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Firefly Cottage - close to beach & town!

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A covered patio with outdoor seating, a brick pathway, and a small garden area.
A spacious living area with a sofa set, a coffee table, and a staircase.
A modern kitchen with white cabinets, a countertop with appliances, and a window providing natural light.
A spacious kitchen with a large island, white cabinetry, and a dining area with a dark wooden table and chairs.
A spacious living room with hardwood flooring, a beige sofa set, a coffee table, and a lamp.

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10987 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Pet friendly
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

View in a map
South Haven, MI
  • Place, South Beach
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, North Beach
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Place, Warner Vineyards
    ‪11 min walk‬

Room options

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  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Air conditioning
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About the neighborhood

South Haven

With a stay at this vacation home in South Haven (South Side), you'll be within a 15-minute walk of Lake Michigan and South Beach. .This vacation home is 0.4 mi (0.7 km) from Southside Municipal Marina and 0.6 mi (0.9 km) from South Haven Lighthouse.
View more Vacation Homes in South HavenOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • South Beach - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles
  • South Haven Center for the Arts - 9 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • North Beach - 10 min walk - 0.6 miles
  • Warner Vineyards - 11 min walk - 0.6 miles
  • Kal Haven Trail - 4 min drive - 1.6 miles

Getting around

  • Bangor Station - 18 min drive
  • Kalamazoo, MI (AZO-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Intl.) - 52 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪South Beach Cafe - ‬10 min walk
  • ‪Culver's - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Burger King - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬3 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.

Firefly Cottage - close to beach & town!

Firefly Cottage (formerly known as Castle Made of Sand)

Get a needed break this season at this beautiful, ideally located vacation rental just a short walk from South Beach and downtown restaurants and shops. A truly unique backyard experience awaits with perennial gardens, a covered porch, and a firepit to enjoy...

INSIDE THE VACATION RENTAL

The main floor of this charming two-story home offers a fully equipped and updated kitchen, dining room with a large dining table, and a cozy living area with wifi, Roku TV and Blu-ray player as well a selection of books, games, DVDs and puzzles for your family's entertainment. Kitchen amenities include a Bosch dishwasher, ample supplies & accessories, and a new gas range. The main floor also features a bedroom with a queen bed, a full bathroom with a jetted tub, and full laundry. Upstairs you'll find two well-sized bedrooms and a bright and cheery second full bathroom. The comfortable queen bedroom boasts a new memory foam mattress while the room next door features two full beds and a play nook.

SLEEPING

Bedroom 1: Main level queen
Bedroom 2: Upper level queen
Bedroom 3: Upper level queen and a queen over queen bunk bed

OUTDOOR SPACE
Enjoy a cup of coffee or one of your favorite drinks on the Adirondack chairs on the front porch. The back yard is a private oasis offering outdoor dining with a gas BBQ on a paver patio alongside a comfortable hammock and covered porch which provide a relaxing destination after a day at the beach. Finish the day with s'mores and campfire stories in front of the firepit. All of this is surrounded by lush perennial gardens making this set truly one of a kind.

LOCATION This vacation rental is a short walk to South Beach, Kid's Corner, and downtown. You can't beat the ability to stroll to eateries and watering holes after a fun and relaxing day at the beach. Enjoy the shops and fun of downtown along with the beautiful marina and maritime history that only South Haven offers.

I give permission to SafelyStay, Inc. to verify my identity and check criminal databases in order to confirm my reservation. Complete terms regarding Safely's guest verification can be found at www.safely.com/terms. You may receive an email from Concierge@Safely.com to complete your screening. Please check your spam folder for this email, and contact Safely at Concierge@Safely.com, or go to www.Safely.com if you have any questions.
Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned vacation home, featuring a kitchen with a refrigerator and an oven. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. The bathroom with a shower/tub combination features a jetted bathtub and a hair dryer. Conveniences include a microwave and a coffee/tea maker.
This smoke-free vacation home offers games.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Kitchen

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

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Jetted bathtub
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Games
  • TV

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Porch/lanai

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoking not allowed

Location highlights

  • Near a hospital
  • On a lake

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)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Unit size: 987 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM

Contactless check-in available

Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 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

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
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock
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

Property is also known as

Prime Location To Michigan

Prime Location to Downtown Lake Michigan!

Prime location to downtown and Lake Michigan! South Haven

501555

Firefly Cottage - close to beach & town! Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 40 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 40 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 40 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 40 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 40 reviews

8.6/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Melissa S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Elmer J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place. Had great time. Hope the next time i stay i can get this place again
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Peyton W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a great stay at the rental. The check-in process was smooth and the host was very helpful and quick to respond to anything I asked. The place is in the perfect location and in a very walkable area.
Stayed 1 night in May 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

rocco d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Shannon M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful space in a quiet neighborhood. Cute patio and garden space to enjoy. Outside furniture could use a little cleaning. Close walkable distance to town and the beach. Will definitely recommend to others.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Matt-Donna P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location
Property is located close to beach and downtown. Close enough to walk. Jaqua Realtors was awesome to deal with! Very pleasant. We were surprised to only have 1 television for entire house. Bathrooms very small. Kitchen well stocked, but was left with a few dirty dishes in cabinet. Overall, good stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kathleen J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
House was perfect. Short walk to the South beach and downtown.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

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

Great place!

Our family of 6 had plenty of space, house was clean, beds were comfortable and the home had everything we needed for a weeks stay. Great location too! Would stay here again in the future!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly A.

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

Nice Cottage Close to the Beach!

Great communication with the host. Lovely fully stocked house for my family. Would stay again
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Megan A.

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

Great location and house

We stayed here with our 4 children (ages 2-7), and it was great! It was in a great location walkable to the beach or downtown and just blocks from Kids Corner (which unfortunately was getting revamped during our stay). The house was clean and had everything that we would need. We greatly enjoyed our stay!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023
Verified review

2/10 Terrible

Mary S.

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy
Filthy. The first floor tub was full of black mold. The baseboards, window sills, ledges, handrails were grimy, dusty, and hairy. The couches–stained. Inside and out looked neglected and needed a power wash. Under the furniture was worse. The couch covers a heat vent so we moved it. Gross. You can see the dirt under the bed at the top of the stairs. I told the management company about this and sent photos. They offered a “touch up” cleaning. We left early.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Chris A.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Done right - kitchen well equipped (except for coffee filters) , comfortable living room. Plentiful towels. Great location. Good idea to have games and books available. Easy arrival and closing up. Good communication! Suggestions - upgrade beds for more comfort. Remove plastic mattress protector layer under sheets or purchase ones that don’t crackle with every movement.Be sure to refill or replace liquid soap dispensers (ours were mostly empty.)Assure safety of stairway as it is fairly steep. (Tighten handrail and check non slip stair treads)
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

B H.

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

Would recommend

The property is as described. It was clean and comfortable. As others have stated watch your head going up and down the stairs but didn’t give us any issues. They provided a nice starter kit with toilet paper, soaps, etc which was nice. Location was perfect for walking to the beach and downtown. Only recommendation would be to provide some beach chairs. Communication was great and appreciated.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
Verified review

8/10 Good

Dan G.

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

Cozy and comfortable

The cottage was cute and cozy. The stairs are quite steep, so assign bedrooms accordingly. Appliances were clean. Floors could use cleaning. Internet was good. Location just a few blocks from the lake made for a good walk and great views every time we went out. Neighborhood was pretty, people were friendly. Check out was clearly defined and simple. We enjoyed our South Haven stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Mary Beth C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Good for families, walkable to downtown

Great location to kids corner and south beach. Inside was clean; but wish the back yard and patio were in better shape. Patio needs power washed along with furniture. Spiders and webs around all entrances. Just need to vacuum those guys up. Would we stay there again? Yes!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Maria W.

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

Girls Christmas Break

We enjoyed our stay very much. I would suggest extra blankets to cozy up with on the couch during the colder months. The stairs are a hazardous for anyone taller than 5’7”. “Watch your head” would be more appropriate than “watch your step”.. Despite that, we would rent here again. Thank you.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

Thomas K.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Location

Property was in a perfect location. 5 Blocks from downtown; 3 blocks to Van Buren Street Overlook/Beach on Lake Michigan. Beautiful sunsets and lots of dining/bars/shops in town. Nice links golf course within 10 minutes. Property management was responsive via text regarding request for maintenance. Furniture was dirty and Fridge needed cleaning from previous guests who left food behind. Going up/down the stairs you had to duck down.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

Bryan M.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Good location but needs some love

Home worked well for 4 adults and 4 kids to enjoy when not at beach or in town. Backyard has good space but needed some tree and bush maintenance and firepit on images was broken and laying in pieces on ground unusable. Somewhat a hazard that should have been removed at the very least.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

James B.

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

Family time

Friday morning while setting in the living room a young man showed up driving a dark colored car walked up sees my car looks in window sees a 12year old girl setting on the couch and without knocking proceeded to unlock the door and tried to enter. I stopped him but he kept saying he was there to check the plumbing. This is not acceptable. He had the codes and could enter at any time. I won't be staying again
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Anna S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A wonderful location within walking distance to downtown and the lake! The place was so clean, tidy and comfortable. The outside furniture needs some TLC and a wipe down but other than that, we truly enjoyed the home and our visit. We will be back!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Thomas K.

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

Family of 6!

The place was clean. 2 full baths was great for our 4 kids (11 and under). AC worked great! Bedroom downstairs gets a little chilly compared to the upstairs so plan accordingly. Stairs were a little steep going upstairs. Kitchen worked great. Plenty of pots and pans to cook with and a good amount of storage space for groceries. Wonderful little gift-package on the table greeted us when we got there. Upstair ceiling heights could be troublesome for over 6' tall. Our kids had no problem. The place worked great for us. Beaches are super close. We went over Labor Day Weekend. Make your restaurant reservations well in advance. Most of the restaurants downtown wouldn't do carryout because they were so slammed.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Lesley B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Great location!

This rental home was very clean and in a great location! Very close to the beach and town. Easy access to everything! My only complaints would be that there was no storage or dressers/closets for clothing, shoes, etc and the landscaping needs attention… a bit overgrown. Overall, it was a good property!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Patty S.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Great location!

We had a group of 7, plenty of room for our group to spread out. Nice kitchen, well stocked. Wish the owner had beach gear (wagon, chairs, umbrella). Had an issue with the floors being dirty but the management company responded very promptly.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Jennica W.

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

Perfect Lakehouse Spot!

My husband and our son visited SoHa for the first time during the summer of 2021 and knew we needed a return trip. We brought my parents along this time and they loved the lake life. The location of this house was ideal, nice walks to both the beach, town, and amazing playground. The house itself was well equipped with all of the basics, which helped keep packing light. Spices, full kitchen with every utensil and cooking item needed, laundry pods, and plenty of clean white linens. I loved the subtle beach decor. We played scrabble one night from the game shelf and my mom read a book from the home library. There were even toys for my son in the garage, like sidewalk chalk, a wagon, and water guns. The backyard was getting a bit overgrown but we enjoyed the space regardless and had a fire one evening, too. The front porch chairs were a hot commodity and it was nice to relax there and watch other vacationers walk and ride by. Would recommend this home to any family!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Tara R.

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

Fabulous Firefly Cottage

We loved our visit! It was a family reunion with our 90 year old Dad- cousins and Auntie. We grew up in the summertime with 2 cottages on Lake Michigan next to each other a bit further south. The backyard is cozy, sweet and perfect for barbecuing for a family gathering. The house is adorable/beds comfy and well appointed with all the details such as plenty of cooking utensils/plates/silverware/ glass ware/ spices etc. Super close to the beach and downtown. Extra props to Allison at Jaqua Realty who let us push our visit out one nite due to two canceled flights from Los Ángeles. We would love to stay here again next year and highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022