1 Feb, 2024

Molinaro Ranch

If you are looking for a quiet weekend getaway with the most awesome amenities within a few hours of Toronto, then this little Airbnb in Acton is my recommendation. The 50-acre ranch hosts several horses(duh!), a cute little donkey named Vanilla, miniature goats, ponies, ducklings galore, swans, sunbathing turtles and hares to name a few of the animals. You might get to interact with some of them too and I highly encourage it!

The Farmview Cottages

The drive to Acton from Toronto takes about an hour in usual traffic. Your hosts Tina and Santos will meet you at the parking and walk you to your cottage. There are 2 cottages on the property, the sunrise and the sunset. They sit about 100 feet from the main house and right in front of it, is a little pond. Across the pond is the training ground and a horse paddock where you can see several horses grazing happily.

Our personal favourite is the Sunrise Cottage because of the little shaded spot right next to it. Each tiny cottage is equipped with electricity, running water, a small TV with Netflix, Heater and AC. The cottage is spacious, with a comfy couch downstairs and a loft-style bed above. You can choose to spend an evening inside playing games but I think you should get a little fire going in the fire pit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of the farm as night approaches. You could bring your firewood but we just bought it from our hosts at a very reasonable price.

While each cabin has an attached washroom and a cowboy-style shower, you could choose to use the washroom in the main house which is open 24/7. Tina and Santos are gracious enough to provide a wonderful breakfast each morning that you can collect from the little hutch in the main building. When it comes to making their guests comfortable, they have really excelled!

Horse Grooming Sessions

The ranch has horse grooming sessions that you can take part in for an additional cost. Tina, our hostess, was very knowledgeable and kind. We were absolute newbies so she took her time to explain everything to us and told us a great deal about the horses. We groomed Annie, a 25-year-old chestnut quarter horse and a perfect Lady! She was calm and patient with us and let us know when she was done with the session so we could let her go back to her friends.

Horse Riding Lesson

Unfortunately, when we visited the farm, we couldn’t take part in this activity since the trainer, Arturo, was away participating in shows(how cool is that though!). If you are interested, I would recommend asking Tina for availability when you book the cottage.

Fishing

The ranch has 3 fishing ponds and the hosts provide you with fishing equipment if you want to try it out. We had never been fishing before and Santos was kind enough to take out some time and teach us how to fish! I must say he was a great teacher because we caught our first one without much trouble at all. It was such a highlight of our trip.

Interact with the animals

The best part of the ranch is that you get to interact with the animals. We spent hours walking the 50-acre ranch and spending time with the horses, the ponies and the miniature goats. You could also spend time watching all the little birds playing and taking quick little dips in the ponds, the hares running around and the turtles sunbathing on the rocks in the middle of the ponds.

Quiet Time

If you are like us, you enjoy your quiet time. There are several shaded spots in the property so take your blanket, a book, and your headphones and enjoy some me-time. Our favourite spot was just in front of our little cottage. There were big evergreens that provided shade and a large rock that was perfect to snuggle up against. We spent hours out there, reading books, listening to music, watching the swans in the pond in front of us and eventually falling asleep right there. Take my word for it, it was magical!

Nearby

The little cabins have more than enough amenities for you to cook up a storm but if you want to eat out, we recommend the Tanner’s Pub or the Sushi Place. If you are staying here over a weekend during Spring-Fall, I would highly recommend visiting The Aberfoyle Antique Market. This is the largest outdoor antique market with over 90+ dealers. You are sure to find something awesome there! Free parking is available on-prem and there are some great options for food! Keep an eye out for their Saturday Special Shows!

If you still need convincing, here is a collection of pictures of all the spunky, cute, adorable animals waiting for you to pet them. They are sure to do the trick!

If you like these little finds, you might also like these offbeat airbnbs or the cabin in the woods.