We explore Skaneateles, a storybook village nestled on the eastern shore of New York State’s Finger Lakes, where a pristine lake and small-town magic slow time.
You don’t come to Skaneateles to do a thousand things. You come here to be. To simply exist in a world where everything is just a little bit softer around the edges and the air tastes better. It’s the sort of place where the houses are all sharp gables and wraparound porches like real-life dollhouses with weathered shutters, turrets that seem to serve no purpose other than to look mysterious…. and just enough tilt in their foundations to make you believe a witch with fabulous taste lives inside. Seriously, the whole town is like architectural foreplay for someone who dreams of owning a haunted B’n’B, or retiring with cats and a cider press.
In fact, it’s so damned picture-perfect, it looks like it was handcrafted by a committee headed by Martha Stewart and Wes Anderson as they sipped tea from mismatched vintage china and nibbled freshly baked apple pie made from apples Martha plucked straight from a nearby orchard.
Take The Sherwood Inn, a blue-shingled beauty built in 1807 that’s served as a stagecoach stop, a tavern, and a hotel. Inside, polished wood, leather armchairs, roaring fireplaces and patterned fabrics that are a nod to its Victorian past. Paintings of horses, ships, and village life line the walls, while lamps and fresh flowers are tucked in just right, giving the place a warm, old-world charm. The carefully curated details, and slightly whimsical atmosphere make it feel like Bill Murray could wander in, ask you to pass a cider, then mysteriously vanish into a tartan-clad wingback.
Cruising Skaneateles Lake
Of course, the lake is the main event. Skaneateles (pronounced Skinny Atlas for those who were wondering), the easternmost of New York’s eleven glacier-carved Finger Lakes, is long, narrow, and so clean the town drinks straight from it, no filter required. On calm mornings, its glassy surface perfectly mirrors the quaint homes and leafy trees that line the shore, making it feel like a world paused in perfect stillness.
Flanked by quiet vineyards and old-money summer homes, some of which verge on the delightfully over-the-top, the lake feels like it’s been lifted from a film script… every detail carefully staged, colours deliberately chosen and just the right touch of whimsy to make it feel both timeless and dreamlike.
To soak it all in we board the Judge Ben Wiles, a glorious, old-timey boat that rocks gently across the water as locals wave and ducks bob. I sip something crisp and cold, lean back as the breeze kisses my cheek and lose myself in the captain’s tales of judges, bootleggers and lakeside lore.
Strolling Skaneateles village
Stepping off the boat into Clift Park, a charming green space with a pretty gazebo, Skaneateles village quickly reveals itself as one of those rare places where you can happily lose whole afternoons without really doing anything. You’ll stroll, because that’s what Skaneateles demands, passing flower-boxed windows and homewares stores filled with buttery throws, bottles of small-batch maple syrup, and candles with names like Sunday Drive Around the Lake.
There are quietly boujee boutiques, indie bookstores, and art galleries filled with moody lake landscapes and ceramics. Cafés and bakeries tempt, all pastries and espresso and golden retrievers curled up beside tables where nobody is in a rush. Which is handy, because you’ll likely be too busy having a slow-motion rom-com moment with a blueberry scone.
Every so often, you’ll spot someone you swear you recognise, a low-key celebrity perhaps, here to recharge like the rest of us. The Clintons once owned a stately estate on West Lake Road, tucked behind whispering trees and manicured lawns, and word is A-listers from Paul McCartney to Tom Cruise have been spotted gliding across the lake, doing their best to blend in behind dark sunglasses and a double scoop of local peach ice cream from the Ice Cream Stand.
But nobody here cares. Whether you’re a former president, a rock god, or just a middle-aged tourist from Australia, as long as you smile at the barista and don’t cut the line at the bakery, you’re just another soul vibing in town. Skaneateles is cool like that. It’s not impressed by fame or flash, it’s impressed by quiet, cosy moments and good taste in wine.
Wine tasting at Anyela’s Vineyard
Speaking of wine, Anyela’s Vineyard beckons this amateur wine enthusiast (read: high functioning boozer). Perched up on a hill above Skaneateles Lake with views so lovely you’ll briefly pretend you came for the scenery, the family-owned winery is all about sustainability and quality, which sounds very noble until you realise you’re already half cut, and only halfway through a flight of their smooth Pinot Noir, peppery Cabernet Franc, crisp Dry Riesling, buttery Chardonnay, and a rosé that tastes like summer.
Whether you’re parked on the terrace or enjoying a tipple in the tasting room pretending you know what “legs” mean, you’re made to feel welcome, even if, like me, your wine vocabulary stops at “more.”
Cider and spritis at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards
If cider is more your style, the 1911 Tasting Room & Tavern at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, just 20 minutes away, is your go-to for rustic charm and top-notch craft craftsmanship. Housed in a beautifully restored early 20th-century farmhouse, you can work your way through a paddle of hard ciders including their original, cherry pie, Pineapple mango, and Orange Creamsicle.
Or if you are feeling a little more spirited, Beak & Skiff’s small-batch premium vodka and gin is crafted with the same care and attention to quality as their celebrated ciders.
And the little ones aren’t left out, with apple picking, orchard trails, hayrides, and friendly farm animals to keep them busy while you slurp the good stuff.
Back to nature in Skaneateles
If you’re in the mood to stretch your legs, Carpenter Falls is just a short drive from the village and the perfect spot for a little forest bathing. The trail leads to a striking 27-metre (90-foot) waterfall that crashes down with serious force. Beyond the falls, the path continues through the Bahar Nature Preserve, beneath a mix of old-growth hardwood forest featuring species like maple, oak and beech.
Closer to town, the Charlie Major Nature Trail might be an easier option. It follows an old railway bed alongside Skaneateles Creek, shaded and mostly flat, making it good for young families looking for an easy walk or a lazy bike ride. Along the way, little signs drop some local history, perfect for pretending you’re learning something while catching your breath.
Because stopping to take a breather is the real luxury in Skaneateles. Not the wine, not the lake, not even the million-dollar porches (though, honestly, I want to lick the bannisters of every witchy Victorian in town). It’s just that rare kind of place where sitting on your arse all day with a glass of rosé and a good book doesn’t make you lazy… it makes you a connoisseur of good living. Or an extra on a Wes Anderson flick.
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An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow. 