Waterfront Retreat with Boat Slip in Coeur d'Alene AreaN°001
Coeur d'Alene Area, USA
Sea viewWaterfront
From $855 per night
Photo by Zain Creations on UnsplashBig lakes, ski towns and wide-open mountain quiet
Idaho is the American West at its most understated: jagged ranges, vast pine forests and some of the country's most beautiful lakes, without the crowds of its better-known neighbours. Sun Valley, America's original destination ski resort, anchors the south, while the northern panhandle around Sandpoint, Post Falls and Lake Coeur d'Alene is prime lake-house country. A private villa or lodge here delivers space, waterfronts and mountain views that suit families and groups who value elbow room.
- Sun Valley, the resort that invented American destination skiing, with the slopes of Bald Mountain
- Sandpoint on Lake Pend Oreille, one of the deepest and most scenic lakes in the American West
- Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Post Falls corridor for boating, golf and easy town access
- Schweitzer, Idaho's largest ski area, rising directly above Sandpoint
- Spacious lakefront and mountain villas with docks, decks and concierge support
Known forSun Valley skiing, Lake Pend Oreille and Lake Coeur d'Alene, fly-fishing rivers, forests and uncrowded mountain landscapes
Best time to visitJune to September for lakes and trails; December to March for skiing in Sun Valley and at Schweitzer
Nearest airportBoise (BOI); Friedman Memorial (SUN) for Sun Valley; Spokane International (GEG) for Sandpoint, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene
Ideal forFamilies, multi-generational groups, skiers, anglers and travellers seeking privacy and nature
Grand Timber Residence With Spa WhirlpoolN°002
Coeur d'Alene Area, USA
Sea view
From $40,005 per week · $5,715 per night
Spacious Downtown Escape | Private Hot Tub & BikesN°003
Idaho, USA
Hot tubGardenFireplace
From $315 per night
Lakefront Retreat with Boat Slip in Coeur d'Alene AreaN°004
Coeur d'Alene Area, USA
Sea viewWaterfront
From $717 per night
Riverfront Lodge with Dock in IdahoN°005
Coeur d'Alene Area, USA
Sea viewWaterfront
Luxury Lakefront Home with Private Dock & DeckN°006
Idaho, USA
GardenFireplaceAir conditioning
From $754 per night
9homes available
2–6bedrooms
up to 16guests
6book instantly →Idaho in pictures
Where to stay in Idaho
Events not to miss in Idaho
- Late July to August
Sun Valley Music Festival
One of America's leading admission-free classical festivals, with a superb orchestra performing beneath the mountains in Sun Valley. An elegant anchor for a summer villa stay.
- August
Festival at Sandpoint
A beloved outdoor concert series on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille, drawing national touring acts to a lakeside lawn on summer evenings.
- June
Ironman Coeur d'Alene
The famous triathlon takes over Lake Coeur d'Alene and its shoreline roads, filling the town with athletes and spectators and showing the lake at its early-summer best.
- October
Trailing of the Sheep Festival
Ketchum and Hailey celebrate the historic autumn sheep drive through the Wood River Valley with folk music, food and thousands of sheep parading down Main Street.
- March
Sun Valley Film Festival
An intimate, well-connected film festival that brings screenings, panels and industry names to Sun Valley at the tail end of the ski season.
Idaho through the seasons
- Winter (December – March)
Uncrowded skiing at storied resorts
Sun Valley's Bald Mountain and Schweitzer above Sandpoint deliver big terrain and reliable snow with short lift lines, best enjoyed from a fireside villa with a hot tub.
- Spring (April – May)
Quiet valleys and early fishing
The state's quietest window brings melting high country, empty trails at low elevation and the first great fly-fishing of the year.
- Summer (June – September)
Lake days off your own dock
Pend Oreille and Coeur d'Alene warm up for swimming, boating and waterskiing, while the mountain towns fill with concerts, markets and long golden evenings.
- Autumn (October – November)
Golden aspens and harvest calm
Aspen and larch turn the valleys gold, the crowds vanish and crisp days suit hiking, fishing and scenic drives before the first snows.
The Area and Where to Stay
Idaho rewards choosing your landscape first. In the central Rockies, Sun Valley and its neighbour Ketchum offer the classic mountain-resort life: skiing on Bald Mountain, galleries, fine dining and a cultural calendar out of proportion to the town's size. The northern panhandle is a different world of forested lakes: Sandpoint and little Dover sit on Lake Pend Oreille beneath the Selkirk Mountains, while Post Falls and Worley frame Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Spokane River corridor, convenient to the city of Coeur d'Alene and to Spokane's airport. Luxury homes here run from waterfront lodges with private docks to contemporary mountain villas with big glass and bigger views. Whichever base you choose, a private residence with concierge support suits Idaho's self-directed, outdoors-first pace.
Things to Do
Winter belongs to the slopes: Sun Valley pairs storied alpine terrain with immaculate grooming, while Schweitzer above Sandpoint is Idaho's largest ski area, with panoramic runs overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. Summer is the lakes' season, filled with boating, paddleboarding, wakeboarding and swimming off private docks; Lake Coeur d'Alene's shoreline golf and boat cruises are regional signatures. Anglers cast for trout on blue-ribbon waters such as Silver Creek and the Big Wood River near Sun Valley, and hikers and mountain bikers have hundreds of miles of trails in the Sawtooth and Selkirk ranges. Scenic drives, hot springs and huckleberry picking round out the picture. Your concierge can arrange boat charters, fishing guides, ski passes and backcountry excursions.
Food and Local Flavour
Idaho's table is honest and increasingly ambitious. Ketchum and Sun Valley support a polished dining scene of steakhouses, seasonal American kitchens and lively après spots, while Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene lean into lakeside dining, craft breweries and farm-driven menus. Expect ranch-raised beef, river trout, morel mushrooms in spring and huckleberries in late summer, the state's beloved wild berry, alongside the famous potatoes in every form. Farmers' markets in Ketchum and Sandpoint are worth a morning. For villa stays, a private chef makes easy work of lakefront dinners on the dock, and the concierge can stock the kitchen before arrival and book the best tables in town.
When to Visit
Idaho is genuinely two-season superb. Summer, from June to September, brings long warm days, water sports on the lakes and cool mountain evenings, with July and August the peak for swimming and boating. Winter runs from December to March, when Sun Valley and Schweitzer offer excellent skiing with far shorter lift lines than Colorado or Utah. September and early October are a connoisseur's choice: golden aspens, quiet trails and fine fishing. Spring is the quietest window, good for value and solitude as the high country melts out. Lakefront villas shine in summer; ski-country homes with hot tubs and fireplaces make winter memorable.
Getting There
Access depends on your base. For Sun Valley, fly to Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in nearby Hailey, with seasonal direct flights from several western hubs, or drive about two and a half hours from Boise (BOI). For the northern lakes, Spokane International (GEG) in neighbouring Washington is the practical gateway, roughly 30 minutes from Post Falls and just over an hour from Sandpoint and Dover. Boise serves the state capital and southern Idaho. A car is essential everywhere; distances are generous and the drives are part of the pleasure. The concierge can arrange private transfers, 4x4 hire and boat or floatplane charters.