The "Boat House" is located on very private Little Gasparilla Island, a remote and bridge-less barrier island with no cars, stores, or restaurants of any kind. It is only accessible by boat and that makes for a wonderfully quiet and private vacation! If this is going to be your first visit to Little Gasparilla Island, we expect many questions, so don't hesitate to ask!
Details:
One level, no stairs to climb.
'Wall-of-glass' spans the width of the house and makes you feel as if you are sitting right on the bay. Because you are!
The open-plan interior living, kitchen, and dining spaces with their vaulted ceiling have a very spacious, tropical feel. The screened front porch, equally large, has lots of seating and is fronted by a waterside deck and dock.
Unique two bedroom, two bathroom configuration.
Both bedrooms (one King, one Queen) open onto a rear sun deck.
You can lock off baths so that you have either separate 'his' and 'her' baths accessed from the master bedroom, OR a private bath for each of the two bedrooms, OR one common bath while the two bedrooms share the remaining bath.
There is also an outside shower at the rear deck.
The Boat House has a full-size kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. There is a separate wet bar featuring an coffee maker, grinder, and frother plus a 2nd full-size refrigerator.
Private outdoor grill.
Full inside laundry---so you can pack lightly. Washer, dryer, iron & ironing board.
Leather couches, top-grade comfy beds, tile floors throughout, and much more.
This well-designed, immaculate vacation cottage, is all on one level, and only a couple feet off the ground----no need to climb stairs, ever, except getting in and out of the water taxi.
Quiet and private location.
Located at the north end of the island, our 5+ acre resort-style "compound" (3 houses) extends from bay to beach and borders Don Pedro state wildlife preserve. The Boat House is situated right on Don Pedro Island Blueway Kayak Trail, and we provide kayaks for you to use to explore it! Enjoy the boardwalk that starts on the bay and winds through the mystical mangrove lagoons right to the Gulf of Mexico. This is a property like no other, designed with loving couples and small families in mind (optimized for four people).
You can enjoy fabulous sunrises from the dock on the bay out front, or stroll the boardwalks out back to enjoy the virtually private beach and watch the fabulous sunsets.
NOTE: In addition to the Boat House, the property includes our residence (Bay House, Vrbo #1403545) and another guest house (Beach Cottage, Vrbo #400780) constituting a single "compound" at the extreme north end of LGI next to the nature preserve. A common area between the Boat House and Bay House is for shared use and includes a fire pit, outdoor kitchen/bistro, docks, kayaks, and beach gear.
We provide a Smart TV and BluRay DVD player with a collection of family-friendly movies. Your internet connection is via a Verizon MiFi pack.
CONTRACT DETAILS:
- Check in is 3:30pm or after
- Check out is by 10:00 am
- no smoking
- up to four occupants (5 persons if 5th is 3yr)
- guests agree to hold owner harmless for any injuries or illnesses incurred while using our home, boardwalks, kayaks, grills, or other property
- guests agree to remove all food items and all garbage from the home upon departure
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Rent is fully refundable if your trip is cancelled 45 days or more before check-in. Rent is 50% refundable if your trip is cancelled 30-45 days before check-in. Rent is 25% refundable 15-30 days before check-in. Rent is not refundable within 15 days of check-in.
Rental charges, cleaning charges, and taxes are fully refundable if your trip cancelled at any time before arrival due to local hurricane warnings or red tide. Any unused portion of your rental charge and taxes is fully refundable if you depart early due to hurricane or Red Tide.
The security deposit is fully refundable if there is no damage to the property or outdoor equipment and house rules are followed (including especially that outdoor equipment is cleaned and returned to its proper place, and all trash is taken with you at checkout).
AIRPORTS/RENTAL CARS:
The closest airport is Punta Gorda PGD. However we generally rally use bigger Fort Myers RSW which is a bit further south, or Sarasota to the north. They are each about an hour and 15 minutes drive from Placida and the marina that serves our island. Tampa is just less than two hours away to the north.
GROCERIES AND OTHER PROVISIONS:
Remember, there are NO stores or restaurants of any kind on Little Gasparilla Island. Placida, the small town on the mainland, has one grocery store, a Publix, located at 8725 Placida Road.
About 8 miles further, in Englewood and along Hwy 776 (South McCall Road), are other Publix, Super WalMart WinnDixie, etc, which are somewhat bigger than the one in Placida. For example, if driving from the south toward Placida, there is a Publix located at the intersection of Hwy 776 and Gasparilla Road. If driving from the North there is a Publix at the intersection of Hwy 776 and Placida Road and a SuperWalMart at the intersection of Hwy 776 and Sand Casa Rd.
WE SUPPLY:
- quality bed linens
- quality bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths
- laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets
- salt, pepper, and an assortment of other spices
-all cook ware
-all dining ware
- filters for our drip coffee makers
- dishwasher tablets and dishwashing soap
- garbage bags
- a couple "starter rolls" of paper towels
- a couple "starter rolls" of toilet tissue
- Q-tips and cosmetic pads
- hair dryer
- propane for the grill
- beach towels
- beach chairs
- beach umbrella/canopy
You should bring all supplies other than those listed above. But you won't need much besides food and paper goods. Resist the temptation to overpack even though we all do it. Throw some sunscreen, sunglasses, and bug repellent in a bag with a few clothes and you'll probably be OK. In winter include a light jacket for mornings and evenings.
INTERNET:
Since there is no cable service on the island our connection to the 'outside world' is primarily cellular. In general all carriers work reliably on the Island, so your cell phone and other mobile devices should work normally for connecting wirelessly to the internet. Download speed tends to be 35-45 Mbs, upload 10-15 Mbs. Latency 10-20 ms.
We recently have installed "Starlink for RV" (password: Center42722) in the common area because the single local cell tower has lately begun to bog down during high-use periods.
Note: Verizon's coverage is generally considered the best of the cell service providers for the island. But none are perfect---there are spots where the connection is weak and speeds can be slow since the carriers direct their antennae toward land rather than out to sea. But we find it quite reliable for phone, email, Netflix, FaceTime, etc.
PARKING and ARRIVAL at the Marina:
You'll park your car and catch the water taxi from Eldred's Marina (which is really more of a bait shop). They are located at 6301 Boca Grande Causeway, Placida, Florida 33946 (NOTE: The marina is right BEORE the toll booth!) You will enter the little bait shop to obtain a parking pass (approximately $8.00 per day) to put on your dash. The water taxi picks you up out back.
WATER TAXI: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
The local water taxi service is provided by Pirate Water Taxi, with either Emmett or Bill as your captain. You'll want to call well before your arrival date to make arrangements. You can expect to pay about $ 35.00 from Eldred's during normal business hours. If the captain helps with your bags, you should tip him about $ 5.00. Please do discuss the pick-up rates as fees change seasonally and also increase EVERY half hour after 5:00 or 6:00 pm. Make sure you tell him that you are coming to Dock #2 . . . they know us well and will bring you directly to the dock. At the dock there are handcarts for carting your luggage and groceries to your doorstep. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU SCHEDULE THE TAXI IN ADVANCE.
GOLF CART RENTAL:
A golf cart is not at all necessary, or even recommended, since there are no stores of any kind on the island. Still, some guests choose to rent a golf cart to explore the interior of the island during their stay. However, this requires advance access permission from our neighbors. If we do not make those arrangements well in advance you will not be able to get the cart to our place and your cart rental money will be wasted. You can expect to pay at least $ 50.00 per day / $ 225.00 per week.
