Great Location with Dock!

• Fans in FL

  Fans in FL

  • Guest Beck
  • Date of stay 11/02/12
  • Review Submitted 05/22/13
  Well, it has taken quite a while to get my review in, but that is largely because we've stayed at this place several times, and it is tough to come up with new & interesting ways to say that it is THE BOMB! I love it, my husband loves it, and our dog loves it! If you appreciate privacy and nature (and believe me, as a native Floridian, I can tell you that neither is easy to come by on the coast of FL), this is the place for you. Owner, Dave, is super-nice & just as laid back as his rental home. Oh, and though it is not exclusive to this rental, fantastic seafood abounds. Can’t wait for our next visit!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

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• My family and I loved it!

  My family and I loved it!

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 05/04/13
  • Review Submitted 05/14/13
  My family and I stayed for a week and didn't want to go back home. If you like privacy this is the place to be. Fishing was good and we loved the kayaks! We had been to The Cape several times but never stayed on the bay. It was the best experience we've had since going to the Cape.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Friends from Bell Buckle, TN

  Friends from Bell Buckle, TN

  • Guest Blessed
  • Date of stay 03/29/13
  • Review Submitted 04/09/13
  We had a wonderful time. Very nice weather. Very nice area. Peaceful, and I did not want to leave. This is a great rental, best of both...beach/bay. If beach surf was too rough, then we played in bay. The house is nice. Pictures show a "newer house" than actuality. Only reason for four stars...tired wicker furniture, master bedroom mattress hurt our backs, coffee maker old and needs replaced, empty laundry detergent bottle, empty dishwasher bottle, no garbage bags, and water from faucets is salty. WE TOTALLY ENJOYED OURSELVES!! I do not think we will return to this rental due to price, but OWNER IS GREAT, and allowed us to pay in three installments prior to stay. Thank You...we could not ask for a more peaceful and safe area. Locals great also.Very helpful. Check out St.Patricks seafood market for best deals on fresh seafood. Across from Post Office

  Recommended for: Families with young children, pet owners, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Peaceful Natural Setting

  Peaceful Natural Setting

  • Guest KayMaeS
  • Date of stay 10/20/12
  • Review Submitted 10/29/12
  We loved the beauty of the natural setting of Amelia by the Bay. This was our 2nd trip to Cape San Blas and both times have chosen to stay on the bay side for this very reason. Our two dogs frolicked almost as much there as they did at the beach. I spent a couple of afternoons reading (and napping) on the hammock in the screened in room down by the bay. I will say that is the LONGEST pier I have ever seen and it took me a while getting used to walking the distance with no railings (even though the bay is very shallow)! We walked to the beach every day-- cutting through a residential neighborhood (hope that was okay) and rode bikes a lot on the bike paths up and down the cape. As for the house itself: the bed in the master BR was very comfortable but I wish the LR furniture was more "loungeable" (if that's a word). I can't imagine where others would sit if there had been more than the two of us (it's a 3 BR house).... and it would've been great to have a lounge chair on one of the decks, as well (several of the plastic chairs are broken)... other than that, loved our vacation. Thanks.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Fall Break

  Fall Break

  • Guest Matt
  • Date of stay 10/13/12
  • Review Submitted 10/29/12
  We had an awesome Fall Break week at Amelia by the Bay. The dock worked great for our boat (18 foot G-W), and the fishing was very good...trout, flounder and sea bass. My kids enjoyed campfires on the bay side as well as at the beach. The house was clean and well-appointed. The private location is rare and appreciated! It was a short walk to the beach....water was still warm enough. We couldn't have asked for a better property or a better week for our family....we will be back.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, families with teenagers, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Just Amazing!

  Just Amazing!

  • Guest Mike
  • Date of stay 08/05/12
  • Review Submitted 09/26/12
  We stayed here for one week this year, after several previous vacations in the area. The house and dock make for an incredible experience and the owners are so nice. One night the water was actually glowing with phosphorescence and without the dock we would never have had such an amazing swim. Beach access was easy and there is no question in my mind that bayside beats out beachfront. My one issue that the kayaks were not fully equipped with decent oars and there were two not three, but the owner assured me he would address that issue. So if kayaks are important just ask and I'm sure he will accommodate. Just loved the house. We have spent a lot of time in the area and this was the best.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Relaxing and fun quiet nature retreat

  Relaxing and fun quiet nature retreat

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 03/24/12
  • Review Submitted 04/16/12
  We will definitely return to this rental. The home sits on a large piece of property, so you avoid having neighbors, and instead immerse yourself in the natural setting. The house was clean. I was initially worried because the property is listed as pet friendly, and we do not have a dog. Sometimes, these rentals are a bit too dog friendly at the expense of the people. This was not the case here. Everything was clean and comfortable. We did bring our flats boat, which worked fine with the dock, but deep draft vessels may have an issue because the tidal fluctuation combined with wind effects can result in low water (less than 1 foot). As I said, we had no problem, and this was perfect for us and our daughter to explore the aquarium clear waters of St. Joe Bay. We saw bald eagles, woodpeckers, cardinals, and more every day. We also spotted ducks and loons while we were fishing. Our daughter even earned a design your own marine biology girl scout badge during our stay. Sea urchins, starfish, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, tulip snails, lightning whelks, crown conchs, stingrays, sharks, seaturtles, sand dollars, blue crabs, ..... It was great. This was probably our 5th trip to this area, but our first time at this property. My only hesitation in writing this review is that it may encourage more people to visit making it harder for me to get the dates I want! The property managers were attentive as well. We had to call them due to smoke detectors beeping and they came and happily fixed the problem for us. As I said, we will be back. FYI for other visitors - the best grocery store is the Piggly Wiggly in Port St. Joe. On the cape, the Trading Post has quick essentials, good ice cream and pizza. In Appalachicola, our favorite restaurant was the Owl Cafe.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Highly recommend! Great place for a large family!

  Highly recommend! Great place for a large family!

  • Guest Erin
  • Date of stay 03/31/12
  • Review Submitted 04/11/12
  Amelia by the Bay was a great location for our family vacation. We had never been to the Cape and were looking for something relaxing. We found a second home at Amelia. Here you have the best of both worlds. My father-in-law and brother-in-law enjoyed being able to finish in the bay, while the rest of us were across the road at the beach. This was our first family vacation with our 9 month old daughter. She loved playing in the sand at the beach and lounging in her float in the warmer bay water while we snorkeled around her. While the baby took a nap with grandma in the hammock in the convenient, screened-in pavilion, we were able to kayak further out and snorkel in the knee deep water. After making the 6 hour drive home, I quickly realized I had left my makeup bag in the master bathroom. My husband quickly called the owner to ask if he could pay him to ship it back. The owner had already packaged and shipped my makeup bag before we had even made it home. I was truly thankful for his generosity. We have already started checking our calendars for a Spring Break trip next year back at Amelia by the Bay.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, pet owners, families with teenagers, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Beck

  Beck

  • Guest Beck
  • Date of stay 11/10/11
  • Review Submitted 12/05/11
  My husband, dog, and I have stayed at Amelia by the Bay a few times now, and love it. It is always clean & well-stocked, and the owner is very helpful & easy to work with. Being native Floridians, we both love the real Florida bay setting with the pines and palmettos. The screen room on the bay is our favorite. We can watch the dog play in the water while drinking beer & listening to reggae from the comfort of the hammock in the screen room. There are not many places left in Florida where you can expect this much privacy on the water. It is a true gem. There included kayaks are a very nice treat. We can't wait to go back again!!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Fabulous vacation rental for whole family

  Fabulous vacation rental for whole family

  • Guest Sophia
  • Date of stay 11/09/11
  • Review Submitted 11/20/11
  This is a great place to vacation with your family and pets. It is private with easy access to both the bay and the beach. I'm quite picky so I was very happy to find the place very clean, the linens new, and for a vacation rental the kitchen well-organized. (I understood why when INSTEAD of a threat of incurring extra charges for not unpacking the dishwasher, the instructions requested that when you leave, "turn on the dishwasher -- no need to unload the dishes -- we will do that for you." I liked the fish cleaning sink on the dock and the fact that the "screen room," which overlooks the bay, has water and electric,

  Recommended for: Families with young children, pet owners, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

Fees:

• Pet Fee: $100 + tax
• Tax Rate 11%

Cancellation policy:

100% refund if canceled at least 90 days before arrival date.