The Birdhouse at Willard Beach in South Portland

Located 60 steps from Willard Beach in South Portland, Maine, the Birdhouse is the perfect place to kick back and relax.  A comfortable seashore cottage, the Birdhouse will undergo a major renovation during the winter of 2014 and starting in May 2014 will have two bedrooms (one queen downstairs and a bedroom with two twins and a new half bath upstairs) and a comfortable pull-out sofa in the living room.  Furnished in eclectic cottage style, you will find comfortable chairs, a mix of antiques and new furniture. The newly remodeled kitchen (with modern appliances, but an old fashioned farmhouse sink) will now be open to the dining room, and the living room will have more windows from which to watch the ship channel. 

Willard Beach is a little known gem – a mile-long sandy beach just minutes from downtown Portland. With a seasonal beach house with restrooms, snack bar, showers and a playground it is the perfect place to spend a summer’s day. From the Birdhouse as well as the beach you can enjoy a great view of the islands, Casco Bay and the ship channel. The Birdhouse at Willard Beach is a short walk from not only to the beach, but also Willard Square – home of Scratch Bakery, the Whole Dog Market and Willard Scoops, a homemade ice cream shop.  Also within walking distance are several restaurants, lighthouses, and a live theater.  The Birdhouse at Willard Beach is a fun and informal house with two bedrooms, one and a half baths.  

The Birdhouse at Willard Beach is a great spot to be in the summer with its proximity to the beach, but also a wonderful place to spend a weekend or a week in the off-seasons.  The bakery is open year round, and there is something quite magical about the beach in winter!  (And all dogs take note:  Willard Beach is open to dogs all day from October to April!)

The Birdhouse at Willard Beach has all the amenities you could wish for: Flat screen TV, DVD, Wireless Internet, W&D, gas grill, books, games, an outside deck, a closed-in front porch and fenced in back yard, and access to one of the best beaches (and best kept secrets) in the Portland area!

Looking for something to do while you stay at the Birdhouse at Willard Beach? Walk or bike the Greenbelt Trail and the Spring Point Shoreway, take a picnic to Fisherman’s Point or the breakwater at Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, explore Fort Preble or Bug Light park and Cushing’s House Museum, bike or walk to Fort Williams Park and the Portland Head Light, buy fresh lobsters and have a feast, go out to breakfast, lunch and/or dinner at one of the great restaurants in the area, walk to Willard Scoops for an ice cream cone, watch a sunset from the beach, visit artist’s studios, see a play at Portland Players, go into Portland and visit the world class Portland Art Museum, shop in the Old Port, or take a ride to the islands on the Casco Bay Ferry.  Or stay home, curl up on the couch in front of the fireplace and watch the ships go by on Casco Bay, play a game of Clue, do a jigsaw puzzle, read a book (which you can take with you when you leave if you haven’t finished it yet) or cook a gourmet meal in the well equipped kitchen.

Downtown Portland and the Old Port are only 5 minutes away, Freeport and L.L. Bean are 20 miles away to the north, and Scarborough Marsh and its world class birding is 11 miles to the south.

The Birdhouse at Willard Beach is available by the week during the summer months, and by the week or by the night (with a 3-night minimum) during the spring and fall shoulder seasons and the winter. For stays longer than one week, subsequent weeks have a $50/week discount.

Well behaved dogs accepted with a $50 per-dog pet fee.

Longer term, off-season rentals by arrangement.