Really fell in love with this property. It feels like a retreat! Comfortable, very clean and so much attention to detail. The landscaping makes it feel as though you've stepped into a little paradise all your own. And the view: phenomenal! David,8/19
Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay at sunset from the hill just behind the cottage ( 2 min hike ); photo credit: by our Airbnb Guest Bogdan Darev
Serene Sunset Getaway - offers Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco city skyline views 
“We loved the view from your little house on the hill. The location was perfect for our family visit and we were very comfortable there. THANK YOU so much for letting us stay a bit longer than originally planned. We appreciate your generosity and flexibility.”
Sharon, January 2018
Parking is easy on our driveway

“My husband and I stayed here just as Spring bloomed, and this place was a perfect spot to enjoy the weather! Also there are stellar city views just sitting on the porch. Hope to stay again soon!” ~ Holly, May 2019
“Great little place, stylishly furnished, with all amenities. Lovely garden with flowers and plenty of birds and butterflies and great views of bridges!” ~ Airbnb Guest Gabriella, May 2019
“Albena's place was a real find. Extremely thoughtfully remodeled, spotlessly clean and well laid out. Full size stove, dishwasher and washer/dryer. Great bed and very nice side and backyard. We loved it.”~ Robert, October 2019
serene, tranquil, quiet and meditative atmosphere perfect for your getaway
“Great little place, stylishly furnished, with all amenities. Lovely garden with flowers and plenty of birds and butterflies and great views of bridges!” ~ Airbnb Guest Gabriella, May 2019
“This little cottage is amazingly comfortable, super clean, and has everything you need from home. I’m now spoiled by the 65”TV in the bedroom. Might be my favorite of the many places I’ve stayed at in the Bay Area.” ~ Marvin, November 2019
“The kitchen was a highlight; appliances are high-quality. This is a great escape to recharge and rest from city hustle.Also there are stellar city views just sitting on the porch. Great friendly communications from host. Highly recommended.”~ Holly
Paradise! It’s even better than the pictures. Albena is quick to respond and very generous with her lovely home. Best AirBnB experience I’ve had so far!
~Sophie, 08/2019
Enjoy a glass of wine on the front deck and catch the sunset
“My husband and I stayed here as Spring bloomed, and this place was a perfect spot to enjoy the weather! It is very quiet, surrounded by nature and stylish. The kitchen was a highlight; appliances are high-quality. This is a great escape! “ ~ Holly
“This is one of my favorite places to stay in the area....beautiful & clean space with a delightful garden bordering on a nature preserve! Who could ask for more?”~ Margaret, October 2019
“The kitchen was a highlight; appliances are high-quality. This is a great escape to recharge and rest from city hustle.Also there are stellar city views just sitting on the porch. Great friendly communications from host. Highly recommended.”~ Holly
Kitchen island
fully equipped kitchen with a middle island and brand new, state-of the- art, stainless steel appliances
Enjoying the sunset from the front deck
• for the safety of our guests, our home and for insurance purposes, we have outdoor security camera installed overlooking the entry point and the driveway
Welcome to use our washer and dryer
Backyard
“Stayed here just as Spring bloomed, and this place was a perfect spot.  This is a great escape to recharge and rest from city hustle. Loved the birdsong in the background. Hikers will enjoy it as there are trails right on the hill!” ~ Holly
view and hiking trails, starting from your own backyard
backyard gate towards the hiking trails
spectacular view from your two minute hike behind the house
Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline view from the hike behind the cottage
65' Samsung Smart 3D TV, enjoy your Netflix, YouTube
your hike starts in your own backyard
Hiking trail behind the cottage
Hiking trail behind the cottage
Opportunity for our guests to capture lovely flowers and butterflies
Backyard
Yes, we are Certified Wildlife Habitat and wildlife sanctuary!
Nikolay booking our next vacation on Airbnb ;-)
Nikolay working from home / front patio
The view from a 2 min hike behind our cottage
hiking trails start right
 behind our cottage
The rolling El Cerrito hills start in your backyard
Views from the short hike behind the house
The hike behind the house. Winter time is so green and beautiful
Our garden is a bee  and butterfly  friendly habitat! Here is a photo of a monarch butterfly on our milkweed we planted about 5 years ago.
Please plant milkweed in your garden, patio, balcony. The species will likely go extinct soon if nothing is done to save them. 
Study: Number of monarch butterflies in California have declined by 86 percent in one year and 97 percent since the 1980s 

Please plant milkweed and do not use pesticides in your garden! 
We have to act now, otherwise these beautiful butterflies  might go extinct.

Serene Sunset Cottage - San Francisco Bay View - El Cerrito

2 guests
1 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
Vacation HomeEntire place
Albena profile picture

Hosted by Albena

6 years hosting on Houfy

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This host verified their email and phone number on Houfy.

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This host responds to 100% of inquiries within a few hours.

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About this place

Serene Sunset Cottage - San Francisco Bay View

Live among the flowers!

Beautiful, secluded, completely private and sunny - The Cottage is the perfect sanctuary.

It's nestled in El Cerrito Natural Reserve with views of San Francisco Bay and El Cerrito's golden hills.

It's close to Berkeley ( 15 - 20 min drive ), Oakland ( 30-40 min away ) and San Francisco ( 30-50 min drive ) Napa/wine country is 45 - 60 min drive.

Designed with minimum impact in mind - where nature meets modern, urban and sustainable living! Gorgeous Bay views! PARKING!

Live among the flowers and bird songs!

Our Serene Sunset Garden 1 bedroom cottage is nestled in El Cerrito Natural Reserve Hills. Beautiful hiking trails are starting in your own backyard, offering stunning Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline & Bay views everywhere you turn.

Perfect for people who love experiencing nature at their doorstep.

Pick your own Meyer lemons from the garden, listen to the bird songs while relaxing with your favorite book in the hammock or hike the trails behind the house - here, nature is everywhere you turn.

It's the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced city life, yet Berkeley is a short 20 min drive and San Francisco is just 16 miles away or a 30-50 min drive away.

Going to the city?

We highly recommend taking the new Richmond Ferry ( 13 min drive or a $7-14 Uber ride ) rather than BART ( 5 min drive away) to get to San Francisco’s Embarcadero.

It’s the most beautiful way to get into the city and once on the ferry, it takes only 20 min to the city, total of 30-40 min from our door. Parking is free.

Our home is completely private and sits on a 5 000 sq ft garden lot, wrapped in greenery, flowers and bird songs.

It is designed with functionality in mind where nature meets modern, urban, sustainable living and our goal is to minimize our footprint as much as possible and focus on the outdoor living and being one with nature!

Yes, we are Certified Wildlife Habitat and

Certified Butterfly and Bee friendly garden!

PARKING is a breeze - on our driveway or plenty street parking!

It's located on a quiet residential street with gorgeous views of beautiful San Francisco city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge and the new Bay Bridge.

The back garden offers a serene view of the El Cerrito hills and hiking trails are starting in your own backyard.

It's close to Solano Ave, UC Berkeley, Berkeley downtown, Oakland, Emeryville, San Francisco, Marin and strategically located to reach Napa, Sonoma and the entire wine country within 50-60 min.

Sip a glass of wine on the deck and take in on a gorgeous golden sunset over the San Francisco Bay.

The feel is modern and warm with many wood accents and thoughtful touches.

OUR GUESTS:

Perfect for:

~ visiting UC BERKELEY professors or neighbors;

~ UC Berkeley students' visiting families;

~ Ph.D. students;

~ business professionals;

~ writer’s retreat;

~ artist’s retreat;

~ relocating folks;

~ couples having a wonderful getaway;

~ or anyone that is looking for a place to stay in East Bay close to Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, etc.

We are looking for KIND and loving folks only!

Self - sufficient, respectful and friendly.

PRIVACY:

Our cottage is completely private.

No shared walls, no other people on the premises.

It's a stand alone little house.

It's nestled in El Cerrito natural reserve.

Enjoy our Certified Wildlife Habitat Garden / Certified Butterfly and Bee friendly sanctuary.

ACCESS:

Guests have access to the entire stand - alone cottage, sitting on a 5000 sq.ft garden lot, nestled in the El Cerrito Natural Preserve hill.

It offers complete privacy and all the amenities for a comfortable stay:

• 1 bedroom with a brand new, comfortable queen bed and city views

• well - equipped gourmet kitchen with everything you need to prepare a great meal

• a new bathroom with a bath tub and shower

• living room with views

• front patio with Bay views

• backyard with hill views

• smart 3D 65" Samsung TV ( you can stream your favorite content on Pandora, YouTube, Hulu; watch your shows on Netflix; 60+ local channels, HBO )

• welcome to use our laundry on site

We provide plenty of cotton bedding and linens as well.

We are available through the Airbnb messaging system.

We are available on phone in emergency situations only.

We reply usually within 10 minutes.

We respect each other's time and privacy!

• PLEASE give us an idea about:

1. The purpose of your trip;

2. Who are you traveling with?

We need first and last name of the people on the reservation.

3. Your approximate check-in / check-out time.

Thank you!

Looking forward to having you!

• PLEASE Communicate clearly about any expectations or special needs you may have.

THANK YOU!

Have a wonderful stay!

NEIGHBORHOOD:

El Cerrito is a hidden gem in East Bay.

Very peaceful neighborhood, quiet and close to Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. Napa valley is about an hour away.

We are located on a quiet, residential street and the house is nestled in the foothills of natural reserve.

The views are breathtaking, the hiking trails are perfect for people who enjoy the outdoors.

El Cerrito means "the little hill" in Spanish, and the town that is perched on the hill above San Francisco Bay offers easy access to Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 to Marin. Hillside homes along the curving streets deliver sweeping views of San Francisco and sunsets over the Golden Gate Bridge.

El Cerrito's main shopping corridor is undergoing a rebirth, beginning with Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, which was restored from the former Cerrito Speakeasy Theater. Access to open space and parkland is extensive, with Arlington Park, Cerrito Vista Park, Hillside Natural Area, Huber Park, Poinsett Park, and Tassajara Park & Pottery Studio all nearby. The Ohlone Greenway is a popular trail with hikers and bikers.

The University of California, Berkeley UC BERKELEY is several miles away, and two Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations, at El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte, make commuting easy. El Cerrito Plaza is a major shopping center housing grocery stores, restaurants, bookstores, a pharmacy, and smaller mom-and-pop stores.

TRANSPORTATION:

The closest BART station is about 5 min drive or 24 min walking distance. It's a beautiful walk actually, along vineyards and breathtaking views.

Getting to UC BERKELEY by car: 20 min ; by public transit is about: 39 min

We also recommend Uber and / or Lyft as a more affordable taxi alternative.

Just download their app on your smart phone. They arrive within minutes.

Going to the city?

We highly recommend taking the new Richmond Ferry ( 13 min drive or a $7-14 Uber ride ) rather than BART ( 5 min drive away) to get to San Francisco’s Embarcadero.

It’s the most beautiful way to get into the city and once on the ferry, it takes only 20 min to the city, total of 30-40 min from our door. Parking is free.

Having the best of both worlds is PRICELESS:

• a gorgeous view in the front - take in those amazing golden sunsets

• a hiking trail in the back, starting right off your own backyard

• for the safety of our guests and our home and for insurance purposes, we have outdoor security camera installed on the side-gate post

• Please note that California is experiencing a SEVERE DROUGHT and asking everyone to be MINDFUL and CONSERVE WATER.

We also installed drought tolerant plants and we are in process of building a rain catchment water system.

California officials approved unprecedented emergency regulations that allow local law enforcement and water agencies to impose $500-a-day fines on residents and commercial water users who waste water.

• NO A/C ( air-conditioning )

It’s very rare for the Bay tempretures to rise above 80• and the cool ocean breeze is our natural AC.

House maintains 72• in summer months.

Air conditioning in San Francisco?

In San Francisco, air conditioning is not present in many of the residences, offices, theaters as well as older, boutique style hotels as we have our own unique, natural air-conditioning - a constant cool ocean breeze and the fog rolling in the summer.

WEATHER ADVISORY for San Francisco:

Mark Twain is believed to have said, although not proven : “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

Seasons in San Francisco don't necessarily follow universal trends. The city can often feel quite chilly, although the temperature rarely drops below freezing. Even when summer arrives, residents know not to leave the house in short sleeves until late summer—that's when San Francisco enjoys its warmest weather.

Temperatures remain moderate year round: 51 - 65°F (10.5 - 18.3 °C).

Late summer and fall are the most popular times to visit the city: 68 - 70°F (20 - 21°C). The period of warm weather is known as “Indian Summer," an annual miracle that San Franciscans look forward to all year long. The weather brings favorite festivals and events along with it.

Summers generally range from 53 - 69°F (11.6 - 20.5 °C). Summer days often begin with fog which usually burns off by the afternoon. It rarely rains during summer months.

Winters are mild. They are somewhat wet, but not unbearable: 46 - 48°F ( 7.7 - 8.8 °C).

No matter the season, it is always SMART to DRESS in LAYERS and be prepared for sudden weather changes when in San Francisco Bay Area.

What this place offers

28 Amenities
Washing Machine
Iron & Board
Hair Dryer
Linens Provided
Full Kitchen
Oven
Private Garden
Patio
High Speed Internet
Laptop friendly workspace
Smart TV
Security Cameras
Processing...

Property Suitability

Please review these important guidelines to ensure this property meets your needs and expectations.

No children allowed

No events allowed

No smoking allowed

No Parking

Free parking / driveway

Meet the Host

Albena profile picture
Albena

Owner

English , Bulgarian
We are friendly, kind and easy-going hosts who love sharing our home with the world!
Response Rate
100%
Response Time
within a few hours
Member Since
September 2019

Have Questions?

Albena typically responds within within a few hours

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Scenic views

Bay viewMountain viewGarden view

Location

City
Exact location provided after booking.

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Policies & Rules

Check-In
4PM
Flexible timing
Check-Out
11AM
Standard
Max Guests
2 People
Including infants
Min Age
18
Primary renter
Not Allowed
Pets • Smoking • Parties
$Security Deposit
500
Refundable

Click sections for details • All policies strictly enforced

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