Luxurious Island Home - quiet, private with tropical garden, oak hardwood floors

Little Gasparilla Island Vacation Rental, Casa Contenta, is a relaxing key west style island home ideally situated 500 feet from the Gulf of Mexico and 300 feet from Lemon Bay. Its garden overflows with tropical foliage including palms, hibiscus, bird of paradise, sea grapes, and bougainvillea. The main floor is perfect for relaxing. The open floor plan connects the kitchen, dining area, living room, and large screened in porch. The wall of sliding glass doors easily glide open to provide seamless access between indoors and the private porch situated in tropical splendor. New oak hardwoods, tile, HVAC, ceiling fans in every room and 2 ceiling fans on the porch and a fully equipped kitchen are provided for your comfort. The living room is furnished with comfortable leather sofas and recliner. A new 40' Samsung TV, dvd player, small and growing dvd collection, in house library, board games and puzzles provide beach vacation entertainment. The main-level master suite (with comfortable king bed and 400 count linens) also opens to the porch with sliding glass doors to let the outdoors in. Lay in bed and listen to the wind rustle the palms, with sounds from the Gulf. A full bath is on the main floor. Upstairs the master suite enjoys double decks with expansive island wide views east to the bay and west to the gulf. You can open the doors for a cross breeze; watch the sun rise over the bay; sunbathe through the day in privacy and star gaze at night. This bedroom features a comfortable queen bed and full bath nestled under a cathedral ceiling, with beautiful wooden beams. KITCHEN Fully equipped kitchen with stove, refrigerator, new Bosch dishwasher and indoor new LG washer and dryer. As cooks ourselves, we have stocked the kitchen with everything you need for meal preparation and entertaining: good knives, coffee maker, Capresso burr coffee grinder, stovetop espresso maker, blender, crock pot, tea kettle, cuisinart ice cream maker, new super-quiet bosch dishwasher, plenty of dishes, utensils, glasses, pots and pans. We also supply basic pantry items such as salt/pepper, olive oil, etc. OUTDOOR AMENITIES Downstairs is a new gas grill, table and chairs for easy outdoors meal preparation. Our private outdoor shower with hot and cold water makes after-beach cleanup convenient and comfortable. For outdoor fun we offer a sea eagle 330 2-person inflatable kayak and 2 single inflatable kayaks (with paddles and life vests), 4 comfortable beach chairs, umbrellas, and coolers. COMMUNITY DOCK Shared community dock access means you can dock your own or rental boat for your fishing and boating pleasures. CARTS AVAILABLE A large cart is available for transporting your things to and from the dock (300' away). For our renters we can make our 4-person golf cart available for an additional fee to assist with your island touring (running condition is not guaranteed). If having a golf cart is critical to your vacation, please rent one in advance from LGI Carts. PET POLICY: Pets must be approved in advance. $125 per pet. Pets up to 20 pounds will be considered. UNIQUE ISLAND BENEFITS As part of the barrier island chain that includes Sanibel and Captiva Island, Little Gasparilla Island offers privacy and tranquility and a rare sense of peace not found at many Florida vacation spots. Many days you can walk the beach without seeing more than a handful of others. As a bridge-less barrier island, accessible only by water taxi, Little Gasparilla has fewer tourists, no high rises and no crowds on the beach. During the summer, the beach is a nesting spot for endangered sea turtles which lay their eggs in the warm sand near the dunes. The shells on the island are among the most plentiful on the West Coast and the beaches are dotted with prehistoric shark's teeth free for the collecting. The sandbars are home to sand dollars, whelks, starfish and conchs. TRANSPORTATION DETAILS There is water taxi service to and from the island available by appointment between 8:30 to 5 PM (other hours available for an extra fee). You just phone them, tell them your dock number and they will pick you up at a local marina (where you also park) and drop you at your dock. SELF-CATERING You must bring all your groceries over with you on the water taxi. There are no stores or restaurants on the Island. There is an excellent fish market in nearby Placida and several mainland restaurants are also reachable by boat. There are several golf courses within 10 minutes of the marina. There are charming gift and souvenir shops in the villages of Placida and Boca Grande. Boat rentals are available in Englewood, Placida and Boca Grande and fishing charters in Placida and Boca Grande. Fishing from either the dock or the beach can provide daily entertainment -- and a hearty meal depending on your luck…and at the end of a long day, a breathtaking sunset over the Gulf of Mexico gently eases you into the evening. Please note that most all houses on Little Gasparilla island are on stilts. Unfortunately, we are not handicapped accessible. Small children will require supervision on the stairs. Please note there is no smoking in the island house. Come Ready to Relax. Ready. Set. Slow. Book today.