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Whaleback Retreat

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Photo gallery for Whaleback Retreat

A single-story house with a covered porch, a front door, and a small deck area.
A marina with boats docked, a wooden bridge, and a building labeled "Falling Waters Lodge".
A kitchen with a large island, a refrigerator, and a dining area with a table and chairs.
A bunk bed with a desk and chair, a window, and a view of trees.
A kitchen with a wooden countertop, hanging knives, and a window with artwork.

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Entire home

4 bedrooms2 bathrooms2300 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Pet friendly
  • Air conditioning
  • Outdoor Space

Explore the area

View in a map
Leland, MI
  • Place, Lake Leelanau
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Historic Fishtown
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Place, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪42 min drive‬

Room options

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About the neighborhood

Leland

With a stay at this vacation home in Leland, you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Lake Michigan and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. .This vacation home is 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Lake Leelanau and 1.5 mi (2.5 km) from Van's Beach.
View more Vacation Homes in LelandOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Lake Leelanau - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Historic Fishtown - 2 min drive - 1.6 miles
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 5 min drive - 4.9 miles
  • Front Street - 33 min drive - 30.5 miles
  • Traverse City Beach - 40 min drive - 35.2 miles

Getting around

  • Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) - 43 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Village Cheese Shanty - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪VI Grill - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪The Cove - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Roman Wheel Pizza & Subs - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Fiddleheads - ‬5 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Whaleback Retreat

Welcome to this charming house in Leland. This marvelous property boasts 4 bedrooms, including a king bed, 2 queen beds, and a bunk bed with trundle. With 2 bathrooms featuring shower, tub and hair dryers, guests will feel right at home. Our place is equipped for both long or short stays to make your holiday one to remember.
Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned vacation home, featuring a kitchen with a refrigerator and an oven. There's a private patio. A Smart television is provided for your entertainment. Conveniences include a desk and a microwave, and housekeeping is provided on request.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as barbecue grills.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels

Internet

  • Available in the house: WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee grinder
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Chef service

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Books
  • Smart TV
  • Stereo
  • Video games

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Work spaces

  • Computer monitor
  • Desk
  • Desk chair
  • Printer

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming dogs only
  • 2 pets total

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoking not allowed

Services and conveniences

  • Change of bedsheets (on request)
  • Change of towels on request
  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Meal delivery service

Things to do

  • Bicycles
  • Kayak

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Bed sheets changed on request
  • Bicycles
  • Double-glazed windows
  • Garden
  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Some LED lighting used
  • Towels (changed on request)
  • Unit size: 2,300 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
2 total pets

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Long-term renters welcome
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Whaleback Retreat Reviews

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 10 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 10 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 10 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 10 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 10 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend away!

The location was fantastic! Minutes from fishtown! exploring the area and the wineries!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was in a great area very close to downtown Leland. Host was very responsive and his home had everything we needed!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful get away spot for families that is close to FishTown and Van's beach.

Plenty of room in this home for all of the family. Less than a 5 min drive to Van's beach or Fishtown. The property is expansive and we enjoyed our stay. Thanks!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fourth of July Weekend

We had an incredible stay at Bradley’s home. The pictures were exactly how the home was set up. A full kitchen full of all the cooking utensils you need. Rooms and bathrooms were all clean with plenty of towels to use. It was the perfect location, 5 minute ride to Leland where we enjoyed two delicious fish dinners at the Cove. Then only a 25 minute ride to the Cherry festival in TC. We enjoyed a beautiful day at the sleeping bear beach as well. I would 1000% stay here again. Bradley was very responsive if I needed to ask any questions as well!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a beautiful property whose location is just right: 30 minutes or less from major sites such as Sleeping Bear Dunes, TC, lighthouse, beaches, Fishtown, Glen Arbor, wineries. The rooms are spacious and everything you need is provided.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy
We've stayed in many vacation rentals over the years, and while this property has several positives, there were a few important things we wish we had known before booking.The location between Lake Leelanau and Leland is excellent, the backyard is spacious, there is access to a nearby dock, and the owner was easy to communicate with.Our biggest concern was that there is a second occupied house on the property that shares the backyard and driveway. This was not disclosed in the listing, and we specifically book VRBOs for the privacy of having our own space. While the neighbors were nice, this is something future guests should know before booking.It's also worth noting that although you enter the home on the first floor, the main living area is upstairs, so guests will need to use stairs to access the kitchen and living spaces. The home also appeared to be the owner's primary residence when not being rented, with personal belongings throughout the house, including clothing left in the dryer and a child's room full of personal items.There were also a few maintenance and convenience issues. The dishwasher did not clean dishes well, some basic kitchen items like measuring cups and scissors were missing, and the back door did not appear to lock properly.Overall, we enjoyed the location and appreciated the owner's communication, but greater transparency about the shared property and attention to a few details would have made for a better experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2026