Paradise has not been lost, we found it right here! An incredible experience marred only by the fact that we had to leave after a week. Colie is an incredible host, kind and anticipatory of the needs of his guests with a deep love and understanding of the island that shows in the care he takes of it. Not only do I intend to return for another vacation one day, I intend to tell everyone I know that they should be considering Spruce Island for their vacations as well.

Truly an amazing experience. Colie, the owner, has thought of everything, and, over the years, has created (and perfected) a unique vacation experience for groups of all sizes. During our week-long island get-away, we could not have asked for a more thoughtful host. For those wanting to experience Maine like never before, we highly recommend this property. Five stars!

If anything, the pictures don't even convey how beautiful Spruce Island is. Walking up the wide path from the beach, through the mossy woods fringed with blackberries and raspberries, to the huge stone house is always such a delight. This was our third year and as usual we spent part of our time just wondering how Colie gets so much comfort and elegance on this off the grid island in the sea. Spruce Island is not like any other holiday we have had. We kayaked, swam around the smaller island, hiked, and had delicious dinners (great kitchen), and sing-a-longs around the campfire. We go as a group of about sixteen-- three sets of parents and a bunch of young adult cousins and the occasional significant other. All the bedrooms are equally lovely and comfortable. The owner is incredibly helpful and responsive, goes way above and beyond.

We visited this property 3 years ago and the only thing missing was we did not bring enough people to enjoy this amazing venue! We fixed that this year and it was as good or better than 3 years ago and we are looking forward to visiting again in a few years. My personal favorite was taking a boat into Stonington daily to get ice cream with the kids and sitting around the campfire at night and the morning. Ron W

Fantastic trip, beautiful location. Great host.

Spruce Island is beautiful. This vacation/reunion exceeded our expectations. It was just what my small Family and I were looking for. We loved the peace and quiet, as well as the granite houses and their views of Spruce Island and beyond from every angle. Colie communicated with us every step of the way and ensured that any question we had was promptly answered. Will be back. Highly recommended. Thank you Colie! Mike

Best VRBO we've ever stayed in! Everything is well thought out and Colie and Jeff could not be more helpful. Our family visited in 2014 and 2015 and were so excited to come back in 2020 on a whim as there were some cancellations due to Covid. It's just as great as we remembered. The kids were a little older now and we really enjoyed taking the kayaks out almost every day. Especially enjoyed kayaking amongst the seals over on Gunner's Rock. Most mornings we spent down towards Buckle for the little ones to play in the water. It's a little slice of heaven!

Spruce Island is a special place and perfect for a family vacation! I would compare the beauty to Alaska. The granite houses are amazing and a perfect fit on the top of the mountain. We loved picking fresh rasberries every day and the tons of hiking available on the island. We grilled out along the shore and enjoyed the many indoor and outdoor games we played. It was also a blast to take the boat back into Stonington for ice cream a few times. Spruce Island is only about 1.5 hours from Acadia National Park and worth the trip!!

We had 21 family amd friends join us for our 2nd trip. We stayed there June 2012 and this trip July 2020. Colie and Jeff are great amd considerate to plan a trip. Colie has always put the highest quality of materials, decor, and conveniences on this island. His detail guest book details make it straight forward. We walked around the entire island and at low tide over to buckle Island to explore another island. We had 2 adults, cot for our granddaughter 4 years old and grandson 10 months old in the main house. It was tight but worked excellent for them asnit was convenience to hear baby monitor at night amd still visit with family at bon fire outside main house. Early morning were convenient for them. LOVE the coffee makers for large group. We watched movies in the 1 day it rained. The camping platform was excellent for camping and camping in beach was even better! Colie has cleared paths and well marked trails. Loved barbeque grills to find our own clan and then we cooked them on the island grill. Definable rent then18ft inflatable boat. Awesome for fishing. He has plenty of stuff to do there kakyas, row boat, footballs, soccer ball, badminton, ping pong table, 4 fishing poles. Bring your kites. I love photography so plenty to take pictures: eagles, osprey, hawks, voles, mackerel fish, dolphins amd seals rare sighting and we saw once! outdoor lobster shake to cook and excellent composite food system. Tons of cooking pots, pans. and utensils. Bring your napkins amd paper plates for easy clean up. He has plenty of plates, silverware and bowls. Stove is awesome! I loved the bunk house bedrooms each with their own very nice bathrooms. The shower pressure Inwas impressed by consider its am island. Colie thought of everything! He always asks what se is needed. WIFI was best by the swings between bunkhouse and main house. We were not there for wifi but it works. Swing inside main house is so much fun. Bring the strongest deet you can find for mosquitoes. I normally don't do deet. On this trip you needed to at night or make sure you cover up - jeans not legging! The large picnic tables in side are great for large groups. We brought large coolers with lots of ice and put them next to main house outside. Use ice packs you can refreeze vs bags of ice. This was after 3 days you can re freeze. Each family had a night to make dinner for all 21 people. We all brought our own snacks, drinks, breakfast, lunch and alchol. YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!

Do yourself a lifetime favor and treat yourself to a stay at Spruce Island if you get the chance. It is simply a spectactular private island, the likes of which one would rarely get the chance to rent in Maine or anywhere else for that matter. I’ll start with the panoramic views from the main house which is perched on top of a hill overlooking the Merchant Row archipelago to the south. The fresh smell of spruce pervades the salt air. The two beaches are stunning, as if you saw them on a postcard of Maine. With gently sloping granite ledges combined with Caribbean like coves of sand , and with mini peninsulas with their own cove beaches that expose themselves at low tide, it is a beach lovers paradise. I very much enjoyed jumping in and out of the water even in June.... think of it as cryotherapy.. it energizes you for the rest of the day. Trust me , the owner’s pictures of the beaches are typical of the man...understated, and don’t do them full justice. But as a friend once told me , always leave room for positive surprises ..and you’ll get them here with the beaches. My dog Alpha loved Spruce as much as I did ...he lives in New York City cooped up in an apartment most of the time so he was in heaven. I can’t sign off without commenting on the island’s owner Colie Odonnell , a true gentleman whose energy, perseverance, and good taste in creating this wonderland makes it all possible. His attention to quality and detail is obvious inside the main house with its impressive granite fireplace, open chef’s kitchen, and cathedral ceilings. But also pay attention ,as you’re exploring the island, to all of Colie’s handiwork with trails, lighted paths, fire pits , granite stairs, composting shed, rain cisterns, solar panels, etc that made this island living possible. Colie goes above and beyond to make sure that his guests are maximizing their experience , with all kinds of activities (kayaking, BBQs/ picnic tables on both beaches, badminton, ping-pong and all sorts of rainy day games and adult toys like a choice of a large or a small motorized boat to use to explore the nearby islands, which we did on several days. The nearby Coombs islands are easy to get to and have Instagram worthy coves in the inlet between the two of them and are a must see, as is McGlathery Island, the one you are looking at from the house directly to the south. Bottom line.. a masterpiece ...and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Thanks, Colie!