What are your amenities on site?

On site amenities include private bedrooms and adjoining bathrooms, elegant kitchen and dining area, two comfortable living rooms, a wood fired sauna that overlooks the ocean hosting a window with a view, pier with comfortable seating, table on our deck to enjoy drinks and fare, kayaking, low tide exploring, books, games, and private spaces to enjoy your time at Bear Cove Retreat.

What can I do while we are at Bear Cove Retreat?

In addition to our guided tours, we have a lovely sauna where you can experience a thermal cycle, games, cards, TV, wi-fi, star fish hunting at low tide, coffee on the pier, books and just overall relaxing time!

Do you have wi-fi?

Yes! We utilize StarLink. The service is generally reliable, but not guarantied. Please keep this in mind as you plan your stay with us.

Are there a lot of bugs/mosquitoes there?

You'd be surprised that there really are not many bugs, flies or mosquitos. We have gone days where the front door is wide open. Certain parts of the summer can produce a few more no-see-ums.

What time each day are meals served? What time do the scheduled activities take place?

We will provide 3 meals a day with options for snacks throughout the day. Given chosen activities, we will post daily meal times to best meet your destination needs. Please let us know you have specific requests ahead of time so that we can have ample time to prepare to accommodate you. Timing of scheduled activities are largely determined by tides, wind, and weather, we will post the schedule for each day the evening before.

If I have dietary restrictions, can the menu be altered?

We would love to chat with you about your dietary needs and how we can accommodate those needs. When you go to book with us, you will be asked to identify and specific dietary needs there.

If I am interested in having my wedding at your venue, can we request a special wedding dinner?

Absolutely! We are here to make your day the most special ever!

If I am interested in having my wedding at your venue, who can lead the ceremony? Photographer? Flowers? Wedding cake?

We have an ordained officiant on staff at Bear Cove, and if you choose to use your own, that is welcomed! We can provide photographer, flower and wedding cake recommendations to you, if you desire. We are prepared to work with you or your wedding planner to make it the best experience possible.

What gear, tackle or footwear should we bring?

You will want to bring hiking shoes/boots if you plan to hike. In addition, comfortable raingear for hiking. We would also recommend slippers for inside the retreat (no in-floor heat). For beachcombing and fishing, you will need rubber/mud boots. You can bring your own or find a pair to use in our outdoor gear cave. We will provide the rods, tackle and bait required for salt water fishing. We also have a limited assortment of heavy-duty raingear for fishing. If you are planning to extend your trip and fish the freshwater streams and rivers of the Kenai Peninsula, you will need to bring your own gear for those adventures (fly fishing rods/reels, spinning rods/reels, tackle, waders, etc.).

Are we handicap accessible?

Our goal is to make accessing our retreat as comfortable as possible for our guests. That said, we are a small business operating in a remote water access site with up to 30 foot tide swings. As you can imagine, this creates some access challenges! We will do what we can to help accommodate guests with unique needs, but will not be able to accommodate all guests. At a minimum, guests will need to be able to get in and out of our boats from the harbor docks and the float at BCR. Ascending and descending gangways of various slopes depending on the tide in the Homer Harbor and at BCR is also required to access our facilities. In addition, ascending and descending 30 steps is also required. If you have any concerns about access, please contact us prior to booking so we can make a determination if BCR is the right destination for your entire group.

How many people stay at Bear Cove Retreat?

We can accommodate a total of 6 guests in our 3 suites (double occupancy). As a pair, you will mingle with four other like-minded folks during your stay, a great opportunity to develop new friendships on your adventures together. If you have a group of four or six, it will be an opportunity to make lasting memories together!

How do I get to Homer?

It is recommended that you fly into the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. From the airport, there are three primary options for transport to Homer: 1) book a flight from Anchorage to Homer on Ravn Air or Aleutian Air; 2) rent a car and drive to Homer (beautiful drive, spend a day or two in Cooper Landing or Seward along the way); 3) book a shuttle from Anchorage to Homer. For each option, once you book we can assist you with the planning.

How do I get to Bear Cove Retreat?

You will provide your own transportation to and from Homer, Alaska. We will provide your transportation from/to the Homer Alaska airport or Homer Spit to Bear Cove Retreat by one of our two boats.

What environmental factors should we expect during our stay?

You are traveling to a remote part of Alaska by water, there will likely be environmental factors that are more extreme than your typical day at home. You will be traveling on a boat in a relatively large bay on the Pacific Ocean. You can expect wind, waves, rain and even snow (rare but possible in the peak season). You will encounter these factors during travel to/from the site and all activities off the site. You should plan for temps between 40 and 65 degrees F. You may hike on various trails within the Kachemak Bay State Park. These trails offer opportunities for various skill levels. That said, all hikes involve traversing over uneven terrain, contain ascending and descending portions, and can be slippery with rain. In addition, you may encounter wildlife such as bears, fox and other local mammals. At Bear Cove Retreat, we collect rain water for all uses other than drinking. The water is filtered and has UV treatment to eliminate harmful bacteria. Drinking water is provided for guests and cooking. We heat the common areas of our B&B with a fireplace. Each guest room also has supplemental propane heaters. Our sauna is wood fired and typically runs from 140 to 170 degrees F.

What type of fishing is available?

We offer halibut and salmon excursions. The time of year, weather conditions, and tides will determine what options are available during your stay. We will do our best to accommodate target species you wish to pursue, and we must keep the safety of our guests and crew at the forefront of all decisions. A typical day of fishing will involve boating 5 to 40 miles from BCR, fishing for 4-8 hours and the 5-40 mile return trip to BCR. We will jig and troll for all species. If any members of the group would like to spend one or more days back in Bear Cove while the rest of the group takes in one of the many activities, they are welcome to stay back. If some members of the group would prefer to complete an unguided hike while others fish, we can generally accommodate those requests. Once you book, we can work out a plan for your group.

Are birding tours available?

We are not birding experts, that said, we know where to find various species of birds and are willing to tour your group throughout these areas. We can also assist you with securing a tour with one of the local birding experts if they have availability during your stay (their fee will be added to your invoice).

How difficult is it to walk up to the house?

When we land the boat at the BCR float, you will need to be able to ascend two steps to get out of the boat and on the float. Once on the float, you will walk up a 40 foot gangway with handrails to our pier. The slope of the gangway will vary with tides and can be relatively steep at low tides. We will do our best to schedule our trips when passage on the gangway is safer. Once at the pier, there are roughly 30 steps to ascend to get up to the B&B.