By Laura Kiniry for BedandBreakfast.com
Cottage B&Bs invite travelers to escape to a comforting--yet profoundly charming--home-away-from-home. These (typically) stand-alone structures offer the privacy of a vacation rental coupled with the amenities and services of an inn. Have a home-cooked breakfast on your secluded sunporch, curl up with a book in a shady hammock or enjoy a glass of wine as you watch the sunset from your property's private wraparound porch. The following eight B&Bs, from beach cottages to cozy countryside dwellings, will add a welcome aura of intimacy and romance to your next vacation.
Maison D'Memoire Bed & Breakfast Cottages, Rayne Louisiana
Just a 15-minute drive from Lafayette, Maison D'Memorie Bed & Breakfast is the perfect base for exploring Cajun Country. With its heart-shaped jacuzzi and glass sun porch overlooking a private lake, the Sweet Surrender Cottage is perfect for couples looking to unwind, while the two-bedroom Prairie Haven Cottage can accommodate friends and families. Every morning, a full breakfast with homemade delicacies like quiche and muffins is delivered to your door--an energizing start for the day's activities, whether that's an airboat ride through a cypress swamp or a visit to an Acadian village.
Inn at Sunrise Point, Lincolnville, Maine
While coastal Maine's Inn at Sunrise Point sports a bevy of luxurious guestrooms, it's this B&B's four individually styled cottages that take overnight lodging to a whole new level. Fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves in the Fitz Henry Land Cottage, perched 25 feet above Penobscot Bay's high-tide line. Or watch the sunrise through the Winslow Homer Cottage's wall of east-facing windows. The idyllic town of Camden is only a 4.5-mile drive away, though there's also plenty to do onsite. Book an in-room Swedish massage, enjoy a glass of wine in the main house's wood-paneled library, or simply bask in the beach's sweet salty air.
The Cottages on Charleston Harbor, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
An easy water-taxi ride from downtown Charleston, the Cottages on Charleston Harbor's contemporary dwellings feel as though they exist in a world solely unto themselves. Each of the two-bedroom guesthouses has its own kitchen and living area, along with screened-in porches where you can easily while away hours in a rocking chair, watching the boats drift by. Take one of the property's beach cruisers out for a waterfront spin, or cool off with a dip in the outdoor pool. Have groceries delivered to your cottage pre-arrival for even more convenience.
AppleGarden Cottage, Tomales, California
Located on a working farm and cidery in the tiny town of Tomales--about an hour-and-a-half drive north of San Francisco--the stand-alone AppleGarden Cottage offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Savor some complimentary hard cider and a plate of local cheese upon arrival, then enjoy an afternoon nap in the cottage's king-sized bed. The refrigerator is stocked with organic milk, butter and yogurt from the surrounding farm, though oyster bars, wineries and fromageries are all located nearby. Innkeepers Jan and Lou live on the property, and are happy to help plan excursions, whether it's a kayaking trip on Tomales Bay or a bicycling tour through Marin's Chileno Valley.
Volcano Mist Cottage, Big Island, Hawaii
Both romantic and rustic, Hawaii's Volcano Mist Cottage provides an excellent jumping-off point for exploring neighboring Volcanoes National Park. This stand-alone property sits amid the tree ferns and orchids of a tropical rainforest, and offers a truly quintessential Big Island stay. Bask in jungle breezes while sipping pina coladas on your outdoor lanai, soak in a "Temple Bath" surrounded by native Hawaiian trees or embark on a mountain-bike ride through Kilauea Forest Preserve. The cottage features custom cork floors and a lava-rock fireplace, as well as a kitchen stocked with Continental breakfast items.
Wombat Hills Cottages, Mansfield Victoria, Australia
Spend evenings watching native wildlife like kookaburras and kangaroos, savoring mountain scenery from a waterfront dock, or barbecuing like an Aussie at Wombat Hills Cottages, an all-cottage property nestled in the foothills of Australia's Victorian Alps. Choose between three comfy dwellings: the one-bedroom Snowgum and Fern cottages offer remarkable views of the neighboring lake, while the larger three-bedroom Rose Cottage sits among gardens that inevitably pop with color during spring. Though each cottage is equipped with a full kitchen, restaurants and wineries are both within a short distance drive.
Moss Cottage, Stratford Upon Avon, England
After an afternoon spent exploring the literary history of Stratford Upon Avon--the birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare--retire to Moss Cottage, a charming two-story lodging just a 15-minute walk up the road. More of a 'cottage' in the Old English sense, Moss features three individual en suite guestrooms and plenty of modern amenities, including flat screen TVs and free Wi-Fi throughout. Enjoy tea and cake upon arrival and don't miss the gourmet breakfast, with freshly baked bread, homemade preserves, and sausages specially made by the local butcher.
Lava Lava Beach Club, Waikoloa, Hawaii
Kick off your shoes for a cottage vacation, Hawaiian-style. Located on the Big Island's Anaeho'omalu Bay, north of Kona, Lava Lava Beach Club offers four contemporary cottages, an open-air restaurant serving relaxed island cuisine, and a full-service beach bar. Sip Mai Tais while grooving to live tunes until 10pm nightly, or savor spectacular sunsets while strumming the ukulele from your own teak-furnished lanai. Each individually designed cottage features a punee day bed in the living area and an outdoor shower garden, and the 'club' has both bicycles and paddleboards on hand for use.
This article originally appeared on BedandBreakfast.com. BedandBreakfast.com is the world's most comprehensive site for discovering unique accommodations and booking bed and breakfast getaways. With more than 10,000 properties and nearly 75,000 rooms, BedandBreakfast.com connects travelers with extraordinary B&Bs, country lodges, urban inns and small hotels worldwide.