Located right on the water with a dock. House is on stilts (hurricane-worthy), and a 1-flight stairway is climbed for entrance. House felt freshly renovated and offered an abundance of space for 3 adults. Very clean and tastefully decorated.
Located in an authentic, quiet community of multi-generation islanders. Feels far away from resorts. Easy to find restaurants with seafood, but don't expect to dine late.
We almost missed out on an extraordinary experience - the owners offer boat rides that are a great introduction to extensive mangrove islands. During our early January visit, we took a "Sunset Cruise" that gave close-up encounters with dolphins, hundreds of white pelicans, and densely occupied rookery of big birds flocking for the night. Fantastic!
Convenient drive to National Park entrances at Everglade City (with a boat concession to tour the saltwater area of mangroves) and Shark Valley (where we greatly enjoyed a tram ride across the fresh-water "river of grass" with an informative guide to see lots of gators & big birds up close).