Bayshore Cottage, Inverness

If you want a great find in Inverness to add to your Pt. Reyes experience stay at the Bayshore Cottage. It won't be your beautifully decorated posh bedroom, but if you're into practicality and location, this is it. It's right on Tomalas Bay, a one room cottage, with spectacular views across the bay. A mini-kitchen is well stocked for a "make your own breakfast, which you can eat out on the deck overlooking the bay. Snacks for your hike are part of the amenities, then you come back to soak in the hot tub. We ate in both nights taking advantage of the BBQ and kitchen because we couldn't get enough of the view. Once the sunsets you can borrow from the library of old movies and curl up on the couch with a glass of wine.The bed is a pull down to save space, but very comfortable. Not to miss is the gazebo built out over the marsh. It gives shelter from the wind and you can enjoy the birdlife, while having hor'dourves, wine and cheeze as the sunsets. This is one of the beautiful places on earth out on Tomalas Bay. Bayshore Cottage has become and annual stay for us when we visit Point Reyes.

My wife and I spent two wonderful days of our summer vacation on the beaches and trails of Pt. Reyes which included a stay at Bayshore Cottage. After a long walk on Limatour spit we drove to Inverness for a drink before finding the Cottage a short distance south of town on the main road. We were greeted at the end of a long driveway by the proprietor and who showed us to the cottage which is tucked back behind the main house under a towering redwood tree with it's own deck and hot tub. The cottage was clean and well furnished with quality antiques and a quick glance in the refrigerator revealed all the fixings for a substantial breakfast along with a chilled bottle of champagne but the real attraction awaited us outside. Seated on the deck with two flutes of champagne in our hands we looked out across the Tomales Bay tidelands at an uninterrupted view of Elephant Mountain in repose behind Pt. Reyes Station. A pathway off the deck led us across a wide lawn past a burbling fountain and through a dense copse of trees before emerging on an elevated walkway that took us across salt grass towards the bay. We emerged from the trees into the afternoon sun to an absolutely stunning view across the water straight up Tomales Bay to Hog Island that sat floating like a mirage in the distance! It's a view that will never leave me. On a bench in the little cabana at the end of the walkway we spent an hour of perfect bliss watching a little regatta of El Toros race across the water off Inverness Yacht Club and shore birds forage the tidelands for food as the sun receded behind Inverness ridge. That hour alone made Bayshore Cottage a highlight of our summer vacation. Later that night, after returning from dinner in Olema, I came across a news clipping in the cottage's guest book. It said that the cabana was used by the volunteers at Audubon Canyon Ranch in their annual bird count. I heartily recommend Bayshore Cottage to anyone looking for cozy and comfortable accommodations from which to explore all the man made and natural wonders of the this special part of Northern California. At Bayshore Cottage they're literally at your doorstep.

We love the Point Reyes area, and this cozy spot has been the perfect location for our last two trips to the coast. The owners/caretakers are always good to us, and we love the peace and quiet, as well as the privacy offered. There is a gazebo to walk to, a hot tub to soak in after hiking, and you can bring your canoe or kayak to paddle in the bay right from their property. The price is reasonable for the area, and we plan to visit again this December!

We just spent our 20th anniversary at Bayshore Cottage. What an incredible place. Very cozy, private and romantic. It is nestled under redwood trees with a totaly unobstructed view of Tomales Bay and the Marin hills. Upon arrival we were greeted with an iced bottle of Champagne. We grabbed a couple of glasses and walked out on our private pier to our gazebo on the shore of Tomales Bay for a toast, then headed back to the cottage for a soak in the hot tub. Following this we prepared a gourmet dinner in our fully stocked kitchen and had a wonderful dinner on our private deck and watched day turn into night. We moved to our private library to explore the books and settled down to watch a vintage movie. Bayshore Cottage is an incredible place. Very close to anything Pt. Reyes has to offer (hiking, birding, kayaking, eating, napping, oystering). The propietors are very helpful and truly concerned about your stay with them. We read through the comments left in the guest books that date back at least 15 years and it appears hundreds of people love this place too. We shall return.

I have never posted a review but feel the need to alert others that the advertising for this "cottage" is a hoax! There is nothing private about this room, which is tucked next to the carport of a large house and shares the yard with the house: no privacy at all! It is only romantic if you think tiny quarters filled with old junk is romantic. Now, I love quirky places, but this goes beyond quirky and into the realm of a dump. I highly advise you to LOOK ELSEWHERE if you want a clean, quiet and private get-away. There are plenty of other places to stay in the area: GIVE THIS ONE A MISS! We made the mistake of booking a weekend here, only to arrive, see what it really looks like, then immediately leave. Luckily, I had arranged before arrival for a full refund if we didn't like the place - also recommended if you feel the need to give it a try.

I've never posted a review on anything, but our experience at Bayshore Cottage was so bad, other people should know before they plunk down $150 a night for this place. Somehow, the website for this "Bed & Breakfast' fails to mention that this is a very tiny studio and the "Eurobed' is a uncomfortable, squeaky Murphy bed that effectively cuts the room in half when it's pulled down. But you'll need to move some furniture out of the way before you can even open the bed. There was no advertised 'down comforter' and the furnishings are very tired and dreary - think worn and stained poor quality thrift store goods. Even the candles on the small dining table were dusty, burned down stubs. The kitchen area is tiny, with no room to work, and some of the appliances were located in areas you couldn't even plug them in! And the flatwear that came out of the drawer was noticably greasy and had to be washed before we could use them. The deck is also small and in heavy shade most of the day - at the time we were there, there were just two dusty lounge chairs you wouldn't want to use, and certainly nothing like the B & B website photos. Hot tub is small but functional - but not private, as your view from the deck opens out to the owners backyard and the monstrous house which is right next door. Gazebo on Inverness Bay has a lovely view, but it, like everything else here, is rough and beaten up - not a clean or comfortable place to hang out. There are many, many other nicer places to stay in Inverness and areas around Tomales Bay - this was the worst "Bed & Breakfast' or vacation rental of any kind we'd ever stayed at. Unless you don't care about ambience and comfort, don't even consider staying here.

Although the location was beautiful, the "truth in advertising" stopped there. Breakfast provisions consisted of one dozen eggs, and a opened, stale package of English muffins. The frig, the cooking utensils, the shower, the hot tub were all dirty. The coffee pot was even full of used grounds from the last guest. The furniture is showing age - the love seat broken down on one side, and the bed creaking with every movement. Soap dispensers in the shower and on the sink were empty. All in all, very disappointing. Not worth the money.