Yacht Haven Marina

The free bikes and kayaks were great, and we enjoyed our stay in the floating home at Yacht Haven. The Cabana Club is about three miles down the road, with a pool and private beach area. Just know the apartment is small and sits on pontoons, so it rocks when it’s windy. You’re safe, though. A few things to plan for: the mattress is quite firm and sits on a platform, so you might want to bring a foam pad or a thicker mattress cover. There’s a small plane landing nearby, so you’ll hear occasional noise. Roosters are all over the Keys and crow day and night, not just at dawn, so earplugs or white noise could help. Wi-Fi comes from the router by the picnic table and BBQ across from #1. With all the neighbors using it, getting online may be tough. Bring a hotspot, tether through your phone, or try early in the morning. The TV is smart, but you’ll need to sign into your own Disney, Amazon Prime, Apple +, or other accounts. For groceries, Winn-Dixie is cheaper and less crowded than publix.

Seeing manatees right outside the door made this a really unique place to stay. The kitchenette worked well enough for making small meals, and besides a couple of issues, it was a cool visit. We paid a $140 cleaning fee, but the floor was dirty enough to turn our feet black and smelled like dirty mop water. We used the available Swiffer and cleaned it ourselves, which helped. When we mentioned it to staff, they said they “can’t use chemicals on that floor.” I hadn’t asked for chemicals, just water, and expected the place to be clean given the fee. The other problem was the ramp. It sat so close to the houseboat wall that sometimes we couldn’t get on or off. We had to push and pull it to shift the boat over so we could leave.

Having manatees, fish, and a pelican hanging around our dock was such a fun extra. We had a really enjoyable stay and would come back. The unit felt cool and welcoming, was very clean, and had plenty of towels and washcloths. Bikes and kayaks were available to use, too.

Our three nights at Yacht Haven went by far too quickly. My husband and I came with his daughter, her husband, and their three grandchildren, so we booked two houseboats next to each other. After a busy week at Disney, we wanted somewhere restful, and this was just right. The boats were unusual, spotless, well stocked, and surprisingly roomy for their size, with comfortable beds. We also loved the friendly Manatees that came by in the mornings. I could keep talking about it, but everyone should get to experience this little piece of heaven at least once! 🤗