Let Your Imagination Show You the Way to Fulfill Your Dream

Close your eyes and let your imagination take you away to a perfect holiday: palm trees, gulf front cottage, private beach, kayaks for exploring, and so many decks to offer special views. As you open your eyes, you are stretching out in a hammock and feeling the gulf breeze sway you gently as you gaze at the sun setting, bringing another day at the Sandcastle to a close. All you need to pack is your swimsuit, clothes, and a camera to capture the many special memories you will be creating.

Waiting for you are all those things you would want from a dream cottage, that one of our guests mentioned in our guest book, gave her a "good" feeling, and that feeling stayed with them their entire stay. Every amenity needed to enjoy relaxing with your family and treating yourself is ready. Sandcastle in the Sun is filled with every special amenity and extra to make this a vacation which you will remember with a smile for a lifetime. Your own private beach, two hammocks, gas and electric grills, fully loaded kitchen, laundry center on the property, home fitness center, 3 levels of decking with a large main deck stretching over the gulf at high tide, beach towels, sand chairs! Looking for more. Newly added are 2 kayaks, a public beach park next door, indoor and outdoor toys for all ages, including 4 new PlayStation Portable Electronic Units with several games to pop in.

About Us

At Sandcastle in the Sun, OUR dream is to provide a relaxing, memorable vacation or retreat for you – we will do everything we can to make your stay a blissful memory. With a large variety of amenities available for your use, we are sure you will soon love the gulf front, Sandcastle in the Sun, cottage as much as we always have. Take a minute to really look at and read the different sections of our personal site,www.sandcastleinthesun.com, seeing and reading about our piece of paradise with just a few of the things we have to offer here and in the area will open your eyes to all that is whispering to YOU - you deserve to be spoiled by me. Tucked away on a private, secluded island you can reach by car, Sandcastle in the Sun, on Pine Island, is a perfect spot to take off for a day of adventure. Activities of all kinds that will excite those of all ages await you. The kayaks have been a favorite of our guests for exploring the island or just enjoying the solitude of the gulf.  Even those who have never tried it, soon learn how easy it is to kayak, and love the feeling that there is one area they can be athletic in without breaking a sweat.

Located in the coastal part of the protected Nature Coast, you will never know what creature you may be able to witness. Be sure to get a close look at our families of dolphins often swimming near the deck in the morning and back home in the evening. Watch the bald eagle soar by. Catch a glimpse of the otter playing around in the water as you turn the corner on to the island. Look around, see how many of nature's creatures fly, scurry, crawl, or swim past you.

WHY US!

Such an array of amenities to make your stay fun and relaxing, you will wonder why you did not come sooner and stay longer!  Like many of our guests, you will be counting the days until you are able to book another stay.  As we all find with our favorite spots, a week's vacation is just not long enough to be able to see, experience, and just unwind in our hammocks, the garden swing, the private beach, and so many other spots.

You are treated each night to your own special painting across the unblocked canvas as the sun sets.  The colors and designs are so different from night to night.  Sometimes, the camera has caught more of the beauty of the sunset than even imagined.

It is waiting for you - a 2 Bedroom/ 3 Bath Gulf front Cottage with your own PRIVATE BEACH.  Check us out on www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Weeki-Wachee-Florida-vacation-rental-cottage-proID-70349.html

Closest to Paradise on Earth as One Can Get

Welcome to FHBO rental invitation!  We are waiting for you! Click FHBO

The Sandcastle in the Sun, a stunning Pine Island Beach vacation rental home directly on the gulf front with 100 feet of private beach, has 2 bedrooms/3 baths and sleeps 6 comfortably. Being fully supplied with almost every amenity one could imagine, even packing starts your relaxing escape.  Our dream, at the Sandcastle in the Sun, is to provide a relaxing, blissful vacation or holiday.  With a vast array of amenities available for your use, we are sure you will soon love our gulf front Sandcastle in the Sun as much as we do.  We just added 2 new kayaks to our long list of amenities.  We have also added 2 Portable Playstations with several games to go with them.
 
Nestled on a private, secluded island that is reachable by car, our Sandcastle in the Sun on Pine Island is your perfect spot to take off for a day of adventure.  Activities of all kinds await you.  Kayaks are for rent at The Kayak Shack (our guests favorite rental spot to be able to see manatee) or Weeki Wachee Springs, where you may also want to spend the day with the mermaids.  Charter a fishing tour or a scuba diving adventure for a day you will not forget. Do you want a chance to swim with the manatees?

Being part of a protected nature coast, you will be treated to a multitude of different wildlife.  We have several pairs of binoculars to allow you the chance to bring them even closer to you.  Be sure to get a close look at our families of dolphins often swimming near the deck as they head south in the morning and back home to the north in the evening.  Watch the bald eagle soar by.  Catch a glimpse of the otter playing around in the water as you turn the corner on to the island.  Look around, snap pictures, and count how many of nature's creatures try to fly, scurry, crawl, or swim past you. Some of our guests have even found sea turtle nests.Mermaids put on shows daily for your pleasure.  Take a river boat ride, or head over to Buccaneer Bay Swim Park for some fun.  A playground awaits your children and little ones only a few hundred feet away from the cottage! 

A home fitness center, large covered patio, and laundry center are all downstairs. Hammocks overlooking the gulf whisper to you, “Climb in and let the gulf breezes lull you to sleep.”  No matter where you are – on one of 3 levels of deck, including a swim deck, the large covered patio, the palm garden swing, or one of our 3 over-sized hammocks you will have a view that will be imprinted in your scrapbook of memories. Even from inside the cottage, you have an unforgettably amazing view from every room.  One feels as if they are part of the canvas with the beauty of the sunsets painted across the sky; each night offering a fresh new painting just for you.

Comments written by the guests in our memory book best describe how a stay at our cottage leaves you feeling.  Guests so quickly fall in love with our treasured Pine Island vacation rental, they do not want to leave.  Here are just some of their heartfelt sentiments regarding their stay at the Sandcastle.  “We so needed this vacation away from everything.  What a fabulous, well-appointed home!  It was heaven getting to relax on the decks, fall asleep in the hammocks, and see the most incredible sunsets.  It was so delightful; we did not want to go anywhere else.  We were thrilled getting to see the dolphins swim by on our last morning as we were drinking our coffee on the deck.  Thank you for sharing your lovely Sandcastle on Pine Island Beach vacation rental with us.”  “This is the most beautiful place we have ever seen!  The boys kayaked and fished every day and we had a blast.  It is safe to say this the closest thing to Heaven on earth.  Thank you for your hospitality and I, personally, loved the organization, and cleanliness.”

“We look back to the most wonderful time at the Sandcastle Pine Island Beach vacation rental!  Our children, 4 and 1, liked the beach the best.  With all the toys provided, there was so much to do for them that every day brought something new.  We will always remember a series of stunning sunsets that we saw nearly every evening. What a pleasure to observe wildlife from the decks of the house – dolphins, a few pairing pelicans, herons, egrets, horseshoe crabs, and one evening we even discovered two sea turtle nests.  On top of that, a short drive to Homosassa and we could see manatees very closely, even from under the water.  Thank you for everything!”

After enjoying the loungers, sand chairs, beach umbrella, coolers, and beach toys for your children to enjoy, you may decide to take a day trip away from the island.  We are in the perfect location for trips to Disney World, Sea World, Tarpon Springs Greek Village, Salvador Dali Museum, Homosassa Springs, and Crystal River to swim with the manatees.  Just a few minutes away, you can kayak down the Weeki Wachee Springs River where you will soon have manatee gliding along with you, enjoy the Mermaids performing for you daily at Weeki Wachee Springs Park, go scuba diving, charter fishing, enjoy a day at the springs water park, or the beach park a few feet from your cottage.  Returning to the cottage you know overstuffed rocking recliners in the living room, chairs with footrests and trays on the main deck, or over-sized hammocks are waiting for you to relax in after a busy day.
Let me leave you with just a couple more guests’ comments while I prepare for you to come and experience for yourselves everything the Sandcastle in the Sun has to offer.  “Thank you so much for sharing your home!  We have enjoyed the beach and all the wildlife.  It has been like a field trip for the girls.  They have loved it here and don’t want to leave.  We even found a nest of seven turtle eggs that we quickly covered back up.  It has been wonderful here.  On a more personal note, as a mom of four girls, I really appreciated the organization, all the toiletries, cleaning supplies, and toys!!  You thought of everything!  The kitchen is very well appointed.  I cook a lot and didn’t want for anything.”  “This Pine Island Beach vacation rental is on an exceptional spot…very nice and beautiful!  For us, with two kids (4 & 5 years), it was perfect to relax.  Everybody could find a quiet place somewhere to relax, do something, or just eat.  My husband did cook breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!  Nothing like grilled food from your barbecue grills.  For the first time in our lives, we saw manatees while canoeing on the Weeki Wachee River from (The Kayak Shack – so helpful for us from Switzerland, to have the best time.  We saw them again at Homosassa State Park, as you suggested on your website and in your books of things to do here at the cottage.  It was wonderful to have a playground just around the corner in the park; we felt safe letting the children go over by since they just had to walk a little ways on the beach.  It was such a positive experience for everybody.”  “We wanted something off the beaten path, private, and right on the beach.  This home was perfect for a romantic getaway.  Sunsets are amazing.  Even a rainy day is beautiful.  We were able to experience sunsets, moonsets, and storms rolling across the gulf from the deck and from every room in the home. Living room, bedrooms, kitchen all have a great view.  The cottage is very comfortable and clean.  We felt right at home.  Just a few highlights of our stay included walking our private beach, kayaking down the Weeki Wachee River at Weeki Wachee Springs, watching abundant wildlife, and, of course, the food at Bayport Inn and Willy’s. The cards and flowers that greeted us as we walked in are a perfect example of the thoughtfulness of the owners, Becky and Gary.  They even provided cereal, milk, snacks, water, and soda.  Everything you could possibly need was there.”

 

YOU deserve to be spoiled!!!

Breath-taking Views at Amazing FL Gulf-front Cottage with a Private Beach

Nestled on a private, secluded island, Sandcastle in the Sun lies a few hundred feet from Pine Island Beach, Weeki Wachee, FL.   Guests find it to be the perfect, most unforgettable, spot for enjoying the day and evening or head out off for a day of adventure. A gulf front cottage with 100 ft. of private beach.  A stunning central Florida gulfcoast single family home rental for your own special privacy.  Activities of all kinds await you. Beautiful views and vast array of amenities will have you falling in love with the gulf front Sandcastle in the Sun cottage.  The cottage has 2 bedrooms, 3 baths and sleeps up to 6 comfortably.  A fully equipped kitchen, home fitness center, laundry center, gas grill and electric grill, large covered porch, kayaks, and so much more are waiting just for you.  It is a single-family home; so, you will not be sharing with anyone next to you.

Imagine a day enjoying your 100 ft. private beach sunning on a lounger, enjoying the laughter of your children playing in the gulf.  Make a day of it bringing down the beach towels, coolers, umbrella, toys, and more ready for you. Take a break by using the kayaks to explore the island.  Never used a kayak; no problem, the water by the coast is shallow enough to learn how to get in and out, as well as, venturing out into the water.  We have all the safety equipment needed for adults and children.  

Perhaps relaxing in one of three over-sized hammocks (two hanging right next to the gulf) and feeling the gulf breeze gently rock you to sleep is what you have been dreaming of.  With three levels of deck, the large main deck stretching over the gulf, there is never a lack of places to enjoy the day. The garden swing, lined with a palm garden, provides yet another view. Afternoon showers sending you looking for cover; head for the extra large covered porch.

As part of the Nature Coast, wildlife of all kinds will catch you by surprise so many times with beautiful egrets or cranes coming to visit on the decks on the lawn, seagulls who will more than gladly snatch something tasty out of your hands, osprey or bald eagles gliding past, crabs of all kinds and sizes, little fish who will do their best to escape your snatching them up, and so many more creatures hiding. Don't miss seeing the dolphins swimming by in the morning and back home in the evening. If you look around, you will be able to catch a peek at so many of nature's creatures trying to sneak past you. You'll be amazed!! We even have peacocks that wander the island and an otter that loves to play in the water as you turn onto the island. 

Having Pine Island Beach Park next door, offers guests the freedom to walk along the beach and enjoy a snack, lunch, or dinner at Willy's Tropical Breeze Cafe.  With his large choice of delicious dishes, locals and people drive from miles away to enjoy one of his meals with a view that cannot be matched.  If you have children with you, they will enjoy the playground at the Park while you relax.  Still  hungry? There are several local restaurants, within 1-3 miles, that serve great seafood, steaks, sandwiches, and more.  In the cottage is a basket of menus from many of the local restaurants including Bayport Inn, BeckyJack's Café, Brian's Place to name just a few.  We also have the restaurants you may be more familiar with like Applebees, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, RubyTuesday, Olive Garden, and more.

It is also the perfect spot for a day of adventure in the surrounding area. Activities of all kinds await you.  Use the two new kayaks we have on the premises; or kayaks are rented at The Kayak Shack, where many guests have had the thrill of manatees swimming with them or Paddling Adventures in the Weeki Wachee Springs Park (10% discount brochures are available at the cottage).  You may decide to spend the day there with the mermaids, taking a riverboat ride, or trying out the slides at Buccaneer Bay Swim Park. Chartering a fishing tour or a scuba diving adventure will provide a day's adventure you will not soon forget.  Less than 100 feet from your cottage is Pine Island Beach, the only beach in Hernando County.  It has a playground, volleyball area, and Willy's Tropical Cafe, where the food tastes so good people come from miles away to enjoy watching the sun set as they eat.  The park officials are watchful that park visitors do not interfere with your privacy.

Feel like 'swimming with' the manatees? Enjoy the day at Homossassa Springs about 45 minutes north. Many times on one of your kayak trips from Weeki Wachee Springs, you will find yourself coming up on a pod of manatees, the gentle giants, floating along waiting for a friendly kayaker to pass by. Tampa, about an hour drive from the cottage, offers many choices: Busch Gardens, Lowry Park Zoo, Adventure Island, the Florida Aquarium, Ybor City (an area with a Cuban flavor), or even a Broadway show. 

Want to sneak off a little further? You can be at Sea World, Disney World, or Universal Studios in about 2 hours. Watch in awe as Cirque du Soleil performs La Nouba at Disney World. Get caught up in the excitement of the Blue Man Group at Universal Studios. These are just a few of the attractions Orlando offers. At the end of the day, just a couple of hours later, you are back home snuggling up in your overstuffed, swivel, rocking recliners with your favorite beverage.  One of the many things guests LOVE about the cottage is that after a day of the hustle and bustle of people and activity, they know it won't be long before they have peace and quiet to unwind.

Take a day to go South on Highway 19 to Tarpon Springs. Watch how the Greek villagers live, pick up some homemade crafts, and be sure to stop in one of their restaurants or cafes and try some of the authentic food. 

If you are an art lover, drive a little further south to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. It has the second largest gallery of Salvador Dal's art; the largest is in Europe.  Just take a look at the page marked FAQ to find a long list of restaurants, things to do in the county, about 30 minutes away, 45 minutes away, even to Disney.

As you can tell, there is never a lack of things to do here in the county or close by. The difficult part is deciding which to do first. Bowling, golfing, charter fishing, scuba diving, miniature golfing, exploring nature, or taking in a movie are all available to you within 15- 20 minutes. Basketball, tennis, volleyball, shuffleboard, and even the YMCA pool are just a short drive away from your Sandcastle. 

What a joy being part of the protected Nature Coast - click for link