P78 - Charming beach home just down the road from Sombrero Beach. 3 bedroom 2 bath with dock and pool

We just finished a great week in Marathon at this home with two families, including four kids. We had a great time. The kids were in the pool for at least 3 hours each day. It really is in a great location, away from the highway and commercial area, and a quick walk to the beach. There is a well-lit walking trail right in front of the house that is so convenient. We enjoyed the easy access to grocery stores and restaurants. Marathon itself seemed clean and neat, without being pretentious. It had just the right amount of laid-back "island" feel without being run-down and trashy. I think we picked the best key for our first Keys trip. The home was cozy, clean, and well decorated and had everything we needed. Only a few items that you might hope to have: The bathrooms are all upstairs from the pool level, so plan accordingly - however, there is an outdoor shower/rinse down area. Beach towels are not included, so for your beach trips you'll need to bring your own. It would have been nice to have some fishing tackle onsite, especially for the kids.

The management company was great to work with - promptly answering emails and phone calls and even checking in during the week to be sure everything was going well. I believe this property is for sale, so I just hope it's still available for rent the next time we make it to Marathon (and that can't be too soon).

We recently stayed at this property for one week with three generations under one roof, and everyone from the grandparents to the grandkids had a great time. The house was perfect for the six of us, but would even sleep eight comfortably with the twin bunk beds in the third bedroom.

The canal provides ocean access to a boat with about about a 10-minute ride, with a good bonefish flat just a mile to the east and the Seven Mile Bridge a mile to the west for fishing. Sombrero beach is a two-minute ride down the road, and all the best restaurants in Marathon are within a 10-minute car ride. Bahia Honda State Park, which is one of the best beaches in the Keys, is just a 15-minute drive west. Marathon is an ideal location because you are an hour from both Key West and Key Largo, so whether you are looking for the fun of Key West of the snorkeling of Pennekamp State Park, both are easily accessible.

The backyard is lushly landscaped and private, so you can easily find a spot in the shade or the sun to relax - and there is plenty of sun to keep the pool warm (hot even) in the summer. You really have to struggle to see if any of the neighbors are in the backyard with the placement of all the trees. We would definitely stay at this home again!

Right before booking my accommodations with American Caribbean Real Estate one of my coworkers booked her vacation property with a different company only to find out that it was a scam and they took her money without actually owning the property they promised to rent her. The company appeared to be legitimate, was registered through the state, and for all appearances looked legitimate. Needless to say I was very nervous when we booked ours after hearing her story. I had never worked with American Caribbean Real Estate before and was very nervous that I too would be victim of a scam, because as I do not live locally there was not really a concrete way to verify existence or ownership. I was so impressed with the company throughout the contract process, and once we arrived down for our vacation they were incredibly easy to deal with. They called me several days prior to my arrival to verify we were coming and to ensure we had their location and hours. They also called me while we were driving as they had heard of some bad traffic and wanted to check our timeframe. Once we got to their office we were in and out in ten minutes, there were no long waits or shuffling of paperwork- all was organized and ready to go. They also called once we got to the house to ensure all was in working order and that we did not need anything additional. I was so incredibly impressed with their professionalism and their customer service, we will definitely be using them for all of our rentals in their area going forwards. It is so comforting to have a company that is honest, trustworthy and focused on ensuring that we had a great vacation.

I looked for 3 months before finding the perfect house for two families to stay (4 adults, 4 kids). We had a few details that we needed, a big kitchen (my husband is a chef), a place all 4 kids could sleep in one room, a pool, pet friendly, and of course a dock big enough for two 18 foot boats. This house had everything we needed. The house was very clean and spacious for 8 people to stay without being on top of each other all the time. The screened in porch was perfect and the landscaping provided a private setting. The house was close to Publix and Kmart which was a plus. All 8 of us enjoyed our stay and did not want to go home! Thank you for a for wonderful vacation!

We (the grandparents) rented this location to spend a week in the sun with our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren ages 2 and 5. The home was beautiful and perfect for this group. We had the bedroom and bath upstairs and the kids had the two bedrooms, (one with two bunk beds) and bath down. The pool was great for the little ones as well as for us. Sombrero Beach just a block and a half from the house was beautiful as well, great for the kids with a playground and not at all crowded. In addition my son-in-law is a fisherman and was able to fish right off the dock behind the house. A mile and a half from two major grocery stores, we couldn’t have asked for a better location. Might just sign up for next years vacation now.