Bombay Beach
Hosted by Tao · Niland, California
4 sites · Lodging · 3 acres
Off-leash friendly
Pets can be off-leash at some sites.
Creature comforts
Enjoy the comforts of home—including flush toilets, showers, and a kitchen.
Various unique homes and trailers are spread throughout Bombay Beach.
Bombay Beach, California, is a tiny, offbeat community on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. Once a mid-century vacation hotspot, it now stands as a surreal desert outpost where the decaying remnants of its glamorous past meet striking, experimental art installations.
Known for its haunting beauty, stark landscapes, and vibrant creative scene, Bombay Beach attracts artists, dreamers, and curious travelers seeking an otherworldly blend of nostalgia and avant-garde culture.
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4 sites
The Bombay Beach Institute
Onsite RV/trailer · Sleeps 8
The Bombay Beach Institute is a surreal desert retreat and Biennale landmark. This 3-bedroom home features art exhibits, lush gardens, an equipped kitchen, large outdoor dining area, and air-conditioned interiors. Located by the Salton Sea and surrounded by iconic installations. Note: Art includes nudity—not suitable for children or the easily offended. The space Welcome to The Bombay Beach Institute of Particle Physics, Metaphysics & International Relations. Yes, that’s the real name. No, we don’t expect you to understand it. But if you do, you’ll probably love it here.
A cornerstone of the Bombay Beach Biennale and a sanctuary for the strange and sublime, the Institute is part art installation, part desert residence, and part fever dream. Here, the air buzzes with creative static, and every wall, corner, and object seems to be involved in some kind of silent but sensual argument about the nature of reality.
The 3-bedroom house includes:
A spacious primary room with a queen bed
Two smaller bedrooms with full beds (ideal for couples, loners, or collaborative thinkers)
A living area that feels like a Cold War lounge turned metaphysical observatory
A full kitchen for culinary experiments (no guarantees on results)
Air conditioning, because you’re still human after all
Throughout the space, you’ll encounter curated art exhibits that change periodically.
Outside, a private garden blooms with desert life and detritus — a lush oasis ringed with relics, sculptures, and soft spaces for smoking, dreaming, or arguing about time. Past guests have hosted readings, ritual dinners, sound baths, and the occasional international incident.
Just blocks from the Salton Sea and surrounded by the weird and wonderful fabric of Bombay Beach — including Zig Zag Piazza, the Drive-In, and other legendary installations — the Institute offers not just a place to sleep, but a permission slip to lose your mind a little, and maybe come back with something better.
Come prepared to be bewildered. Come with wine. Come with friends who ask big questions and laugh at strange times. The desert will do the rest.
Guest access Feel free to explore the entire property, including exhibits in each of the trailers.
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
from
for NaN guests$85
/ night
The Nest: One Egg is Un'Oeuf
Cabin · Sleeps 4
Stylish, art-filled retreat with ice-cold A/C, clawfoot tub, cozy beds, outdoor shower, giant TV, and all-new furnishings. Located in the Lower East Side of Bombay Beach — the town’s coolest neighborhood — right next to the Museum of Unwanted Architecture and steps from The Poetry House, Zigzag House, and the Bombay Beach Institute for Industrial Espionage & Post-Apocalyptic Studies.
The very best of Bombay Beach, distilled. The space Welcome to your surreal desert hideaway — a fully renovated trailer-turned-home in the heart of Bombay Beach's iconic Lower East Side. Every inch of the space is designed with intention and eccentric charm, from the eclectic art collection to the vintage furnishings and bold design details.
Inside, you'll find two cozy double beds with ultra-comfortable beds and crisp linens. The living room invites you to sprawl out with a massive TV and ICE COLD A/C (essential for desert life), while the full kitchen is stocked with the essentials and more for cooking, cocktails, or late-night snacking. The two bathrooms features a dreamy clawfoot bathtub and an additional outdoor shower for those perfect sunrise rinses under open sky.
The home is surrounded by some of the neighborhood’s most legendary sites — the Museum of Unwanted Architecture is next door, and just down the street are The Poetry House, Zigzag House, and the Bombay Beach Institute for Industrial Espionage & Post-Apocalyptic Studies.
Expect quiet, weird magic. Whether you’re here to write, dream, wander, or simply unplug, this home offers a one-of-a-kind setting for introspection and inspiration.
Bombay Beach is not your typical destination — it's part retirement community, part art colony, and part social experiment. Staying here means embracing the beauty in imperfection, the poetry in decay, and the brilliance of creative resistance. The Nest is your front-row seat to the weird and wonderful — a refuge for desert dreamers, artists, lovers, and the delightfully curious. Guest access Guests have access to the entire property.
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
from
for NaN guests$105
/ night
The Palazzo
Cabin · Sleeps 2
A playful, art-filled desert hideaway with lightning fast wifi, just steps from the shores of the Salton Sea. Located at 1st & Avenue E, The Palazzo features a brand-new queen bed, three powerful A/C units, and a flatscreen TV for cozy nights in. Relax on the front porch and watch the train roll by, or wander down E to catch the sunset at the water’s edge. Full of quirky charm and local color, it’s the perfect home base for exploring the magic of Bombay Beach and its legendary art scene.
The space A kitsch-soaked hideaway in the post-apocalyptic wonderland of Bombay Beach: step inside The Palazzo, where roadside Americana meets desert surrealism. This one-bedroom retreat is drenched in charm and eccentricity: think leather club chairs, vintage lamps, wood paneling, and bold prints by the photographer-owner. The atmosphere is equal parts lodge, love letter, and Lynchian living room.
Located at 1st Street and Avenue E—just five blocks from the ghostly shores of the Salton Sea—this fully air-conditioned home is your launchpad for exploring the strange sublime of the Imperial Valley: Salvation Mountain, Slab City, East Jesus, and the decaying glamour of Bombay Beach itself.
Inside: • A queen bedroom with crisp linens and dreamcatchers above the bed • A spacious living room with two sofas, armchairs, a flatscreen TV, and glowing lamps for that golden-hour glow all night long • A dining nook that conjures 1970s supper club vibes • A stocked kitchen and a cozy office nook with an ergonomic chair for remote work or poetic musing • Lighting-fast WiFi, three cooling units, and a porch facing the train tracks for your daily fix of cinematic ambience
The lot is fenced, pet-friendly, and private. But remember: Bombay Beach is more than a destination—it’s an art colony, social experiment, and poetic ruin. There’s no gas station. But there is magic.
Guest access Guests have access to the entire property.
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
from
for NaN guests$72
/ night
The Zigzag House
Vintage trailer · Sleeps 4
A bold, art-forward retreat in the heart of Bombay Beach. Steps from the Salton Sea and local art sites. Perfect for dreamers, artists, and desert adventurers.
The space: The 3-bedroom house includes:
A spacious primary room with a queen bed.
Two smaller bedrooms with twin beds (ideal for groups of friends or collaborative thinkers)
A living area where mid-century silhouettes mingle with organic textures and artful accents.
A full kitchen for culinary experiments (no guarantees on results)
Air conditioning, because you’re still human after all
Throughout the space, you’ll encounter curated art exhibits that may change periodically.
Outside: A full outdoor kitchen, perfect for hosting small events. Please inquire about event pricing.
A spacious patio with three large couches for lounging and socializing.
Zig Zag Plaza — home to an eclectic sculpture garden, the Bombay Beach Museum of Bombay Beach, a 60-person outdoor dining table, a small stage, and open-air hang space.
Just blocks from the Salton Sea and surrounded by the weird and wonderful fabric of Bombay Beach — including The Institute Gardens, the Drive-In, and other legendary installations — ZigZag offers not just a place to sleep, but a permission slip to lose your mind a little, and maybe come back with something better.
Come prepared to be bewildered. Come with wine. Come with friends who ask big questions and laugh at strange times. The desert will do the rest.
Guest access Guests have access to the ZigZag house, the plaza, the backyard garden and outdoor shower and bathroom.
Please note that the outside Plaza is open to the public.
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
from
for NaN guests$80
/ nightfrom
$72
/ night4 sites
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Location
Niland, Imperial County, California, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Tao R.
Joined in September 2024Response rate: 80%Response time: Within 11 hours
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