This was a good value when considering rentals on the Florida Gulf Coast. I researched and researched where I wanted to stay and finally landed on this one.
The place was very clean and the kitchen had everything I need to make several meals. My only complaint was the coffee maker takes an unrealistically long time to brew lol. The furnishings were a bit aged and some of the outdoor furniture was broken but still very usable. All bedrooms have their own bathroom which was great. The lower level middle bedroom has bunkbeds (which is where I was stuck) that are ok at best. Great for the kiddos, not so much for a guy with back issues. The uppermost floor had a nice bed and view of the gulf. It has a nice balcony with chairs to relax on. If you can stand the stairs, this is the best room in the house! The bottom floor Master is nice too and opens to a neat patio.
The beach is not the white sandy beaches you expect on 30a but they were still very nice. Not white sandy beaches. They reminded me of east coast Atlantic beaches. Very clean beach although the water is not the clear turquoise you'd expect. I asked a few locals about it and they say the water has gotten to that pretty clear turquoise color in the past, but what we saw is pretty common. I'd like to stress the cleanliness and the niceness of this beach though. There were hardly no other folks around. You can drive on the beach and there are several access points along the highway. A permit is required which can be obtained at the court house. I asked those same locals if a permit is truly required and they all said absolutely,. it's a $500 fine if you're caught out there without one. If you like to fish in the surf, this is a perfect location. All in all, it's a great beach but wished the water was clearer.
Locals, Bars, and restaurants were all very friendly. There's a Indian Pass Raw Bar that gets a 10 out of my book for it's seafood. I'm from Louisiana and have very strong opinions lol. This place is great. We really enjoyed the shrimp and the raw oysters. There's a small general store close by that has pretty much anything you need. In town itself there are several places that had good food and drinks.
All in all, it was well worth the money spent. When I asked the group how they would rate this one, they all said 3.5 out of 5. I gave it a 4 as I think it's better than a 3 rating.