Don’t think twice about renting this house. It is perfectly outfitted with anything you might possibly need...right down to a cheese grater in the kitchen and Tiger Balm in the Medicine cabinet! Seriously?! Better yet are the touches of whimsy that you will find through the cottage. I won’t spoil the surprise of these! Wish I could have stayed longer. A lot longer. And the island is pretty special, too!

Really enjoyed our stay here, if you are looking for a relaxing getaway and unique island living experience this is your place. Communication with Brad was good too, I’m hoping to come back in the summer!

Charming cottage on lovely island. 2 weeks wasn't enough

Quiet and relaxing week-and-a-half for our family of 3 and the family dog. Short walk to coastline and use of two kayaks to explore Casco Bay area (the kayak trip to nearby Fort Gorges is highly recommended). The island is very low-key -- perfect for what we wanted -- and easy to explore. Really wonderful to just relax, read, and spend time on the wrap-around porch of the house. Brad was a great host and made sure to bring us up to speed about the property and what to expect. By the time we arrived, we had very few questions. Renting the golf cart is fun and nice -- we would do it again -- but not absolutely necessary if your family enjoys walking. Having very few cars on the island was perfect for us, and made you feel farther away than you actually are -- Portland is an easy half-hour ferry away, however, so if you do want to spend some time in the city, you certainly have the option. If you prefer to cook in, as we do, a morning trip into the Whole Foods in Portland is easy, and they can deliver your groceries to the Great Diamond ferry stop later that same afternoon so you don't have to lug them back. The kitchen in the house also has everything you might need. Everyone that we met on the island was friendly and willing to answer questions if you have them. For our family dog (labrador), this was the trip of a lifetime -- swimming nearby, long walks, snoozing on the porch -- very dog-friendly. The house is clean and well cared for -- we couldn't have asked for more. A stay on Great Diamond may not be everyone -- if you are looking for lots of structured activities, restaurant options, etc, it may not be your ideal place. But if you want a place with an ocean view to rest and relax, this is highly recommended. We felt very fortunate to be there, and hope we can return sometime.

We enjoyed our time getting away from our busy schedules to enjoy a relaxing week in Maine. The house was very clean, and appeared recently painted. It was open and airy and had a great breeze from the ocean. We walked down to the beach many times and enjoyed the beautiful view. The porch was where we spent much time playing games and eating our meals. The owner was also very communicative and helpful.

Cheers to Brad and his Great Diamond Island retreat. Everything was perfect, from the sparkling clean house to the communication and suggestions. We had a great, great time just exploring and slowing down. We really realized how nice the island is once we took the ferry over to another island where we saw cars! - it felt good to get back to our home base and peace and quiet that evening. We hope to be back next year, our kids are already talking about it...

Our Great Diamond stay was truly relaxing and an escape from the hectic pace of life. Brad the owner was super helpful in both preparing for our trip and with any issues that came up. The house was great - with fresh flowers in every room and stocked with all necessities. We had beautiful views of the bay and loved sitting outside with our coffee in the morning and glass of wine in the evening. We enjoyed exploring the island and venturing into the super-cool city of Portland. We would definitely recommend Great Diamond for some summer R&R.

Island life... our family of 5 with 3 dogs have never stayed anywhere that was accessible by boat only and car free. With a little planning and expectations of much reading, resting and game playing mixed in with kayaking, walking and exploring, we came away feeling relaxed, rested and “one”’with nature and the Casco Bay. The house was exactly as pictured but the pictures don’t quite show the charm and authentic antique cottage feel of the house. You can tell there has been much love poured into this quiet home in the woods and you are definitely made to feel at home. You could easily forget you were renters, as everything was available in the house as if you were one of the family. This was especially helpful given that island life makes transporting typical vacation necessities a little tricky. Brad made checking in extremely easy and I can’t say enough about the hospitality. Our family highly recommends staying here and we are so glad to have been able to experience it!

We have stayed at this house for the past 3 yrs. and absolutely love it. It is bright and airy. Tensions melt away as soon as you walk in the door. We enjoyed meals on the back deck overlooking the bay, long walks around the island and kayaking to Little Diamond and Diamond Cove. We are so happy to have found Great Diamond Island and this beautiful house.

We absolutely loved experiencing the little sliver of island life on the Maine coast. From the ferry and water taxi transportation needed to get there, to coffee on the porch watching the waves, and the creaks and charm of an old summer cabin...this place is perfect for creating memories. Chris and Brad were fabulous hosts and their hospitality was spot on. We’re still smiling.

This was our 3rd year staying here. The house is fantastic with great views of Casco Bay. Favorite activities include morning coffee and meals on the porch, kayaking around the island and walking the beach with our son and dogs. Although there are golf carts allowed on the island, there are no cars so it's like stepping back in time. We cannot wait to visit again next year!

We had a wonderful time on Great Diamond Island. Once we walked into the house we felt at home. Everything was there that we needed. Water was to cold for swimming the beach is a 1 minute walk from the house. We can't wait to go back next year and use the kayaks. People were extremely nice on the island. I went running several times which was a great way to explore see both sides of the island. The house is a 5-10 minute walk from the ferry. Going to and from Portland was easy you just have to plan your day around the ferry schedule. The owner was available to answer questions. Basically we can't wait to go back next September.

We loved our time at this house. Perfect, comfortable porch, super quick walk down to the beach, friendly and quiet island. Taking the ferry into Portland is easy and so enjoyable. Amazingly comfortable master bed- we slept so well!! We would go back every summer if we could.

Charming island, with lots to do. Great 4 kids! Although the City of Portland is just a 15-minute ferry ride away, you'll have the feeling of being well away from civilization. With very few cars, and lots to explore, it's a safe place to let your kids roam and be independent. Bring their bikes!! Simply stock up for a week at the grocery store, drop it at the freight area for the ferry, and you are set for the week, Kayaking, hiking, island hopping, or sit on the deck and do nothing but gaze at the water. We take the ferry into the city on cloudy days. Wonderful restaurant on opposite side of island. Very considerate and friendly neighbors. Sunset view over Casco Bay, including rustic dining table, comfy couch and Adirondack chairs all on the deck. You'll want to buy a house on the island. This house has all the amenities for comfortable cottage living; romantic for 2, spacious for 4, comfortable for 6. Just go.

We had a lovely lovely stay at Brad’s cottage. There were three of us initially, myself and two friends enjoying ourselves on a mini-girls-getaway. My husband, our dog and four other friends joined us on our last day to celebrate my birthday. Everyone agreed – the house was wonderful with a big veranda in which to occasionally escape the sun and enjoy the view of the water. We relaxed and sat idle, chatting, reading or snoozing. The happiest member of our merry party was certainly our dog, Abby. She seemed positively morose upon leaving the island. We only brought one bike between the three of us - but were able to manage taking turns to spin around the island and took many walks. We loved the easy accessibility of the beach and met some wonderful people while walking it. We also explored Diamond Cove and felt sorry for their sterile condos and sweeping manses with their overly manicured landscaping. But we thoroughly enjoyed our pizza and conversation with the general store folks. The house itself was perfect – when the nights turned chilly, we were happy in the living room snuggled up with blankets and comfy sofas. Upstairs we found the bedrooms perfectly outfitted for our needs. Brad was the perfect host, answering a barrage of questions both prior to the trip and while we were on the island. In short, we were charmed by this wonderful home and are already all talking about a return trip, both to Great Diamond and of course Brad’s lovely cottage.

Had a nice relaxing time here in July with 4 others and our dog. The island is the big attraction here with its dirt roads, hand carts, $6 lobsters from Tammy, and keeping time with the pace of the ferry from Portland. It is very quiet, and we spent a lot of time out on the porch enjoying the beautiful weather. This is a great place to relax and do nothing. We enjoyed spending the evening drinking and playing board games, reading, laughing, etc. OH and it has wi-fi and good phone signals which were great for keeping in touch with the world. The house is not fancy, and you certainly feel like you are living in someone else's home, though for us this was a nice homey feeling. It has everything you might need. It is full of country antiques and lots of odds and ends that you might need but wouldnt have packed. Fly swatter? got two near the washing machine! Short length of rope to practice tying a monkey's fist knot while having a beer? Sure! OH and kayaks. There are two and one canoe, though we only used the kayaks. The beach is right down the hill and it is easy to launch at high tide (you'll be shocked at the change of tides). Stuff we did: Walks around the island, walk to Little Diamond Island and feel like cavemen crossing from Siberia to Alaska at low tide. Eat lobster. Grill your dinners. Go into the Old Port to shop (there is a Whole Foods there, but it requires some coordination as it is a longer walk). If you have a car, you may be out on side trips (we went to Wiscassett and did not have Reds lobster rolls), and mind the ferry schedule! Last ferry back at 930pm in summer. ALSO, if you have a dog, your dog will LOVE it here. So much to smell and a nice big porch to hang out on. Did not play tennis, though I kinda wish I had. Did go swimming. Did paddle to Diamond Cove which is really pretty. Brad was easy to deal with. It was very simple. And we all came home very relaxed.

We spent a relaxing Memorial Day weekend here 2010 and were captivated by the charm of this friendly island. Local adults offered us a ride with our gear when they saw us coming off the ferry so overpacked. Within minutes of arriving a couple "local" kids offered to show our two - ages 12 and 14 the lay of the land. (Turns out these islanders live two towns away back home) Safe enough to turn them loose and not worry. Strolling around the "other side" to take in the large new waterfront construction was a must for us dreamers. The home is a gem - well suited for a family and the kitchen was a joy to cook in. Front porch is great for morning coffee and all other meals as well. All in all a great time - we will stay here again and bring our bikes to get around more efficiently.