so powerful and hot. Bedroom light and airy if you like a lie in take an eye mask as the sun comes up early. Bed was comfortable and again the views from the bed were amazing. Beach is literally on the doorstep of the property. Lovely to see the sailing club out most nights. 2 pubs to walk to 1 within 1 minute and another about 5 minutes. We walked to cowes jn the evening to for more choices of pubs and eateries. If you dont want to walk, get on a beryl scooter. 8 minutes and your there, you will need your driving license. Great location for the whole of the island. Thank you Kate your property is just perfect we will definitely be back next year.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Julie P.

Peaceful, beautiful, and a little bit of coastal heaven

The Ark is at the top of Shore Road, a steep sloping road that leads down to the beach. Don't let the slope panic you: it lasts about twenty seconds, and I can do it several times in a day so that means anyone can! It's a one bedroom beautifully restored property that has views of the sea from every window but one. I lost many hours staring at those views! From the bedroom, from the lounge, from the breakfast table, and even from the loo. It's a quirky little cottage, on different levels with varying slopes and places to bump heads if you are taller than me (which most people are). Kate has cleverly invented ways to prevent the head-banging from happening, which all adds to the creative and inspired way The Ark is designed and decorated. Everything you need is right there too. The kitchen is kitted out perfectly for cooking, the bed was stylishly covered – and comfortable, and all I can say about the shower is wow; it was hot, powerful, and lots of room to move. Everything just worked perfectly. To top all this perfection and loveliness, The Ark is looked after by a wonderful lady called Maria, who lives locally. Maria popped by the morning after our arrival to make sure everything was okay, and we knew how to work everything. We bumped into each other quite a bit on the beach and chatted while we searched for sea-glass, and when I wasn't feeling particularly well, Maria kindly walked my little dog for me and even bought me some chocolate milkshake to ease my sore throat (my excuse for downing so much of it recently). Having Maria close by (but not intrusively so), was a gift for me as a solo traveller. It meant that there was always a friendly face to say good morning too, as well as knowing that if I needed anything, she was there to call on. Between Kate and Maria, The Ark felt like one of the friendliest places we have ever stayed. I can’t recommend The Ark, Kate, or Maria enough.
Stayed 30 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Val A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A quirky one off property with great sea views nestled in a small complex of lived in properties. A small stroll down to quiet seafront. Perfect for two and a short holiday break. Comfy bed, onsuite with shower. Clean with ample appliances, car parking. Good contact by host and a nearby neighbour available for emergencies but only visits if needed. The quirkiness of property means alterations in floor level inside property resulting in several shallow steps so not so good for wheelchair users or very tall people.
View from living room
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Angela R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a lovely quirky cottage, the local lady who looks after it for the owner was so helpful. The location is brilliant and so close to the beach with an easy walk into Cowes.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brian D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Yes perfect
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

David H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cosy well presented clean great location would stay again,
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

4/10 Poor

Bob P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Not the right property for us.

I can understand how this property would be perfect for many people but unfortunately it wasn’t right for us. I’m tall at 6ft 2 inches and found the number of low beams and ceilings an inconvenient hazard. My wife is an intermittent wheelchair user and the number of different levels and steps up and down (including one in the bathroom) made it difficult for her to move around. Shorter, more mobile people would have no problem but for us it was so difficult that we moved out after one night.The parking space at the side of the house is very small and made unpacking the car difficult. A cautious driver might not want to use the space at all.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ian G.

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

Comments

Excellent small property in a lovely situation
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ian B.

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

Perfect bolt hole

The Ark, is a perfect ‘home from home’. Well appointed and very comfortable. Easy reach to the beach in Gurnard a lovely pub The Woodvale and only a short distance from Cowes. Cannot recommend highly enough
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Keith T.

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

Great place to relax

As usual the Ark was a great place to relax and watch the world go by. Be sure to use the Gurnard press cafe in the village it’s a short walk for a great breakfast.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher S.

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

The Ark May 2025

Fabulous setting with sea and sunset views. Everything needed for a couple.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anne H.

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

See the sunsets!

Our 2nd stay at The Ark, this time for a bit longer. As usual great communication from Maria who was extremely helpful. We were lucky with the weather, the sunsets in Gurnard were just beautiful. The Ark has everything you need and is a 2 minute walk to the beach which is ok to swim in. The locals chat to you and the stay couldn't be more relaxing. Can highly recommend.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Ann C.

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

Enjoyable stay in Gurnard

Really enjoyable stay. Very well equipped and clean property with fabulous views of the sea. Easy, flat and enjoyable walk along seafront into Cowes. Couple of minor problems (hiccup with TV and heating)were sorted out promptly. Only a couple of negative points: Tiled floor in bathroom can be hazardous as there is a step down which is not visible. Recycling bins not obvious. Security light on neighbouring property shines into bedroom when triggered - needs repositioning.
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lowry S.

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

Fab Find!

Fantastic little bolt hole, great communication and so easy to find. Easy walk to Cowes. Beach a step away which the dog loved… up until May dogs allowed on the beach ( May-Sept) Great pub a few steps away, fabulous views, everything you need to be comfortable, highly recommend this lovely property!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

About the host

Hosted by kate wilson

Host profile image
Hello
I moved to the I.O.W over 25 years ago, the plan had been to only stay a while but there is something about the Island that grabs you and draws you in, which is why people return year after year to holiday here. Although I have now returned 'home' to Surrey, my knowledge of the Island means I am able to answer any questions you may have about the area. I can also provide information about places to go as well as let you into a few local secrets about the best things to see and do. Even though I'm no longer local I am only a phone call away if there are any problems. Also, The Arks neighbour Maria is close by to lend a hand if needed. Whether you end up staying at The Ark or not, please make sure you visit The Island at some point. It is a very special and unique place and I'm sure you will fall for its charm.

Why they chose this property

I have owned The Ark for over10 years. It was pretty much derelict when I bought it and something of an eyesore in a beautiful, quaint place. Rather than demolish and rebuild I decided to restore and modernise the existing building and although frustrating and difficult at times, I am really happy with the result. The positive comments from locals and passers-by have made it all worthwhile.
Yes, The Ark has uneven floors, wonky walls and low ceilings in places. BUT it also has charm, wonderful sea views, light and sunny rooms and quirky charm.

What makes this property unique

Gurnard is filled with 'Enid Blyton' charm and famous for its incredible sunsets which you can watch from The Ark's sofa. The locals are very friendly and welcoming and even when Gurnard becomes busy in the summer months, it never feels crowded or commercial. Although small, Gurnard has a convenience store, a wonderful village café, 2 food-serving pubs a newsagent and florist.
From The Ark it is a beautiful, pleasant, flat walk into Cowes, the world famous sailing town, with its variety of independent shops and abundance of bars, cafes and restaurants (There is also an M&S Foodhall and small Sainsburys).
Within a 10 min drive is Newport, the Island's main town and within a 30mins drive are Yarmouth, Ryde, Shanklin and Ventnor - in fact the whole Island is within easy reach. If you are feeling active then there are numerous beautiful walks and miles of coastal paths and cycle routes to explore (maps can be found at The Ark). To keep the energy levels up there are pubs, tea rooms and restaurants galore - the favourite ones can be found in a folder at The Ark or you can take advice advice from previous guests, all their comments are in the guest book.

Languages:

English
Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback