The Portal

The Portal is a charming, just-renovated upscale 2nd floor, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath apartment accessed by steps, on Mason Avenue, the town’s thoroughfare and the heart of Cape Charles’ quaint shopping and dining area. It has views of the town’s harbor from the great room and its 15 x 15 ft deck is perfect for people watching. The beautiful soft sand town beach is only 3 1/2 blocks away.
The great room is contemporary with comfortable furniture, 54-inch smart TV, reading area with books and games, gourmet kitchen, and a dining area with seating for six. There is a keyboard in the console under the TV for those who want to use one with the TV. The few stairs in the great room lead out to the spacious, sunny deck, which is unique on Mason Avenue. Enjoy outdoor dining, comfortable chairs for happy hour, a chaise lounge, and Weber grill (utensils inside). The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, serving ware, cookware, and has new large and small appliances, including dishwasher, microwave, and induction stove with pot filler. Enjoy a cup (Keurig) or pot (Cuisinart) of morning joe on the deck and watch the boats coming and going in the harbor. Walk downstairs and under the deck is the delightful, delicious, gourmet northern Italian restaurant, Ambrogia, open for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Also 1 block west are the delightfully delicious Cape Charles Coffee House and Bakery on Mason.
The master bedroom has a king-sized bed, desk (for those who still must work remotely a bit), reading chair, and ensuite bathroom. The hall bedroom has one full-size bed and one twin bed, with the full bath adjacent in the hall. The curved walls in the hall bedroom are original plaster, preserved during the renovation, as are the doors and their hinges. Both bedrooms have smart TVs. Windows in all rooms have blinds; for those who sleep in a totally dark room, please bring your sleep mask.
In May 2022, Cape Charles was named “One of the South’s Best Beach Towns” by Southern Living Magazine. It is surrounded by water on three sides (soft sand town beach on the west, town harbor on the south, and King's Creek Marina on the north, and has lovely Central Park in the middle where free concerts are held during Saturday evenings in the summer. You’re sure to enjoy the town’s wonderful ambiance! The Portal is located just 3 1/2 blocks from the beach and has a convenient outdoor shower. Four beach chairs are stacked behind the shower.
The Portal is your gateway to a relaxing, coastal vacation in a space created with design, comfort and convenience in mind, which reflects the owners’ lifelong appreciation for the waters of our planet. Its name is derived from the restored brass porthole, which was salvaged in 1969 from a ship breaker yard in Taiwan and installed as a window in the great room, along with the brass ship’s wheel in the stairwell. Art in the apartment reflects the coastal environment of the Eastern Shore, watermen, and the ecological vulnerability of the Chesapeake Bay. The framed poster of the Chesapeake Bay in the great room was a work product of the one of the owners; a gold star marks Cape Charles.

Vacation Rental Reviews

• Sunny and Convenient

  Stayed 3 days ending in October, 2023

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  a guest from Afton, VA recommends this vacation rental

  My family has stayed in many rentals in Cape Charles. A few were on Bay Ave with views of the beach and bay. I only wanted rentals on the water until we stayed at The Portal. I will not stay anywhere else. In fact, if The Portal isn't available, I won't go to Cape Charles. The apartment is immaculate and the furnishings are not the generic heavy-duty things you find in many rentals. I spent hours on the deck enjoying the views and sunshine. The kitchen has high-end appliances and is freshly updated.

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• Beautiful home away from home

  Stayed 7 days ending in July, 2023

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  a guest from Keswick, VA recommends this vacation rental

  The portal is wonderfully renovated and was perfect for our family of four. The location is lovely. Doug was a pleasure to work with an we will be back!

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• Great location for small family

  Stayed 7 days ending in July, 2023

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  a guest from Pittsburgh, PA recommends this vacation rental

  Overall The Portal was a great experience and location. The outside shower was very handy as were the beach chairs available for Use. The deck was clean and a great addition. I really don't think that you can beat the location.

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• Truly 5 Star Stay!

  Stayed 7 days ending in June, 2023

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  Daniel R from Albuquerque, NM recommends this vacation rental

  One of the best vacation rentals we’ve stayed at! Cape Charles is a fabulous destination: laid-back vibe, nice selection of restaurants, and great access to the beach. The Portal is well situated downtown to take advantage of all! Located over a retail shop, the second-floor space is accessed by a long flight of stairs and is quiet at night (stores close by nine-ish in CC). Property is thoughtfully equipped with many nice touches: beach towels and chairs, outside rinse shower, fully stocked kitchen. Checkin was easy and host was very helpful and responded quickly. We would certainly stay again!
  

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• Best rental property we have stayed in for 30 years.

  Stayed 7 days ending in June, 2023

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  Ben B from South Boston, VA recommends this vacation rental

  We could have come with just our clothes and that would have been enough. This place furnished everything else, except for the food. The furnishings were amazing for a rental and comfortable too. The apartment was tastefully decorated by someone with knowledge of how to decorate with things other than just a few seashells. The ONLY issue we had were the steps. My wife and l are both 78 and the other couple are in their mid eighties. The steps became an issue by the second day. A chair/steps elevator would surely make a difference. We might consider renting this property again in that case.

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• relaxing week

  Stayed 7 days ending in October, 2022

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  a guest from Millington, MD recommends this vacation rental

  The Portal was a wonderful place to spend the week! A very historic building with the second floor rental renovation over the top! The Portal was clean with every thing needed for a comfortable stay!

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• Amazing apartment in the perfect location!

  Stayed 7 days ending in August, 2022

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  a guest from Landenberg, PA recommends this vacation rental

  This was our first visit to Cape Charles, and we all loved our week here. The apartment is spacious, comfortable and beautifully decorated with everything you need. The beach was a quick walk down the Main Street with bay waters we spent hours swimming and floating on rafts in. Every restaurant we went to had great service and a delicious menu. Very cool town for any age - very relaxing trip!

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• Perfect condo ion Main Street

  Stayed 7 days ending in July, 2022

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  sarah m recommends this vacation rental

  The condo was beautifully furnished and immaculate. The location can’t be beat. Right on the Main Street and 4 blocks from the beach. It’s beautiful and spacious for a 2 bedroom condo. The rooftop deck was spectacular.

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