Bayfront Cabana on Tampa Bay with Stunning Sunsets and Dock

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Entire home

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 21000 sq ft

Popular amenities

Dryer
Fireplace
Washer
Parking available
Kitchen
Pet-friendly

Explore the area

Ruskin, FL

Tampa Bay
‪9 min drive‬
MacDill Air Force Base
‪43 min drive‬
Vinoy Park
‪46 min drive‬
St. Petersburg, FL (SPG-Albert Whitted)
‪44 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

Separate dining area

About this property

The Cabana at Bayside, (formerly Dolphin Side) is currently being remodeled and will be ready March 2025 with new pictures.

Property is located directly on Tampa Bay. Brilliant sunsets with views of St. Pete skyline in the distance. Fish from the 80-foot or enjoy seeing dolphins, manatees, sting rays, seagulls, pelicans, osprey and many other fish and birds all in the comfort of the back yard. Grill and eat outside while overlooking the bay.

The Cabana at Bayside is a one-bedroom bayside unit with no steps to climb. The large bedroom/studio has a queen-size bed. The living room has a soft couch, love seat, rattan chairs, and terrific bay front views. Watch TV on the flat 50-inch QLED Roku TV, with HD antenna with over 80+local channels, and high-speed Wi-Fi. In addition, the dining room has a terrific table with seating for six with a view of the bay. The full chef/restaurant style kitchen has stainless steel tables, stovetop, small commercial oven, two coffee makers (auto drip and k-cup), microwave, dishes, and all cookware. The bathroom has an extra-large shower, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. There is also a washer/dryer combo in the laundry room.

The fishermen in your group will be able to fish right off the private 80-foot fishing dock that extends onto the scenic waters of the Tampa Bay or launch your boat at Shell Point Marina, Little Harbor or EG Simmons – literally a few minutes away. South Shore Tampa Bay is known for some of the best fishing around.

A small public beach is located Little Harbor Resort is just down the street, and offers a tiki bar, live entertainment, and waterfront dining. There are many golf courses nearby. We are small dog friendly with prior approval.

Upper level is Pelican Side. It is an annual rental with current resident.

This bayside retreat is centrally located being between Tampa and Bradenton/Sarasota areas. The property is only a few miles from E.G. Simmons Park which has a beach and walking paths with views of Tampa Bay.

Visit our cabana on the bay – we know you will leave with the happiest of memories, unforgettable sunsets and kiss of the sun on your face.

Keywords: cottage, bungalow, house, bay-front, waterfront, anglers, fishing, dock

Property manager

Darryl

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

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Pool
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 3–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit one pet total)

Pre-approval required prior to booking. No cats.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Long-term renters welcome

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Ruskin

Located in Ruskin, this cottage is near theme parks and on the waterfront. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Tampa Bay and Vinoy Park, while Salvador Dali Museum and MacDill Air Force Base are cultural highlights. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's going on at Tropicana Field, or consider a night out at Jannus Live. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Ruskin, FL

What's nearby

Tampa Bay - 9 min drive - 3.8 km
MacDill Air Force Base - 43 min drive - 49.8 km
Salvador Dali Museum - 44 min drive - 59.0 km
Tropicana Field - 44 min drive - 58.6 km
Vinoy Park - 46 min drive - 60.9 km

Getting around

Tampa Union Station - 34 min drive
St. Petersburg, FL (SPG-Albert Whitted) - 44 min drive

Restaurants

‪McDonald's - ‬11 min drive
‪McDonald's - ‬9 min drive
‪Finn's Dockside Bar & Grill - ‬16 min drive
‪The Fish House - ‬4 min drive
‪Beanie's Bar & Sports Grill - ‬9 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Bayfront Cabana on Tampa Bay with Stunning Sunsets and Dock pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet.

What time is check-in at Bayfront Cabana on Tampa Bay with Stunning Sunsets and Dock?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Bayfront Cabana on Tampa Bay with Stunning Sunsets and Dock?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Bayfront Cabana on Tampa Bay with Stunning Sunsets and Dock located?

Situated on the waterfront, this cottage is steps from Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park and 2.3 mi (3.7 km) from Tampa Bay. E.G. Simmons Regional Park is 2.6 mi (4.2 km) away.

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Michael G.

16 Feb, 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very Pleasant Surprise

The pictures only give a hint of the charm and hidden delights of the Pelican. Waking up daily to dolphins, manatees, osprey, brown and white pelicans and the Tampa Bay was absolutely AWESOME!

Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Wanda L.

3 Jun, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Haven on the Bay

Comfortable and quaint! Great place to relax after working all day in the area. Highly recommend this location.

Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

david r.

20 Mar, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was everything we expected it to be. Had a wonderful time.

Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

gordon s.

31 Aug, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great get away, caught a pile of sport fish from the dock. Great quiet place.

Fantastic

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deborah R., Braidwood, Illinois

20 Dec, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoying ourselves

We have enjoyed cooking out here while watching the sunset on the bay. No need to go anywhere to enjoy out Florida stay. Peaceful pretty setting.

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ramona M.

29 May, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A quiet, comfortable getaway

Everything was perrfect. I could have stayed forever.

Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Wanda L.

21 Jul, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Business paridise

Beautiful sunsets and sunrises.

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Frank C.

10 Apr, 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Coffee with the dolphins, Cocktails watching the sunset

If you’re yearning for a slice of paradise that’ll steal your heart, this is it. This place is a serene haven—quiet, spotless, and blessed with a breathtaking view of Tampa Bay that’ll leave you speechless. Every morning, we’d rise with the sun, drinking our coffee as we watched pods of dolphins glide through the water like a dance just for us. The Ospreys—oh, they were a sight to behold—swooping down to snatch fish from the bay, then soaring back to their nest two doors down to feed their little ones. It felt like nature was putting on a private show.And the sunsets? If you’re a sunset chaser like us, prepare to fall in love. They’re nothing short of spectacular—vivid colors painting the sky, sinking into the horizon in a way that makes your soul smile. We spent four glorious weeks here while hunting for our own home in the Sun City area, just 15 minutes away, and every day felt like a gift. When we craved a night out, Sunset Bar and Grill was a quick five-minute drive—good food, cold drinks, and live music to lift the spirit.Our host, Darryl, He’s the kind of person who makes you feel right at home—warm, laid-back, and always there with a quick answer or a friendly chat. This place didn’t just give us a stay, it gave us memories we’ll carry forever. You won’t just want to stay here—you’ll never want to leave.

Stayed 28 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dave R.

6 Mar, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet near the water

Darryl’s place is exactly as advertised. Everything is exactly as in the listing. Backyard water and very quiet!

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Fred M.

12 Mar, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The Dolphin

Awesome place that didn't break the bank. Met Mike and Dianne that rents the upstairs Pelican for 3 months, Super cool people. We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to our next stay here. Thank you, Darryl !!

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Deborah R., Braidwood, Illinois

11 Dec, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

My Fourth Stay Here

We enjoy the quiet neighborhood and beautiful sunsets of this property. It’s nice to vacation just spending time at your destination and not feeling like you have to be on the go all the time. Just as I remembered it.

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rene' R., Erie

13 Jun, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful view

The view was gorgeous. Home was comfortable and clean. Darryl was very easy to contact and very responsive. We enjoyed our stay visiting family in Ruskin and traveling to beaches and other attractions.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

george m.

21 May, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

MR

It was good. Took the boat there. The boat slip was good

Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Megan W., Catonsville, MD

15 Aug, 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

This location can't be matched!

The location is an absolute paradise! Lots of points for being dog-friendly and having the fully stocked kitchen, laundry room, and a super comfortable queen bed. I had good dreams all week! :)

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Laurel O.

15 Mar, 2018

A perfect spot!!

This is a very quiet, beautiful spot. We rented the lower unit and it was immaculate. There was lots of room to store all our snowbird stuff and a perfect spot to sit with your morning coffee and look out over beautiful Tampa Bay. The owner/manager was very responsive and easy to work with, he was quick to respond to questions and accommodated our need to have a later check-out time.

Stayed 32 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

16 May, 2023

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Battery recharge

we wanted a place to sit and watch the world go by. Bring your binoculars and camera. We will be back.

Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jon P.

26 May, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing

This review is overdue. We stayed the first week in May ‘23 and it was incredible. It’s conveniently close to anything we needed and just 35-40 min south of Tampa. The weather and views were stunning. I brought my gf here for a surprise trip for her 40th birthday and ended the trip engaged with a beautiful sunset view from the dock and just a couple minutes after she said yes, we saw a dolphin surfacing about 50-75ft off the dock. You could not have timed it better. This place was clean and nearly perfect. The only knock (which isn’t really much of an issue or complaint), but the shower drain backed up and stopped draining one of the days we were there. I texted the owner and got no response whatsoever or even a follow up, which surprised me but wasn’t the end of the world. Luckily we took care of the water backup with the shower drain ourselves and it was fine the rest of our trip so crisis averted. Would definitely stay here again without a doubt!

Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deborah R., Braidwood, Illinois

30 Dec, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoying holidays!

We have family close by. Here we can enjoy the sunset, grill out, and get in some walking. Happy times.

Stayed 39 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

April L.

2 Nov, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We had a great time.

Very dog friendly location. Beautiful water views. Adorable cottage right on the bay. Absolutely cute and comfortable. We even got to see dolphins passing by. Gorgeous sunset over the water. Very helpful host. Would stay again.

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

John V., WINDER

27 Sept, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little Getaway

We were looking for nothing really fancy and this looked good. What a little gem! Very pleased with the accommodations. The view across the bay way great watching it rain on St Pete and we had sun! Beautiful sunsets made for the outdoors nice except for the no-see-ums that the citronella candle handled nicely. AC worked great when needed. The kitchen was well equipped, bathroom had been refinished with new tile and vanity top. Very nice to have a separate living area and bedroom which had a very comfortable pillow top mattress. Just wish there was a TV in the room though to wake and slumber to. Plenty of storage, easy and close access to great food, bait, and grocery stores. All you need to getaway!

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Connie R.

16 Sept, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing View

We stayed 5 days and Darryl's place was awsome. Everything was exactly as pictured, very clean and inviting. Even more spacious than it looked, even my husband was impressed with the use of space. There was no one in the upstairs unit while we were there. And the view is just as breathtaking as it looks. Watched storms blow in and out of the bay, so amazing with beautiful sunsets. We are sad to have to go home. Look forward to coming back soon.

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Monica H.

6 Sept, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Don’t hesitate, just book it!

We stayed over Labor Day weekend. The property was awesome. We had everything we needed from the kitchen, to beach chairs, and even laundry soap! The kitchen was fully equipped as we did cook there quite a bit. It felt like home, very laid back, and the upstairs unit was spotless! We even had a fire in the back on our last night, and enjoyed fishing from the dock. The views are spectacular! We brought our boat and enjoyed going out on Tampa Bay. Darryl was an amazing host, responsive and very accommodating. We will definitely be back!

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Laurie M., Alvarado

30 Aug, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little house on waterfront

The house was surprisingly larger than expected - clean and so beachy. My husband loved fishing from the pier. Great stay!!

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Megan W., Catonsville, MD

17 Aug, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Breathtaking views and great sleep again!

I returned to visit the property after 3 years and was not disappointed! Thanks for everything Darryl! 💋

Stayed 12 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mary Ann S.

28 Jul, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our favorite spot!

2nd yr returning to Mr. Darryl"s house. We enjoyed it immensely. The most beautiful sunsets you'll ever see. Already planning our 3rd visit.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

About the host

Hosted by Darryl

Hi, my name is Darryl. I like the property because of the terrific sunsets nearly every evening, and it's located directly on the bay. I also like quiet Ruskin (home of the famous Ruskin tomato) with it's old school Florida charm. And if you like more activity, it's a 20 minute drive (via Port of Tampa) to Ybor City in Tampa, or a marina at St. Pete, or about an hour and a half to Orlando. I hope you enjoy the place as much as I do!!!