 Fancy Free?s Victorian porch, ideal for al fresco dining - 1/19  Fancy Free Island with mainland at right - 2/19  Updated and fully equipped kitchen - 3/19  Spectacular Big Rideau Lake is a boater's paradise - 4/19  Luxurious bathroom with soaker tub/shower - 5/19  Sail, kayak, swim, canoe... the choice is yours - 6/19  Experience the starriest nights ever with Fancy Free Island?s dark sky - 7/19  Fancy Free?s vintage look-totally classic! - 8/19  Antique-filled bedrooms all with lake views - 9/19  Postcard of Fancy Free circa 1920 - 10/19  Front garden overlooks lake - 11/19  Fancy Free channel (mainland to the left, island to the right) - 12/19  Fancy Free?s wraparound porch - 13/19  Fancy Free Island - 14/19  Fancy Free?s swimming raft in quiet Fancy Free channel - 15/19  Fancy Free?s porch hummingbird feeder attracts beautiful birds! - 16/19  Fancy Free?s dock in Big Rideau Lake as seen from mainland - 17/19  Fancy Free?s deep Victorian porch overlooking Fancy Free channel - 18/19  Briton-Houghton Bay Road, Fancy Free?s mainland access - 19/19 $2199 / week | CONTACT OWNER |
DESCRIPTIONGENERAL DESCRIPTION  | Sleeps 8 |
 | 5 Bedrooms |
 | 1 Bathroom |
 | Pets allowed
with
restrictions |
 | Smoking
not allowed |
 | Fireplace |
 | Internet |
 | Waterfront |
NEW for 2024-High Speed WIFI! PRIVATE ISLAND in beautiful Big Rideau Lake! WEBSITE: https:/ /www.fancyfreeisland.com
Discover Fancy Free, a rare, authentic Victorian summer home nestled on its own exclusive private island in spectacular Big Rideau Lake - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Weekly rentals only. Maximum group size: 8. Season: June to October. Location: between Kingston and Ottawa, near Portland Ontario.
BOATS INCLUDED A small motor boat, sailboat, paddle board, and several canoes/kayaks are included at no extra cost. Many more details at our website: https://www.fancyfreeisland.com
Fancy Free Cottage has it all and is in a class by itself. Step back in time and enjoy a private island experience in a cottage that is a historical landmark with antiques throughout and a view of the water from every room. Fish, sail, and swim in the deep, clear water. Upgrades have been extensive, yet unobtrusive. Perfect for families of up to 8 people.
Fancy Free Island offers private, spacious and comfortable accomodation in a setting of supreme natural beauty. All aspects of management reflect environmental and heritage values. High speed WIFI, private mainland car parking, a small motor boat, and docking are all included with no extra fees. Maximum of 8 people, dogs and children welcome.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Unparalleded privacy on your own exclusive island. World class swimming and boating in a pristinely beautiful lake. Deep Victorian porch with picnic table and pillowed rocking chairs for leisurely conversations, al fresco dining, and reading. Completely renovated bathroom with marble sink and soaker tub/shower. Spacious kitchen with an automatic dishwasher, microwave, fridge, freezer and stove. THREE PRIVATE DOCKS on the island plus one on the mainland for excellent boating. Sunsets and sunrises too!
Guest Comments: "There is so much to love about this little island: the hummingbirds on the porch in the morning, the sound of the loons in the evening...the stars were amazing and the sunsets glorious. We were fascinated by the feeling of being reconnected to the past, just by living here."
M.C., Ottawa
+ READ MORE - COLLAPSE
AMENITIES AND EQUIPMENT | | Bedrooms | 5 bedrooms : - 3 single beds - 3 double beds | | | Kitchen | | | | Communications | | | | General | | | | Entertainment | | | | Outdoors Features | | |
Summer Activities
(nearby) | | |
Fancy Free is an exclusive private island. You are surrounded by deep clear water on all sides, perfect for swimming and with a private raft in a quiet channel for sunbathing. Find out more at www.fancyfreeisland.com + VIEW MORE - COLLAPSE | Other Town/Lake/Area: | Portland (15 km) |
Note: Fancy Free is a private island in Big Rideau Lake, an easy five minute boat ride from a private mainland dock with parking for several vehicles. Access from the Briton-Houghton Bay Road off Highway 15 just north of Portland, a well maintained, year round road. AVAILABILITYLast update: November 14, 2024 |
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RATESRates are in Canadian dollars ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | Check-in after | 01:00 PM | | Check-out before | 12:00 PM | | Security Deposit | $400 (Security deposit will be refunded within 12 days of check-out) | | Booking Deposit | 20% due at time of booking (The balance is due 42 days before arrival) | | Accepted Payments | Interac e-Transfer | | Cottage Rules | View |
NOTES Rates for 2024 $2309/week June 1-June 15 $2519/week June 15-June 22 $2939/week June 22-June 29 $3464/week June 29-Aug 31 $1994/week Aug 31- Oct 12 Closed for the winter after October 12 Booking Bonus: If you are a current year Fancy Free guest or have stayed with us in the past, we are pleased to offer you a 5% discount on a new booking for next season. REVIEWS | | MIchelle |  |
| Our family enjoyed another idyllic week at Fancy Free. It has been the perfect place for our family to spend time together away from the distractions of every day life. The sun room is the perfect place to paint, play games or work on a puzzle. The hammock by the water or the comfy chairs on the large porch are made for reading and napping the afternoon away. And if we were feeling more adventurous, there was always swimming off the dock, kayaking or fishing. We loved eating our meals on the porch and there was always gentle lake breezes to keep us cool. Even the rainy day was welcome as we spent it cozy inside beside the wood stove. We are already looking forward to next year's visit!
Stayed: August 2024 Submitted: Aug 27, 2024
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Owner response: Thank you so much, Michelle, we are looking forward to seeing you and your family too! | |
| | Margot | |
| Fancy Free is an island property on to its own. Just a 3 minute boat ride (boat is supplied) from a private dock you find a magical home from the last century.
It's filled with wonderful antiques and memories of the past lives of the family who lived there and still does! The almost wrap around porch is an oasis for reading or contemplating. There's even a fireplace should it get cold.
The owners Tom and Pam are wonderful to interact with and are responsive to any and all questions! The ?cottage? has all manner of water craft available, canoes, SUP's, kayaks and lots of space for outdoor games. And of course there's the swimming!!
One of our favourite things are the most incredible sunsets I have the opportunity to see every night. Intimate dinners for 2 are tucked in at the water's edge nestled between the long grasses.
Fancy free is an experience you won't forget! It's a place to truly get away.
Stayed: September 2023 Submitted: Dec 02, 2023
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| | Susan | |
| We are return visitors to this magical island! It's smack dab in the Big Rideau with the main channel of boating going by giving hours of summer sights and sounds. The loons will welcome you and lull you to sleep at night! There are canoes, paddle board, kayaks, sail boat and the trusty aluminum motor boat to bring you to and from the shore landing only a 5 minute ride.
The cottage it's self is a historical building with all that goes with it. The wrap-around porch is perfect for morning coffee while watching the sunrise and listening to the bird songs as they begin their morning. There is a quiet area with two Gatineau chairs to watch the sunsets and to have private conversations... there's wonderful swimming and a perfect raft to swim to. The fishing off the dock is great for children... you name it it's available even reliable wifi to work when needed.
It sounds to good to be true but it's a reality to be had at 'Fancy Free'.
Susan Lynch
Stayed: July 2022 Submitted: Aug 01, 2022
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| | Matthew | |
| Just got back from this beautiful cottage and we had such an enjoyable time! The whole experience was so memorable and we are really happy that we made our way to Fancy Free.
First of all this is a unique cottage that has a history that goes back nearly 150 years. This cottage is overflowing with character - from the classic covered wood porch to the beautiful antique furniture. It's really like no other cottage that I've ever been to before.
The property is also perfectly situated on the Rideau Water System. The island is minutes away from the mainland and for those that want to go on a boat adventure - can access National Parks and other exciting destinations. On the mainland, there are also lots of hiking trails, great restaurants, small boutique shops and much more.
The cottage also has a small motor boat, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and more that can be freely used.
Finally, the service was great as well. The owners Pam & Tom are such lovely people and it was a pleasure to have dealt with them. To help with the check-in, John and Su' helped make everything move smoothly and help with anything else.
In other words, this is a one-of-a-kind cottage and I couldn't recommend it enough!
Stayed: August 2020 Submitted: Aug 31, 2020
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| | Peter | |
| We had the great pleasure of spending about a week on Fancy Free Island in the summer of 2018. We had just arrived from the UK and this was the first stage of our Canadian holiday. And it couldn't have started better. We found our stay on the island to be magical. The house was unique and charming, with lots of space and stunning views of the Rideau lake system from every side. Truly idyllic! We so enjoyed lounging on the deck reading a book one minute, and then plunging into the lake to swim, or use the paddle boards, kayaks and canoes. For us this was just out of this world. We enjoyed our occasional short commute to the mainland using the small aluminium boat. It rates as the top destination and activity that we did on our five week trip. It will forever be in our memory; we would highly recommend 'Fancy Free' as a beautiful, tranquil place to stay and hope to return one day. We would go again tomorrow if we could. 5 stars!
Stayed: July 2020 Submitted: Jan 11, 2021
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Member since June 2002 Speaks: English Response Rate: 100% |
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