Vacation Rentals by Owner

BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE KEYS (until now)

Guest: Tally8 (Tallahassee, FL)
Date of Stay: 03/17/12 Review Submitted: 03/28/12

WHAT A GREAT VACATION HOME! Comfortably accommodated two families (4 adults & 4 children). Everything you'll need is there. Property was clean and well maintained with newer appliances. Large kitchen & dining area with plenty of seating. Cozy living room (for those rare times when you choose to be indoors). Overall exceptional value. Incredible access to both Atlantic and Gulf. Just minutes from 7 Mile Bridge. Most folks will undoubtedly want to fish offshore, but don't pass up the backwaters of Sister Creek. We got into some nice redfish feeding with the afternoon tide. Dock your own boat or rental right at the house. Fish cleaning table and hose are conveniently located at the dock. Kids loved the pool and kayaks! Even got to kayak along with a mother and juvenile manatees. Access to other islands and beaches was excellent. Key West, Bahia Honda State Park and Islamorada were just a short drive away. Island Fish Co. Restaurant and Sunset Grille & Raw Bar are only minutes from the house. Although we are sometimes apprehensive about dealing with private owners, we found this owner to be friendly, reasonable and accommodating. Owner promptly returned all of our emails and phone inquiries. We will certainly recommend this property to friends visiting the Keys.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Boot Key Reteat

Guest: Rob (Houston)
Date of Stay: 12/25/11 Review Submitted: 01/08/12

A great location, quiet, perfect setting, with shops and dining within a short walk. We enjoyed the heated pool and the kayaks and fishing off the bulkhead. Saw manatees and dolphins in the bay from the deck. Was a perfect location to operate a boat from (we rented from Fish and Fun), with several dockside restaurants and a 10 minute ride through the harbor to Sombraro Beach.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

LINDLE FAMILY & FRIENDS

Guest: MIKE FROM NASHVILLE (NASHVILLE,TN)
Date of Stay: 04/30/11 Review Submitted: 05/12/11

HAD A GREAT TIME, GOT OUR FIRST TARPON TO THE BOAT DUE TO THE AVAILAILABILITY OF MULLET RIGHT OFF OUR CANAL. BAIT AND FUEL MINUTES FROM LEAVING OUR DOCK, IN ROUTE TO THE REEF & SO, SO CLOSE TO 7 MILE BRIDGE, SPINNER SHARKS, BULL SHARKS, NURSE SHARKS, MACKERAL,SNAPPER & YELLOWTAILS ABUNDUNT, NOT TO MENTION SOME REAL, REAL BIG SHARKS THAT WE NEVER GOT TO SEE, BUT WILL HAVE MY KIDS & GRANDKIDS TALKING ABOUT FOR SOME TIME, & BIG, NICE BEDS, ALL 3 ROOMS, VERY COMFORTABLE, CLOSE TO EVERYTHING, WE'LL DEFINATELY BE BACK IF YOU'LL HAVE US, THANKS AGAIN. LINDLES & GUESTS

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Location...Location...Location!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guest: Patti (Barnegat , NJ)
Date of Stay: 10/28/10 Review Submitted: 11/08/10

I just returned from a vacation at Boot Key Retreat and it was wonderful!!!... The views from the deck were spectacular and the weather was beautiful.... I was able to relax in the pool or on the deck or in the Hammock and enjoy the beautiful and calming surroundings... I also was able to enjoy wonderful meals and cocktails at the many scenic restaurants nearby.... And only one hour to Key West !!!!! I would reccommend Boot Key Retreat to anyone who enjoys relaxing and having fun!!! The house was beautiful and clean! I can't wait to return !!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

10/9/10-10/16/10

Guest: Sue & Ron (Lanoka Harbor, NJ)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/31/10

Great vacation with daughter & her family. The house was spotless and easily childproofed. I was originally concerned about my 15 month old grandson being around so much water. Did not need to be concerned, we spent alot of time enjoying the deck and only brought him downstairs to enjoy the pool. When he napped we spend our time downstairs lounging in the sun or whatever. Good location for kayaking and taking walks on the bridge (actually seen a sunrise twice from the bridge). We all enjoyed Sombrero Beach on a day that turned out picture perfect after they were predicting a rainy day. Restaurants are closeby. Especially liked Lazy Days (beautiful sunset). Not far from the Flea Market and close enough to do a day trip to Key West. We decided to stay home for a steak and tails dinner on the grill one evening. Everything we needed to prepare, serve and enjoy a delicious meal was right there including the sunset..... Good Times! We'll be back!!!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Boot Key Retreat family fun

Guest: Pam (Murrells Inlet South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 08/26/10

My family just returned from Boot Key Retreat and we had the best time. We fished with our two boats and caught some tuna and dolphin. My grand daughter loved the pool. We had a great time sitting around the pool with our drinks and talking about what fun we had each day. A perfect open view of the water !! The house was very clean and well maintained and Donna was nice to work with .

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

We will be back!

Guest: Cindy (Jupiter, Florida)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/17/10

Our family just came back from spending a week in this lovely home. It was our second visit and we plan on going back next year as well. We are divers and fisherman and we take two boats with us on vacation. It is a very short ride to the seven mile bridge where we dive and that makes us happy. The concrete dock can accomodate two boats easily. There is also an empty two car garage whiich gives us plently of storage for dive tanks and fishing equipment. We love the pool and the fact that there is privacy in the back yard. The home is only three years old and has a lot of charm. We will be back for hopefully many years to come!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Guest: Parris
Date of Stay: 04/24/10 Review Submitted: 05/10/10

Linda I would like to thank you for sharing your home with us, it was quite a treat..The children really enjoyed the area with the pool ,sand area and fishing off the wall and my husband really enjoyed having a boat for a week.. You have a great location and a great house.I left with all the bed sheets clean and put back on the beds and also all towels were done left one small load in the dryer. We left the house with little clean up for our two week of use.Thank you, we plan to return someday.. Thank you Danette and Eric Parris

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Guest: Pamela13 (West Chester, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/24/09

My father, sister and I just returned from a week at Boot Key Retreat and we had a wonderful time. It was truly a Retreat, we relaxed, swam, read and enjoyed the kayaks. My sister had never been in one before and now she wants to get them for her and her husband. Watched some beautiful sunsets from the upper deck and enjoyed the late afternoon breezes. Each room was decorated beautifully, and you had everything we could possibly want right down to games and books. I read Pompeii during my week there and thoroughly enjoyed it. My sister and I spend a major part of every day in the pool which was such a nice size, always clean and sparkling and the water temperature was so refreshing. We made good use of the kitchen and cooked some wonderful meals there and found Keys Fisheries which was a great place for lunch on the Bay. I'm already trying to figure out when I might be able to get back down there. Thanks for sharing your home.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/31/09 Review Submitted: 05/31/09

We stayed for 2 weeks starting May 14, 2009. The pool was a must to keep the kids entertained. The location is excellent. For having a pool and being in such a great location, this house was a great value compared to to the many houses we researched. We were out on the water every day for either fishing, diving, snorkeling, and/or booze-cruising. For snorkeling you have the Delta Shoal and Sombrero Reef in very close proximity. We were very impressed with the world-class diving in 50-90 feet and speared many hogfish and grouper. If not into spearing you will enjoy viewing the turtles, eels, jewfish (goliath grouper), corals, sponges, and countless tropical fish. It was not lobster season but we saw many. For deep sea fisherman, it is a short run to cobalt blue. If into flats fishing, the gorgeous flats along the ocean side of the preserve are productive. We even snorkeled and dove around the 7-Mile Bridge, near slack water, which is loaded with monster tarpon. You really can't be much closer to the Bridge. The weather was great except maybe 2 days which we used for a Key West adventure. The bait freezer and garage are very handy for gear, etc. For good affordable restaurant fun close by, go to the Rum Bum. Also, try to go see Micah play in Islamorada if the weather is bad. We did everything in a 19 foot boat but the house can accommodate much bigger boats like some of the neighbors have. The neighbors were very nice. All in all we were very pleased and recommend the house to anyone who thinks price, a well kept interior, location, dockage, and a pool are important for vacation happiness. Thanks Linda, Doug, and Donna

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/21/09 Review Submitted: 04/21/09

Boot Key Retreat is a great and comfortable place to stay especially if you're a fisherman... Docking facilities are great and could easily fit our two 27' boats. Nice & short canal ride through Boot Key Harbor to reach both Atlantic ocean or Gulf of Mexico, passing by Burdine's Marina where you don't even have to get off the boat to get gas, ice or bait!! Then, after a day of fishing, you come home and refresh yourself in the pool, clean the fish and relax on the deck. Afterwards, you cook your fish and enjoy it on the top balcony with a view!!! What else could you ask for? Nothing, Book Key Retreat has it all... Edith & William - Quebec, Canada

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/05/09

What an awesome house in a perfect location! Easy access to the open water for fishing and snorkeling and it's also very close to Sombrero Beach and shopping. You don't have to leave the property though. With the pool and the kayaks, there's plenty of entertainment on site. House is very nicely decorated and is perfect for 2 families or 3 couples. Also loved having coffee and other drinks out on the deck overlooking the canal. Very peaceful to watch the wildlife and sunsets! Would love to return again next year.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/23/09

Nice house with accessible double car garage for vehicle or water toy storage. Our truck was garaged for the full visit. Photo's do not reflect the nice updated flat screen TV currently in the Family Room. Just like home for us. High Speed internet worked great. Nice interior layout for families. Fantastic view off the deck. No obstructions across the canal other than nature itself. Good view of Boot Key channel enabling you to sit on the deck and view a wide variety of boats coming and going, in addition to the great sunsets. Plenty of docking area and the sand beach puts you in the mood for Margaritaville while watching the boats and the sun playing off the water. The heated pool got plenty of use and was a nice diversion. The bicycles were put to good use too. The kayaks are available for touring the harbor, protected for the most part from wind and waves. We used our jet ski's to low speed tour the harbor (no wakes please) and to explore the 7 Mile Bridge. Sombrero Reef was within view of our ride. Sister's Creek is another ride that's interesting if you get the opportunity to take to the water. There are plenty of good restaurants in the area in addition to access to parks for hiking. Try walking the pedestrian bridge next to the 7 Mile Bridge. If you go all the way to the end, you'll get to view the many recreational fishing boats while they pull in the catch of the day. We look forward to returning another time for more sun and fun. The Currys Wicomico Church, Virginia

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/18/09

Such a beautiful home, so clean and new! We loved our stay at Boot Key Retreat! The deck was wonderful morning, noon and night. We loved being right on the water. So much to do and so convenient to so much, we will definitely be staying again and again!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/30/08

This house is not only beautiful but is in a perfect location. The canal is within minutes of the Atlantic or Gulf. The house is in a nice, quiet area, half way down the keys. The decor is beautiful. The kitchen is stocked with all the utensils you'll need. There are videos and books for your use. Grocery stores, restaurants, and fishing stores nearby. This was one of our favorite vacations, location, and rental house.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/27/08

What a great house! We had a wonderful vacation and Doug and Donnna the caretakers could not have been nicer. Fishing and snorkeling was great and close. I recommend you ask Doug about his boat for rent. It was great!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/15/08

If you are a scuba diver or fisherman this is the perfect location for both. The owners thought of everything from gear storage to bait freezer to fish cleaning table with running water. Boot Key Retreat was the perfect place for a family vacation also. With the pool and the patio and deck, not to mention the beautiful interior of the home. The kitchen/dining room area was a great place for eating and fellowship. We truly enjoyed every minute of our stay at Boot Key Retreat and are looking forward to a return trip in the future. Sincerely, The Henry Family

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