La Capanna (Cabin) – Volcano Village

Accommodations: 1,600 square foot cabin/cottage, 3-bedrooms, 2 baths (Sleeps 6-8)
Base Rate: $165 avg per night (3 night minimum); $25 one-time cleaning fee for pets. Says up to 2 house trained dogs, but I would suggest contacting host if you are planning to bring more than 2.
Website: https://www.vrbo.com/1356716
Contact: Taressa – hostess
Pet Policy: Pets considered upon approval by owner.
Pet fee: I spoke with the owner on 10/17/13 who said she will charge a pet fee depending on how much time your dog remains indoors (understandably, the more dog hair to clean up, the more time they spend cleaning). No fee will be charged if your dog remains outside.  However, we were not charged a fee during our stay in 2017, so this might have changed.
Fence: YES, completely fenced! The owner brings her Brittany dogs there.  The yard is approximately 1/2 acre.
Yard: Large grassy yard with native plants and trees and plenty of shade, including a large covered patio
Wireless Broadband: Yes

February 18 – 20, 2017 Review: We were excited to finally try out this vacation rental that has a fully-fenced yard (I’d estimate 1/2 acre). The house is located on a corner in the heart of Volcano Village, which has a fair amount of traffic, but the house is set back from the road on both sides, so you don’t notice traffic noise while inside. Whether your dogs are “barkers” or not, be aware that there is at least one other dog in the vicinity.  Our dogs wanted to “talk” to the other dog across the way, so I never left the dogs outside unaccompanied.  I noticed a gap at the bottom of one portion of the fence that a very small dog could possibly squeeze under if they wanted to.  I’ve included a photo below of it.  So, beware of that if you have a small dog who’s an escape artist.

There’s no way my dogs would attempt trying to escape through this gap, but a very small dog might be able to squeeze under the fence at this one area.

The house is very charming with beautiful wood throughout, lots of seating, fully stocked kitchen with plenty of pots, pans, knives, wine glasses that are all in excellent shape (So often we see scratched/dented pots and pans that need replacing). Another VRBO reviewer mentioned that the beds are hard, which worried me since both my husband and I have back problems and rarely find a hotel or vacation rental that has a bed we can sleep an entire night on. However, we woke up both mornings feeling fantastic! Yes, the beds are hard, but we slept so soundly and comfortably, I was pleasantly surprised! We had absolutely no back pain! Everything worked great…wood stove fireplace (plenty of fire wood and starters), washing machine and dryer, showers, rolling heater, and I loved the big kitchen sink for washing the dog bowls!  I thought the fridge was fine, but the property manager informed me that they’d be replacing it soon.  The water was good right from the tap (They are on catchment).

Outside through the kitchen door is a covered lanai and picnic table. It was too chilly (mid 50’s at night) for us to eat out there, but I can imagine us returning during the summer, cooking on the outdoor charcoal grill, and playing with the dogs. It is such a great spot! On our first night it was raining, so I let the dogs out as I stood under the covered patio area, watching the dogs do their thing around the yard…It was perfect!  If you’re here in the winter time, make sure to bring slippers or thick socks…It’s a single wall house with all wood floors, so it’s chilly when you get up in the morning. Also, bring a dog bed or something for your dogs to sleep on.  We loved it, and I love the historical photos of the family and the large map of Big Island that shows all the old roads and none of the newer highways. So interesting. History buffs will love this house. We will definitely be back! 

The covered lanai outside of the kitchen is perfect for keeping you dry while you let the dogs go about their business. I sat at this picnic bench with my cup of coffee while the dogs played in the yard.

You can see how the yard is right next to Wright Road, the main road that leads from the highway to Volcano Road.

There are these few stairs in the back from the kitchen to the backyard, and there are a few stairs at the front door. This is something to consider if you have an elderly dog that has trouble climbing or more likely going down stairs.

Our senior Margie girl, Kimo, and Pepper had fun sniffing and running around the large fenced yard. I love that I didn’t have to walk the dogs in the rain!

Although the property is at the corner of two busy roads, the house is set back far enough to be quiet inside the house.