Honeymoon, Anniversary, Kayak, beach retreat; comes with bay dock, kayaks & more

Beachfront Cottage perfect for Couples / Honeymooners / Small families / Nature lovers/Kayakers. This immaculate beachfront cottage (2 BR + sleeping loft / 2 full bathrooms inside plus and outdoor full bathroom) is newly remodeled and boasts the most secluded spot on Little Gasparilla Island --- which is itself a very secluded place, accessed only by boat (water taxi available). Includes amenities such as a slip on the bay dock if you have a boat, kayaks, grill, beach sun deck, beach gear, recreational gear, coffee bar, fire pit and more. Screened wrap-around porch with large seating/dining area, two sun decks, and a loft for 12 years and older. Overlooks the waves, beach, dunes, lagoons, mangroves, and lots of island flora and fauna!
We supply dock carts to easily get your items down the boardwalk to the beach cottage. LGI is a bridge-less barrier island with no cars, stores, or restaurants of any kind. It is only accessible by boat (water taxi available) and that makes for a wonderfully quiet and private vacation!

Little Gasparilla has miles of beautiful white sand beach, but this cottage is the only house that is surrounded by protected state nature preserve, beach and lagoons. Over a mile of completely undeveloped natural beach, without any houses, lies right outside your door.

The Beach Cottage is part of GasparillaGetaways, a private 5-acre beach-to-bay retreat and interlaced with tidal mangrove lagoons that contains a principle residence, two guest houses, a bayside Bistro, an outdoor coffee bar (we provide the coffee, creamers and sweetners), two docks, plus a private white-sand beach---all surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Lemon Bay state aquatic preserve to the east, Don Pedro state nature preserve to the north, and undeveloped privately-held land to the south. Right by the Blueway Kayak Trail! Almost an island unto itself, the cottage can only be accessed by the private boardwalks that stretch from the dock on the bay to the dunes on the beach, winding through picturesque mangroves along the way.

There is a king bed in the master bedroom (with en-suite bath), and two single beds in the second bedroom, and a second bath with tub in the hallway. A sleeping loft (for 12 years +) above the living room can be used for the fourth person if two do not want to share the twin bedroom.

The recent remodel retains its "Old Florida" charm. Construction is cedar with hardwood floors, screened porches, and deep overhanging eaves to shade the sun. French doors lead to screened porches from every room, taking full advantage of the ocean’s sights, sounds, and breezes. Cathedral ceilings and ceiling fans in each room (and central heat/air conditioning) provide year-round comfort.

In addition to the wrap-around screened porch there is a large sundeck off the kitchen and main living area, and another sundeck off the master bedroom. These decks and porches offer many comfortable options for ‘al fresco’ seating, grilling and dining, or for simply enjoying the Florida sunshine.

The spacious ground level deck provides a covered, shady space for hammock and chairs, plus an outdoor shower head and footwash, and additional seating.
The laundry is now conveniently located on the upstairs wrap around porch.
Unique on the island, a "dune deck" located right on the beach offers a convenient place to sit and watch the waves. It also offers a convenient place to stash beach gear to await the next sunrise (since all gear must be removed from the beach after sundown in order to protect nesting and hatchling sea turtles)

Additional notes:

Little Gasparilla is a barrier island, one of the glistening white ‘string of pearls’ that stretch almost 100 miles along Florida’s southwest coast from Tampa to Sanibel. While not far from Disney, it’s a world away from the crowds, high-rise condos, and T-shirt shops of the east coast. In fact, Little Gasparilla Island can be accessed only by boat (either water taxi or private boat ). There is no bridge or car ferry --- and therefore there are no roads or cars, no commercial services or shopping, and very few people. You’ll quickly notice that the osprey, eagles, pelicans and shore birds far outnumber humans. In fact, there are many days when you’ll see more dolphins in the bay than people on the beach.

Cell connections work great through your own subscription and we provide Starlink for fast internet service and streaming on our “smart" TV plus a small “family-friendly” DVD library and lots of great books!

We are now connected to safe county drinking and pentiful water! There are no limitations to water usage.

The Beach Cottage is elevated and NOT handicapped-accessible. All guests must be physically capable of negotiating stairs, climbing in and out of boats, and getting on and off of docks.

CONTRACT DETAILS:
- Check in is 3:00 pm or after
- Check out is by 10:00 am
- no pets
- no smoking
- no more than four occupants
- guests agree to hold owner harmless for any injuries or illnesses incurred while using our home, boardwalks, kayaks, grill, other properties or facilities.
- guests agree to remove all food items and all garbage from the property upon departure (to dumpsters at mainland marina).

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Any unused portion of your rental fee is fully refundable if your cancellation or early departure is due to hurricane warnings, or Red Tide warnings. Rent is also fully refundable if your trip is cancelled 30 days or more before check-in, and 50% refundable if cancelled 14 days before check-in. Rent is generally not refundable within 15 days of check-in.
The security deposit is fully refundable if there has been no damage to the property.

AIRPORTS/RENTAL CARS:
The closest commercial airport is Punta Gorda (PGD), about 45 minutes to the south. Larger airports served by several carriers are Sarasota (SRQ) to the north, and Fort Myers (RSW) to the south, each about an hour and 15 minutes drive to the marina/water taxi. Tampa airport (TPA) is three hours away to the north, while Orlando (MCO) is about four hours away.
Rental cars are available at all airports, sometimes extremely inexpensively, and even for a week are often comparable to the round trip taxi/Uber. There is a nominal parking fee (<$10 per day) at the marina.

GROCERIES AND OTHER PROVISIONS:
The closest grocery stores to the island is Publix of Cape Haze, 8725 Placida Road, Placida. There are also a Super WalMart, Publix, and Winn Dixie in nearby Englewood. Remember, there are NO stores or restaurants of ANY kind on Little Gasparilla Island. Bring whatever you need to the island with you other than what is listed below. However, if you like, you can arrange for Island Grocery Service to pick up your pre-ordered items curbside from Publix or WalMart and put them in the house for your arrival. Don't forget to put sun screen and bug repellent on your list!

WE SUPPLY:
- top quality bed linens
- top quality bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths
- Q-tips and cosmetic pads
- beach towels
- beach chairs
- beach umbrella
- dish washing and dishwasher soap
- starter roll of toilet tissue
- starter roll of paper towels
- salt and pepper
- assortment of spices
- laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets
- propane for the grill
- garbage bags
- hair dryer
- iron/ironing board
- fully equipped kitchen
INTERNET CONNECTION:
Your cell phones and smart phones will work fine from our home via your own subscription regardless of which mobile provider you use. We provide Starlink for speedy internet service and streaming on our Vizio TV.

PARKING and ARRIVAL :
You will park your car and catch the water taxi from Eldred's Marina (which is really more of a bait shop). They are located at 6301 Boca Grande Causeway, Placida, Florida 33946 (NOTE: The marina is right BEORE the toll booth!) You will enter the little bait shop to obtain a parking pass for approximately $8.00 per day to put on your dash. The water taxi picks you up out front.

WATER TAXI: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
The local water taxi service is provided by Pirate Water Taxi, (941-697-5777).

To get your preferred ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE reservations you'll want to call Pirate as early as possible, right after you book your stay. (Note: they can be a bit grumpy but are 100% reliable.) It is IMPERATIVE that you get water taxi reservations to arrive at the island AT OR AFTER check-in (3:00pm) and to depart the island at or before check-out (10:00am) since there is no place on the property or on the island to "hang out" waiting for the taxi between 10:00 and 3:00. Early or late reservations mean that, at best, you'll spend a lot of time standing around in the sun or rain with your luggage, and you'll probably miss your plane.

Ask about current pricing when you call for the water taxi reservation. CASH ONLY. Tips for the captain are appreciated. Please confirm the current rates as they change seasonally and also increase EVERY HALF HOUR after normal business hours (5:00 or 6:00 pm).

Make sure you tell him that you are coming to the DOCK #2! They know us well (Andy and Rebecca Hagelin) and will bring you directly to our dock #2, where wheelbarrows await you for use in carting your times down the boardwalks to the beach house.

REMEMBER ---- SCHEDULE YOUR WATER TAXI ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TRIPS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (I.e., NOW! Lol.)

GOLF CART RENTALS:
Some guests choose to rent a golf cart for a day so they can explore the interior of the island. However, we generally advise AGAINST renting a golf cart because they are expensive and unnecessary. There are also only dirt paths and carts are not allowed on the beach. There is a nice young gentleman on the island whom you can hire for a very reasonable cost to take you on a golf cart tour, and he’s also generally available to help you move your items from the dock to the house. Please let us know after booking if you would like his number.