While it is very nice to be close to the beach, the house upstairs needs attention. The cabinet off the second bathroom is coming unhinged and a large amount of paint is chipping off. Many of the slatted vinyl blinds are broken at the ends and some are dangling and the windows need cleaning. The dining room chairs are old, lumpy and the black netting underneath is torn and hanging down on several. The living room sofas are also old and lumpy and are covered with black poorly fitting slip covers. And last, there is a large hole in the bedroom sliding screen door. The kitchen is nice with the large marble countertop and hanging lights. Considering the amount of money I paid , I expect the property to look good and be comfortable so I can enjoy my vacation.

We enjoyed the open and airy upstairs unit. The three bedrooms and two bedrooms was perfect for our family of 5. Great location near the water and being able to borrow the kayak.

We love this location and the place. It’s nice and clean, just like a home away from home. It’s only a few steps from water front. We enjoyed walks around the island. On the Fourth of July, we watched fireworks right from the water front. Very relaxed and no driving and parking needed. The property manager is quick to respond with any questions and supplies we need. We also enjoyed wonderful food selections in Irvine. Five stars vacation experience. We already want to come back for future.

We stayed here as a mini family reunion. The accomadations were great. We made large famly meals and enjoyed the island.

Loved the area, host was very fast to respond

First of all, this home is an excellent location, especially if you enjoy fishing at one of the public docks, as there is one right there at the end of the street. However, we tried calling the owner twice regarding a few issues and never heard back. The tv in the family room is so outdated and does not have cable for sports and other channels. There was no coffee pot in the kitchen and no hair dryer available. Not a huge deal, however we did have to go out and purchase both. Kitchen is weakly stocked. A few minor upgrades would make this place amazing.

We stayed here for 3 weeks and had a wonderful time. Our hosts were extremely helpful and gracious, ensuring that we had everything we needed. The home was well stocked (including lots of towels, TP and paper towels. We loved having access to the bikes as well. It made it extremely easy to pop to the store for groceries, etc. The location was perfect. Our little one enjoyed walking to the beach at the end of the block and the stroll to Marine was always enjoyable. We hope to be back next summer!

Our family has been coming to Balboa Island for many years and it is one of our favorite places. This property was clean, open and airy, and just steps from the north bay front. The kitchen was well stocked with cooking utensils, detergent, and cleaning supplies. The bathrooms were well stocked as well with towels etc. We loved the large open common area to hang out when not on the beach. We plan to rent this property again next year.

We had a wonderful time. The house was perfect for what we needed. We are able to bring our dog which was our first time doing that. The house couldn’t have a better location unless it was on the water. The owners were easy and super responsive. Thank you so much!!

Great 3-month stay on Balboa Island. The house was perfect for us. Great location. Nicely decorated 3-bedroom unit.

We spent a month in this property with my wife and 4 kids, we enjoyed Kayaking and biking the whole time. Kids loved Dads Ice Cream store so we biked there a little too often. We also loved biking to the ferry and going over to the peninsula .

It was easy. We had one minor issue and it was taken care of the very same day. Thank you.

Loved the airiness and spaciousness of the open floor plan kitchen / dining room / living room. The wrap around bank of windows let you capture every breeze as well as get great views towards the bay and up most of the street. The kitchen was well stocked with everything we might need and the bedrooms and bathrooms had very nice linens and towels. Had a very wonderful stay, and will hope to do it all over again some day.

We rented both the upper and lower units and loved having the entire home. The garage had so many fun toys - kayaks, beach toys, etc.. for our kids, which was an added bonus. The kids were able to take the kayaks out so easily as its just a few houses from the water. We were able to park our large cars in and parallel to the garage and did not have to worry about them at all - the garage is set back a bit in the ally so it does impede the width of the ally and therefore you don't worry about anyone scraping it etc.. The actual home was great - kitchen upstairs in a bit more open feeling due to the raised lofted ceiling, but honestly both up and down were perfect. The beds and bedrooms were all great and the 6 of us (4 kids) plus our dog all were very comfortable. The neighborhood is amazing- so safe and sweet, my kids could ride their scooters to the candy shop and all around the island and could walk to the beach and play several times a day. Owners were terrific and attentive and there were zero issues in the 3 weeks!

My entire family and I rented both the upstairs and downstairs unit for a week which nicely accommodated all 12 of us. Everyone loved the location, surrounding neighborhood, the inland beach, access to Newport peninsula, downtown Balboa, etc. Definitely would return and Alexandra was great to coordinate with.

My sister and I recently stayed in the upper unit of the "Steps to the Sand" rental and we were very happy. It was super comfortable and had beautiful windows all around the unit which really showcased the lovely homes and view of the bay. Has everything you need - the living spaces and bedrooms are comfortable an spacious and painted in soft beach colors. We grew up nearby and were excited to shop and dine on Marine Ave., rented a Duffy boat to cruise the harbor and took a sunset yacht cruise around the bay. The unit is super close to the ferry and you can easily walk or ride a bike for frozen bananas, fun restaurants. Check out the really cute neighborhood bistro around the corner for excellent food and wine! Our hosts, the owners, could not have been more gracious and making sure we were comfortable. Highly recommend this unit and hope to get back again in the future. . Be sure to get on the boardwalk along the bay and stroll around the island it's very relaxing! T.S & J.D.

My sister and I booked a recent stay at this location and it was absolutely wonderful! This upstairs unit was very large, open, light bright and airy with lots of windows all around with views of the bay and charming homes, super clean with beautiful blue and green serene colors all around, comfy beds. It's quite large with high ceilings. We really enjoyed the close proximity to the bay and enjoyed walking around the perimeter of the island on the walking route alongside the bay watching sailboats and kayakers only steps away from our unit! We enjoyed shopping on Marine Ave. just a few blocks up and exploring the shops, eating frozen bananas, taking the ferry across a few times, rented a duffy boat to cruise the harbor and a very fun sunset cocktail cruise on the Wild Goose yacht that belonged to John Wayne back in the day. You have access to kayak, paddle board and bicycles and a very charming neighborhood café around the corner with excellent food and wine. The owner, Alex Everakes was so welcoming and always making sure we had what we needed. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone, we had a wonderful time. We grew up not too far and Balboa island was a wonderful memory growing up for us. We would love to return again in the future. T. S. & J.D.

We stayed with our kids and grandkids, we have been coming to Balboa Island for years and want to keep the memories coming with our grandkids. The house was amazing and only 3 houses from the beach! We rented the upstairs and downstairs and there was plenty of room for the 12 of us! The downstairs patio has plenty of room for outdoor BBQ. The owners take pride in their property and they were so nice and wanted to make sure our vacation was special. I would recommend to anyone!

Stayed here with two adults and two kids. Bottom unit was perfect size with a plenty of room if any friends visit for the day. Very nice sized patio and within easy walking distance to the sand and walk. Two short blocks to the ferry and about a five-ten minute walk to the main street for the ever important Balboa Bars. Unit has super large closets in each bedroom (which they don't really tell you about) so you have a place to put all your bags and hang up your clothes. Furniture in unit is very nice and comfortable; owner says they are trying to find time to put a king sized bed into master bedroom but the queen was big enough for us. Definitely look to rent again when Balboa comes up on our destination list again.

Our family has been visiting and vacationing on Balboa Island for over 60 years. With all of that experience, we can honestly report that 220 Garnet is one of the nicest homes in which we have ever stayed. * The best feature is that it is truly just 4 houses from the North Bay beach. It was so very convenient to the sand and we could actually see our beach umbrella from our dining room window. * The next feature that really stands out is how completely furnished the unit is. From the basic dishes, toaster, crock pot, dishwasher and more, to pillows and a plethora of efficient room fans, to a garage fully stocked with beach toys - 2 bikes, 2 kayaks, and more. The washer and dryer were modern and quiet. This home is also set-up with all of the normal modern conveniences - 2 large TVs, DISH TV, and WIFI. * Some might envy the nice brick patio in front of the first floor unit, but we were surprised by how much we used the large back upstairs patio. Most evenings we cooked on one of the 2 Weber BBQ grills provided and then ate dinner at the spacious table located there. * The mattresses were plush and a little too soft for us, but might be perfect for others. Throw in the beautiful Balboa Island weather along with a few Balboa bars and we certainly had a perfect family reunion week.

We just returned from a weeks vacation on Balboa Island. This beach property is spacious, looks newly renovated and the location, steps from the water, can't be beat. It is an easy walk to the ferry or to the Island main street where you have plenty of restaurants to choose from. We stayed in the upstairs unit which even has a back patio with a bbq. There was plenty of room for my family of 7 and there were even kayaks for us to use. My only negative is, a week is just not long enough. Already looking forward to staying there again next summer.

This was our family's second time vacationing in this property. Once again it exceeded our expectations. The house has everything we need from a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a garage, a patio with a bbq, kayaks, and more. Our children especially loved kayaking. We love the location! It is so easy and convenient to come and go back and forth from the house to the bay, which is a necessity with small children. We're already looking forward to next year!

My husband and I have stayed at this great beach property for the 4th year. We have always had the best of times there with weather, comfort and location to all of our needs and desires for a beach vacation. The owners have nicely furnished and supplied the kitchen, family room and bedrooms. The washer/dryer is fantastic and the patio out front is perfect for breakfast/lunch/dinner with a gas bbq. Bikes to ride to town and kayaks are fun to use for the very close north bayfront! A morning/evening walk is always a pleasure. We love walking to town or over to Newport beach using the ferry. We have plans to come back to this cute and cozy beach house to enjoy our loved Balboa Island!

This was the first year we rented this beach house. It's a beautiful second story house with lots of sunlight. Everything you need in a great location. It's just few blocks from the Ocean through the ferry ride. The Marine, the main street, is a beautiful walk and there are many places for breakfast and quick meals so no need to deal with the crowds and parking. The Bay is less than a block away from the house and we enjoyed the morning jogging and the evening walk around the island. Owner has 2 Kaiaks and my College Son and Daughter and my 10 Years young son had enjoyed them very much. property was very clean and we will be back for sure.

My wife and I stayed here with our three young children for the first time this summer. It was exactly what we had hoped. It was plenty of space for our family, and it was very close to the bay. It's also very close to the ferry. It's great to have a washer and dryer with small kids, as well as, a patio for outside eating. Great place. We will definitely stay here again.

This was the second year we rented this beach house. It's a beautiful home with lots of sunlight. Everything you need in a great location. It's just two blocks from the ferry. It's far from Marine, the main street, but it's a beautiful walk to get there and you don't have to deal with the crowds and parking.