CocoHut~Tub

CocoHut is on a secluded barrier island with a private beach; accessible only by boat to owners + guests. 2 vacant lots to the south and vegetation to the north, mean there is absolutely no overlook from neighbors. It’s the ultimate spa for your soul! From the hot tub you can watch the water; commune with the clouds as they traverse a canvas of blue; soak in the sunsets and gaze at a galaxy of stars, free from light pollution. Choose 1 or all, just know you'll relax & refresh your spirit & soul! CocoHut effectively gives you 250ft of beachfront to yourself. It's on an extra wide 100ft lot and has 2 vacant 75ft lots next to it. So you'll feel like the whole beach is just yours. There are not many places where you'll get this much beachfront to yourself! To sit on the deck and watch the sun go down, without anyone else around, is a unique and special experience - your own private sunset! And at night, the only thing you'll hear is the sound of the waves! The peace, quiet and seclusion are unsurpassed. You'll have total privacy on the beach side because there are no overlooking neighbors! CocoHut is visual opulence, or to quote one of our guests, it's: "an optical massage"! That's because it has floor-to-ceiling windows across its entire beachfront. So you'll have breath-taking, unobstructed, panoramic views of the Gulf and the infinity effect of wide-open space. "Upon opening the door for the first time you're hit with the view across the living room, sucking you into it like a vortex, just can't turn away." "Every night was a sunset that was still as exciting as the previous night!" And soaking it all in from your own private hot tub takes it to another level! Relaxing and rejuvenating for body and soul. Because it's built on an extra-wide 100ft lot, CocoHut simply has more space/square feet than other beachfront homes. The master suites are large enough to easily accommodate king-sized beds; after all, you want to sleep comfortably on your vacation! And the open-plan layout, combined with high and vaulted ceilings, make it feel even more spacious. So even groups of 8 don't get the sense that they're on top of one another. Only homeowners and their guests can visit the island because there is no bridge. The water taxi takes <10 mins from the mainland. It runs from Eldred's marina on Boca Grande Causeway and you park whatever you're driving there - car/trailer/RV. If you want to rent or bring your own boat, the HOA we’re part of has 2 separate docks for guests (on a first come/first serve basis); however, we've never had a capacity problem. With that short ride across the bay, you'll leave behind the crowds and you'll swap the noise of trucks and cars for the sound of waves lapping the beach. Yes, it's truly that special! CocoHut’s property line extends to the mean high tide mark - so you have a private beach in front of the house. And the rest of the 7 mile stretch of beach is never crowded because, as mentioned, only homeowners and their guests are allowed to visit the island and there are no commercial resorts or hotels - only single family homes. Also part of the island (to the north) encompasses Don Pedro state park - it’s that natural and unspoiled, yet just a stone’s throw from the mainland. If there's been a breeze on the Gulf during the day, then as you sit out on the screened-in lanai, all you'll hear is the waves! Look up, and all you'll see is stars - because there's no light pollution. Our guests often tell us that they've never before felt so relaxed! "My wife and I many times commented on how this was probably the most relaxing vacation we've ever taken with no stresses of having to go anywhere or be out for the day then come back exhausted etc." CocoHut is on the southern end of Little Gasparilla in a section of 6 houses that have, both the widest lots on the island (100ft), and the widest spacing between properties - for maximum privacy. There's deep foliage between it and the house to the north, so with that and the vacant lots on the other side, you'll feel completely secluded. Because the houses on the south end are properly set back off the beach, you can stroll along it and enjoy the dunes and sea oats as your backdrop. Bring down the loungers and, with so few people, you'll feel like you're on your own private stretch of beach - since in fact, you are! (Multiple loungers, Adirondack chairs, beach and deck parasols provided.) Sea turtles nest on the beach right in front of the house from May to July, so guests have seen them coming in, and have seen their hatchlings heading out into the Gulf (mid-late Summer). "So for the highlight of our trip - we got to watch a tiny baby Loggerhead turtle come out of his nest and make his trek down to the sea right in our backyard!! It was an experience we will all remember for a lifetime!" Pretty much every day you'll also see our 'backyard' dolphins feeding/playing in the waters around the island. If you're lucky they'll swim with you! "The views, the sunsets, the night time / early morning beach walks, and swimming with dolphins was all unbeatable." There are 3 kayaks available for you to get out onto the water. In addition to dolphins and manta rays, you'll come across manatees on both the beach and bay sides. And, as if those things are not incredible enough, there are the types of encounters that you wouldn't believe are actually a thing: "Two things our family really enjoyed doing there were: finding countless prehistoric shark’s teeth all over the beach and trying to catch shrimp off the dock at night using a flashlight and a soup pot! Very entertaining, very simple, very relaxing fun for our family!" CocoHut has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. There are 3 master suites - 2 of which have king-sized beds and 2 have Gulf views. Even the outside shower has an unobstructed Gulf view! The 1st master suite has a Gulf view, a new, memory foam, king-sized bed and en-suite shower with walk-through toilet/bidet. The 2nd master suite also has a king-sized bed with a new, cooling gel, memory-foam mattress and en-suite bathroom with shower/tub. The top deck master suite has a breathtaking view over the Gulf, an en-suite, 2 new, memory foam beds (full size and extended twin) and a dedicated a/c unit. The 4th bedroom has 2 new memory foam twin beds and an amazing floor-to-ceiling view of the Gulf. We have a floor mattress that can be slid into any bedroom for a 9th guest/child. A baby crib makes up the 10th bed in the house. So the house sleeps 8 adults/children comfortably. Because we have a crib and a cot we will consider family groups of 10 that include 2 infants; but not 10 adults. The outdoor, screened-in dining area/lanai is a guest favorite, at any time of day, and especially at sunset. It has a large table and comfortable seating for 8. There's no better place to dine while you watch the sun go down over the water, to enjoy the night time lightning shows, and to listen to the waves as you have fun as a family. "The back steps and the screened-in, eat-in porch are the most perfect place on the island to watch the sunset." "They had a ton of games we could play at night while we listened to the sound of crashing waves." The entire beach side of the house has no overlooking neighbors! "It feels like you're the only ones on the island. No other homes nearby and nicely nestled into the trees. It's so peaceful and private - it feels like the island is all yours!" The lower level deck is large enough for you to play around the ping pong table and still have plenty of deck chairs/loungers laid out with a clear view to the water. There are several parasols, so you'll have shade all day as the sun moves across the sky. And for the ultimate in relaxation, enjoy the hot tub. Without doubt, it's one of the most epic hot tub settings you'll ever find. You can gaze at the Gulf and watch the sun go down from it. Afterwards a galaxy of stars, free from light pollution, will envelope you with an amazing view of the constellations. You'll likely see the Milky Way and you'll almost certainly see shooting stars - even if there's no 'designated' meteor shower during your stay. Beside the deck is a sheltered, sandy area for badminton/volleyball. There are lots of balls, frisbees, bocce ball, ring toss, baseball bats, badminton rackets and such. The boardwalk will take you most of the way to the beach - you'll pick up some sand in your toes getting over the last dune. There are loungers, Adirondack chairs and umbrellas (with sand screws) provided for you to take down to the beach. For fun on the water there are 2 solo kayaks under the house. If you need more, or want to paddle board, you can rent them on the island. Once back from the beach, you can rinse off with the hot water, outside shower on the deck - and enjoy its unobstructed beach view! Fishing all around the island is unsurpassed (flats/inshore, nearshore and offshore) - snook, snapper, mackerel, grouper, redfish, trout, tarpon... If you don't have a boat, fishing guides will pick you up from the island. There are lots of restaurants to boat to for lunch/happy hour to the north; and to the south is Boca Grande. It has public docks so you can tie up and walk into town for the typical tourist shops/boutiques, art galleries, wine bars, you name it. When you're done exploring, come on back to relax and get away from all that - and in good time to enjoy a drink while you watch the sun go down over the water. "You get the added benefit of having high quality Caribbean style water, world class fishing literally yards away off the coast there, and also a vibrant Intercoastal Waterway filled with great fishing and really nice spots to explore on the boat with the surrounding Islands." Be prepared to discover that you've slept-in late in your comfy, memory foam and king-sized beds, because there are none of the usual, mainland noises to wake you up! The only thing you'll wake up to is that gorgeous beach view - of sea grapes, sea oats, sand dunes and sun speckled water and waves. "Nothing better than waking up to a view like this, a private walk to an almost private beach." If you're considering beachfront vs. not, or comparing beachfront homes, then as you look through the CocoHut photos, consider that most of the amazing sunset pictures you’ll see were taken 10-60 minutes *after* the sun had gone down. (That's typically when others have long since left the beach.) "I had heard how nice it would be if you stayed directly on the Gulf and DANG - completely blown away by the waterfront Gulf experience - VIEWS never went away and were amazing." What you'll find is, you'll have watched the sun go down and then you’ll stop focusing on the sunset; but you'll be still sitting in the screened-in lanai, or you'll have started preparing dinner or such, and then you'll notice: Wow! the sky is going bonkers out there! And that's when you'll capture these amazing sunset pictures for yourself. However, fair warning, the photos also can't really capture how awesome the true 3D experience is! The sky lighting up all around and over you (because there are no other structures in sight) is so incredible that your photos really won't come close to reflecting the real thing! So you'll end up thinking you have to upgrade your phone/camera! On that note, almost all these photos were taken on an iphone5 and no filters have been applied! As a final thought - throughout the day, wherever you're sitting at CocoHut, you'll have a spectacular panoramic view - set off with a billion sparkles of light dancing across the water. There is an island grocery delivery service. They can even get everything into the house before your arrival. And if you forget something, or want locally caught fish during your stay, they've got you covered. At the house there is a regular fridge/freezer, plus 2 small fridges and some space in an additional small freezer so, you can bring/order, everything you need in one load. There's an on-island pizza kitchen so you can get wood-fired pizza delivered - saves you cooking for a night (or 2). In addition to a fully-stocked kitchen, CocoHut has 2 grilling options - 2 charcoal and 2 gas grills (on the beach side deck and under the house). We provide propane. It's a 5 min walk (~400 yards) from the dock to the house - so you'll need our sherpa to help get everything to the house, or a golf cart - which you can rent on the island and have waiting for you at the dock. With a golf cart you can explore the sandy paths and ride up to the state park in the middle of the island (or walk up along the beach). The island is about 7 miles long, the state park is <2 miles north. It's soft white sand with glorious shells. The gently shelving beach with turquoise water is perfect for families! There are no commercial properties or businesses on the island (no hotels/resorts/restaurants etc.) - and thus none of the associated crowds/traffic/noise/light pollution. The only ‘exceptions’ are the few private individuals who a) rent golf carts, kayaks/paddleboards, b) deliver groceries/pizza/alcohol, c) are dock-to-house sherpas, or d) offer household trash removal. For your safety, there is 24/7, 365/yr, professional paramedic/EMS stationed on the island. They can get to you as fast, if not faster, than you'd expect on the mainland. If you need care beyond what they can provide, they will call in their colleagues from the mainland station, just across the bay. They will then get you across the bay to a mainland hospital, if/as needed. CocoHut has WiFi - but because there is no cabled service to the island don't expect to have mainland speeds or reliability. The WiFi allows you to stream video to one device at a time, while others surf the web, send pictures etc. If you need to work you can do that, including video conferencing. There's no limit on usage. It works via line-of-sight to a mainland tower; so in thunder/ lightning/ rain/ wind storms the signal can be weak or even intermittent. Power outages/surges have broken 2 components in the space of 6 months. So if the WiFi does go down, I might not get it back up before you leave. In addition, in the last few months, the signal from the provider has gone down at least twice. If a WiFi outage will wreck your vacation then it's a great indication that you're better suited for a stay on the mainland. If you'll view it as one less distraction that will result in more quality family/game time, then please keep reading. Cellphone service is excellent on AT&T, Verizon & T-Mobile. Sprint's signal is stronger at the front of the house. So your hotspots will always work. The main living area has DirecTV. There are smart/Roku TVs in the 1st and 2nd master suites. There is also an Echo Dot so you can stream music from it/your phone. Max occupancy is 8 adults/children + 2 infants. In order to make CocoHut more affordable for smaller families, our listed nightly pricing is set for 6. We charge $49 extra per night per additional guest (regardless of age). So parties of 8 will see an 'additional guests fee' of $98 per night. If you’d like to book for more than 8 guests please send an inquiry with information about your family group (including kids’ ages) so that we can consider it. Please note that all children/ toddlers/ infants/ babies count towards your total number of guests - there are no age-based exemptions. So even though AirBnB presents infants as free, they are not. If you're booking with an infant please put them in as a child instead. For the little ones we have a baby cot and a Graco travel crib, (both available on request and provided with linens), a baby booster seat and a toddler booster seat, spiral stair guard railing and a bottle warmer. The furniture in, and around, the house has a maximum tolerance of 245 lbs. Therefore we are not able to accommodate guests who weigh more than that. Minimum stay starts at 3 nights but varies by season. We offer discounted rates for weekly and monthly stays. We do not accept pets. We do not allow access to the small deck on the very top floor. CocoHut is not new construction, but it is well maintained, clean, comfortable and functional. As the photos show, the wood on the boardwalk has been weathered - so is not perfectly smooth. You'll need flip flops to get to the beach anyway because the sand is so hot. It also does not have a railing (just like every beach front house). The drop from either side can be ~3-4ft onto the sand. If that's an unacceptable risk, or you're the kind of person who likes a new house, or resort-style accommodations, then please don't book with us. Also, please note that during your stay you may need to do any, or potentially all, of the following. If these are the kinds of things that you either can not do, or will make a big issue of having to do, then please don't book with us. You're looking to book on AirBnB, not a major hotel chain! 1. Switch out an empty propane tank for a new one a few yards away. 2. Change a light bulb - taking a new one from the bedroom closet and using a step stool, if necessary. 3. Swap out the batteries in a remote control. Given that guests have too often set ridiculously low temperatures that have caused the units to ice up, in order to ensure that on your arrival: 1. the A/C units won’t be iced up, and therefore, 2. the house won’t be overheating, and 3. you won’t have to wait for the unit to be defrosted before you can enjoy a cool house. The thermostat cannot be set below these temperatures: Day time (10am – 8pm): 74 Night time (8pm – 10am): 70 There are fans in every bedroom that take down the sentient temperature by several degrees, depending on speed setting - so the effective night time temperatures can be in the mid 60s. Maximum daily A/C run time: The system has sufficient capacity that it does not need to run for an excessive amount of hours to maintain the set temperatures. If it is having to do so, it’s because doors/windows are left open. To prevent the unit from damage and/or icing up as a result, it has a maximum daily run time (based on outside temperature/humidity). If doors are not left open, the run time will be more than sufficient to keep the house at the desired temperature. The above is intended to discourage bookings from the kinds of people who enter a residence and crank down the A/C as low as it will go and then leave it there. These same types of people typically also make little or no effort to keep doors/windows closed while cold air is blowing out through them. The settings will have no detrimental impact on comfort for everyone else. In fact, those who are considerate of how much energy they consume, and are concerned about our planet, will find it both reasonable and understandable. If that's you, then we look forward to hosting you. If you are not comfortable with any of the above, then simply do not book with us. If you'll appreciate having more beachfront to yourself than is available anywhere else, an extra special level of privacy and a view that will: - captivate you during the day, and - provide spectacular sunsets that will unfold not just in front of you, but all around you, then this could be what you're looking for! "The views I had the pleasure of capturing were straight out of a computer screensaver folder." If that floats your boat, then we look forward to welcoming you to your own little piece of paradise! You can access all areas, except the upstairs/top floor deck. With no bridge to the island there are no cars/garbage trucks to wake you up. That also means that you can't drive to the island. You can park at Eldred's Marina on Boca Grande Causeway (anything from a truck/trailer to an RV/bus) and take the water taxi or you can bring your own/rent a boat. (Length limit is 24ft.) It takes ~10 mins to get across the bay. The house is 450 yards from the dock so you'll need to rent a golf cart (on-island rental options) or have our sherpa come pick you up. I greet most of our guests on arrival. This is a unique barrier island that includes Don Pedro state park. Sea turtles nest on the beach during the summer months. We often see pods of dolphins from the house. No beach front property can be taller than 2 storeys. So beach walks are like nowhere else in the state of Florida! There are no motels, hotels, clubs, retail or commercial properties of any kind on the island. Also no trucks, cars etc. There is a qualified paramedic/EMS on the island 24/7 x 7 days a week. On the island you can walk up the beach or walk the island paths. There is no need to have a golf cart unless you want to explore the sandy paths on the island or are frequently carrying lots of stuff from the house to the boat dock for fishing/water sports. Our concierge can help you on arrival/departure getting things between the dock/house. Maximum furniture tolerances are 245 lbs. Therefore we are unable to accommodate guests who weigh more than that. Please read description of our WiFi service - there is no broadband service (cable/fiber optic) to the island. Ours is a line-of-sight service - therefore speed/bandwidth are limited. Everyone will not be able to stream to their individual devices at the same time (and while the kids play internet video games). You CAN comfortably stream video to one device at a time, send emails, photos, browse/read etc. There is no (data) limit on usage. The signal will be weaker, or even intermittent, in wind/rain/thunder/lightning storms. Please note we have minimum A/C temperature settings to ensure that the previous guest hasn't iced up the unit and that it will be working optimally when you arrive and for the duration of your stay.