At the beginning of the pandemic the #bcl team made a conscious decision to try our very best to focus on the positives that could come from being forced to stay put (for the foreseeable future) in Essex County. Little did we know, the lockdowns would span so many months, with no clear end in sight. As avid travellers, we knew we’d have to replace jet setting with other safe excursions in order to stay sane and satisfy our curiosities for both relaxation and other-worldly experiences. Our local escape to Kingsville’s La Perla AirBnB last year reinforced just how important these quick ‘getaways’ are for a healthy headspace – especially when your hosts make you feel so much further away than a 45 minute drive from the city.

AirBnB’s have been popping up throughout our county for a while now, especially since we’ve been put on the map as Southern Ontario’s very own wine country. But La Perla, owned by Bill and Sumar Kellestine, Craig and Lorna Baker, Joe and Paula Schmidt, is more than a convenient location to land after a day exploring the region. Its name is as carefully considered as the space itself. Spanish for “The Pearl”, this group of travel-mates wanted to portray the rustic old-word feel of their cottage, something that, to them, personifies their place near the water…. a natural, beautiful and simple way of life.

Carefully curated with bits and bobs from throughout the world, the La Perla is a family cottage as well as a place they plan to share with all types of travellers. They’ve been answering inquiries from throughout Ontario, the Southern States and even Europe, from guests who are planning their visits for when restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, La Perla has been host to intimate family dinners, ‘baby moons’, memorable anniversaries and small getaways like ours. Those who have extensively AirBnB’d know the property itself is only a part of the experience. Only when hosts make you feel at home and comfortable, can you truly enjoy what their space has to offer. There are no words to accurately describe the attention to every-single-detail put into our stay at La Perla. All we have left to say is, thank you for the amazing memories and we will definitely be back soon!

For more information on booking La Perla visit their page on Airbnb