5 Airbnbs That'll Transport You Right to 'Sterling Point'

• Sleeps: 2
• Price: from $266/night
• Why We Love It: handcrafted timber frame cabin, private dock, included Provincial Park Day Pass

Grab your bestie (or nemesis soon-to-be-turned bestie) and run away to this beautifully quaint timber cottage in Muskoka Lakes, which has 15-foot vaulted ceilings to its tiny credit. You've got lake and forest views galore, and a screened room and bonfire pit around which you can sit and exchange your deepest secrets.

Renting the cabin includes a Provincial Park Day-Use Vehicle Permit, which will allow you access to the local parks, including Arrowhead Provincial Park, Bigwind Lake Provincial Park and Algonquin Provincial Park. The home is also just a ten-minute drive from the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre, where visitors will find miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and mountain biking near the Muskoka River. And if the outdoors aren't quite your thing, you're a quick drive from the local town of Bracebridge, where there are plenty of local shops and restaurants.

• Sleeps: 6
• Price: from $312/night
• Why We Love It: new build, close driving distance to several towns, private waterfront

Set me up in this glorious two-story cottage and I probably won't leave. This property is all about the views: Huge windows, a loft and sprawling lookout from the dining and living rooms. The fact that the home is perched on a hill only adds to the tranquility as you bask in the lake that sprawls before you.

Barclochan Lookout is also the definition of seclusion with 200 feet of waterfront and a 900-square-foot dock where, in good weather, most of the socializing tends to happen. The interior was designed to host a crowd, with a friendly kitchen island, open floor plan and large harvest table in the dining room.

• Sleeps: 8
• Price: from $397/night
• Why We Love It: bedroom balconies, private dock, beach-style shoreline

Soulwater Villa has everything you could imagine for a serene nature getaway. Nearly every room has sparkling views of Muskoka Lake, and two lucky guests also get walk-out private balconies. That's the perfect place to take a steaming cup of coffee, if you ask me. Push off in one of the home's kayaks or the paddle boat from the private dock, which doubles as parking if you're bringing along your own boat.

After you've spent a day on the lake, you can come back home to lay on the beach or sip a glass of wine on the patio while the fire pit crackles. After dinner, head to the entertainment area, which offers billiards and table tennis, among other amusements. With the trees surrounding the house and the water lapping the shore, Soulwater Villa provides an escape from the hustle of big cities and the concrete maze of suburbia.

• Sleeps: 6
• Price: from $337/night
• Why We Love It: private beach, built for families, water sports equipment

This new property, constructed in 2024, was built with families in mind. There are both kid and adult kayaks and paddle boards available, plus a pedal boat. The kitchen is fully-equipped, including kids' utensils, and the house has a pile of boardgames to keep everyone entertained. But that's if you manage to drag everyone inside. From lounging on the dock to gathering around the fire pit and grilling on the barbecue, there are plenty of ways to spend time outdoors. But where the adults are concerned, this waterfront cottage's greatest credit might just be the sauna. Think of it as a little getaway after you've reined in the chaos of the day, where you can sneak in for a little r&r.

• Sleeps: 6
• Price: from $268/night
• Why We Love It: easy access to downtown, "bunkie" with additional beds, private deck

Though the property that starred in Sterling Point was located in Muskoka Lakes, don't discount the Hennessey Lake House on Brandy Lake. Both are in close proximity to the town of Port Carling, where you'll find plenty of boutiques and restaurants.

The lake house has an additional bunkie, or detached cottage, with two extra queen beds available in temperate weather. (The hosts say this is April through October, due to lack of electricity.) The property has two fire pits, including one on the deck, and provides complimentary paddle boards and kayaks for those wanting to dip their toes into the lake. With a well-equipped deck that has a picnic table and lounge seating, don't be surprised if you end up eating all your meals outside.