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Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing"

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4 bedrooms, desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
On the beach, sun loungers
Smart TV, DVD player, books, video library
Interior
Terrace/patio

Reviews

9.6 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 12204 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Pet friendly
  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen
  • Air conditioning

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing"


This quaint old beach house (now the oldest house in the area) has a traditional beach cottage motif, beach access, and is located on the Gulf county side of Mexico Beach. Gulf county beaches allow dogs, where bay county beaches (one block away) do not.

This part of Florida is known as the forgotten coast. It's quiet and peaceful with white quartz beaches, dolphins and sea turtles, you'll feel like you have this piece of paradise all to yourselves.

The house has 2 King sized beds, 2 queens, and 2 sets of bunk beds. There is a washer and dryer, stocked kitchen, wifi, beach chairs and everything else you'll need for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. On a side note, I had a few guests last summer who were disappointed that there was no cable television at the house. You'll be pleased to hear that I now have cable TV for my guests, so you won't miss your favorite sports games!
Port St Joe to the East has almost completely recovered since hurricane Michael, and has restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and just about all of the amenities one could ask for. Just 10 minutes away!

Property manager

John Michalski

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • On the beach
  • Beach sun loungers

Internet

  • Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking
  • Car recommended

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Shower
  • Towels provided
  • Hair dryer
  • Toilet paper

Living spaces

  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Smart TV with cable/satellite service
  • DVD player
  • Games
  • Books
  • Video library

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Work spaces

  • Desk
  • Desk chair

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Things to do

  • Windsurfing nearby
  • Surfing/body boarding nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Snorkeling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Parasailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Swimming nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Unit size: 2200 sq ft (204 sq m)

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Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Contactless check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

A car is recommended for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Beach Front Paradise Wifi Pet Friendly House Port St Joe
Beach Front Paradise Wifi Pet Friendly Port St Joe
Beach Front Paradise Wifi Pet Friendly!
Beach Front! Looking for Winter Guest January February
Beach Front! True old Florida Home Survived Hurricane Michael
Looking for Winter Guest January February Highly Discounted Rate

About the neighborhood

Map
Port St Joe, FL

What's nearby

  • Saint Joe Beach - 1 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Mexico Beach - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Beacon Hill Park - 12 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Windmark Beach - 16 min drive - 10.8 km
  • Tyndall Air Force Base Visitor Center - 24 min drive - 28.6 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Shipwreck Raw Bar - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Express lane Food Mart - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Shell Shack - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Subway - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪View On Old 98 - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing" pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing"?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing"?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing" located?

Nestled on the beach, this Port St. Joe vacation home is within a 5-minute walk of Saint Joe Beach and Mexico Beach. Beacon Hill Park and Park are also within 1 mi (2 km).

Beach front! True old Florida home, named "Carmel's blessing" Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 59 out of 74 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 74 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 74 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 74 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 74 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Rachel S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Annual Beach Trip
Our family takes a trip every year to spend a week at the beach and we always choose to stay at Carmel’s Blessing. Great location, best sunsets, and a fun and authentic “old Florida” home and neighborhood.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Belva S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent beach vacation
The beach view was perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed the deck for morning coffee and evening sunsets. The beach is a short walk across the road. The beds were comfortable, and the kitchen is well equipped for cooking. For meals out we’d highly recommend Shipwreck Raw Bar and Richie’s Roadhouse Grill.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michael I.

Liked: Cleanliness
As always, a wonderful experience!
We’ve been visiting Carmel’s Blessing for a number of years now, and it has become a beloved annual tradition for our family. We always look forward to it and count down for months in advance! This neat historic beach cottage feels like a second home. As soon as we arrive every year, we settle right in and feel at home immediately. It’s spacious, comfortable, and has a cheerful personality. We have made so many precious memories as a family - movie marathons and game nights on rainy evenings, as well as sunny day swimming and snorkeling in the Gulf. The unobstructed view of the water from the house is spectacular, and it’s a short walk to the beach access. The house is well furnished with bedding, towels, and a fully stocked kitchen. We feel like this beautiful home is a unicorn - you can’t find anything else like this for this price! It has space for a group up to 12, is pet friendly, has a nice yard, Gulf views, and easy access to the beach. The local community is a friendly small town. The house owner is fantastic. Great communication and very helpful!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Teresa P., Jamesport

Liked: Cleanliness
Our stay at Caramels Blessings
Although the house is 100yrs old it was perfect for our family. Easy beach access, nice neighborhood and close to stores. We had a great time.
Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kayla N.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect Beach Getaway
We had an amazing time here. Location is ideal to the beach and to food. The house is everything as described. We would come back in a heartbeat!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lauren W., Cullman, AL

Liked: Cleanliness
Family friends
This was one of the oldest houses, but PLENTY of space for our families. The view of the ocean is perfect. Cannot say enough good things about it. We really enjoyed and would stay here again!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Linda C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family Vacation
Although the property is in need of some monor updates, we still had plenty of room and any questions or problems that we had the property manager was on top of it. The view was amazing!
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michael I.

Liked: Cleanliness
Always a "Blessing"!
We've been coming to Carmel's Blessing for years, and it's always a pleasure! Many cherished family memories have been made here. The owner is fantastic - very communicative and helpful. This charming beach cottage has been in his family since it was built in 1928, I believe, and he is continuously investing his time and labor into maintaining and improving it. We had 11 people and 2 dogs with us on this trip and had plenty of space. We love that there's a grassy area both in front and in back of the house for the kids to play and the dogs to walk. Plenty of space for parking, as well. The breathtaking Gulf view is a highlight! You can watch the sun set over the water from the living room or the deck, or it's just a short walk to the beach access and you can watch it from the water. You do have to cross the road to get to the beach, but we've never had any issues. There is a designated crosswalk and the traffic isn't too bad. This beach is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. We always come in September and often have it to ourselves. If you like to relax and do absoluely nothing on your vacations, this is the perfect place to do so. If you like to explore, sightsee, and eat yummy food, there are plenty of places in the area to do that as well. We enjoyed a drive out to Apalachicola and St. George Island one day, and a visit to Cape San Blas/St. Joseph Peninsula another day. Panama City is also a reasonable distance in the other direction.
Stayed 11 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Cherry R., Miami, Oklahoma

Liked: Cleanliness
Slice of Heaven
We absolutely loved this home!! Check in was a breeze. The house is like a maze and even has a secret door! We had more than enough room for the 7 of us and the location to the beach and beach view cannot be beat. Neighbors are so friendly- we did not want to leave! Owner was amazing. We will be back next year.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michelle H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
This was our second time staying in this home. We love that the house has ocean views and is only a short walk across the street to the beach. There is plenty of room for our large family to relax and we enjoyed the front deck addition. We can’t wait until our next stay!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Andrea W.

Location, Location
Upon arriving, the door code process threw me because I thought that was the code I had received before traveling, but no, I received it after I arrived. I never could unlock the front door with the code. I was especially pleased with how stocked the kitchen was with dishes, appliances and some spices. Do take your own trash bags, however. I really enjoyed the whimsical decor throughout the home. The back bathroom could cause you to lose your balance due to a soft floor at the toilet but we adjusted. It has excellent views from the house and such a short walk to the beach. It was a pleasure to be able to have our fur babies with us. They had never seen the ocean. The management was understanding and a pleasure to communicate with. If old and eclectic scares you, then you may not appreciate this one. I found it charming.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nola C.

Port St Joe
The view was amazing. Direct access to tbe beach. Loves the Downtown area. We are already looking at a return trip.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bob B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place right at the beach
The reviews describe the place to the tee , has a great cottage feel. We were down there for Christmas week to new years of 2022 the "record dipping freeze" was very cold as thie house was not made for that cold of temperatures. But John was on top of it ,very concerned for our family of 8, even offered to put us up in a hotel for a couple of nights. But we are Michiganders, we toughed it out and John had a Xtra heater dropped off 1st thing next morning, which helped to get the temp up on the house and thaw some of the pipes. We loved that this place! It was right across the street from the beach , and after the 3 day freeze let up the temp hit 70 and we spent the rest of our time at the beach. This house has everything you need for the kitchen. The time zone was so funny to deal with too, being on the border of central and eastern. This is a great place to sit and relax, we used his new smokeless fireplace, it was awesome to roast marshmallows and watch those beautiful sunsets . The new front deck made a great dance and karaoke stage! The neighbors are awesome and very friendly. We had a mother bear and 2 cubs come through and take out the garbage in the middle of the night, which was caught on the neighbors ring camera. Very cool to watch. We are looking forward to staying again next year . Thanks John for caring and being a great host
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kelsi C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Awesome property and owner!!!
We’ve been to four VRBOs in Florida now and this was by far the best. It’s a quiet home with plenty of space for a large group. Just a stones throw from the beach. If you are looking for a beach that isn’t packed with people, this is your beach. We had the beach to ourselves multiple days during our stay. Soft sand, shallow water and easy waves make a good beach experience for little ones. We had 8 and there was still space available. The house is set up with whatever you could need. Games. Movies, kitchen gear. Plenty of towels and beach gear provided. Beds are comfy, plenty of seating. John the property owner was more than accommodating with us and made sure our stay was relaxing!!! Thank you for sharing your home with us!!!
Stayed 8 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jason M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family Vacation
My family and I had a wonderful time. The location was very good. I love the every thing about my vacation and I believe all my family feels the same way. I highly recommend staying where I stayed.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Michael I.

Liked: Cleanliness
Feels like home!
Our family of 10 (plus our dog) first stayed at Carmel’s Blessing in 2018, and instantly fell in love with this beautiful, quirky old beach house. We knew from that point on that this would be our family’s new tradition. We’ve been back twice since then (would’ve been back sooner, but for covid), and we are already eagerly planning next year’s visit! We left this morning and miss it terribly already. The house has history, charm and character. It feels like staying with family instead of a random, impersonal hotel or condo. The owner is very thoughtful and provides for most all your needs. He’s quick to respond if there’s ever a need to contact him. The beach house is spacious, comfortable, and has a phenomenal view of the ocean across the street. It’s nice to have an actual front yard and back yard, too - especially when you have a dog with you. If you don’t feel like walking down to the beach you can just sit in the front yard by the fire pit and watch the spectacular sunsets from there. The house is always well stocked with necessities, as well as puzzles, games, beach toys, etc. The internet is fast and easy to connect to. There’s a full size washer and dryer. I do wish there was a dishwasher, though. The home is almost 100 years old, is well loved, and has weathered many storms (including a hard hit from Hurricane Michael in 2018), so if you’re looking for something perfect and pristine this may not be your cup of tea. But for us, it feels like home. It’s the perfect place to play at the beach, snuggle up with a movie, play board games, build puzzles, and make special family memories (without having to stress about the kids breaking something fragile in a magazine-perfect house). Highly recommend this house and local community!
Stayed 12 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Leslie M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family scalloping trip
We booked this place because we needed a place to fit 12 people and allowed dogs. This place fit the bill and it was directly across the street from the beach. It is not fancy; kind of felt like camping in an old wooden bunkhouse. But, it was clean enough, got cool enough at night and well stocked (minus toilet paper). I was worried about only having 1 towel per person, but even that ended up not being a problem for only 3 nights stay. Was cool to read the history and to basically straddle the eastern and central time zones.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

J.J. S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Always a Treat
Fantastic stay, beautiful example of old Florida. Can't wait to go back!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cathy W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beach vacation
Great eclectic home with lots of personality. The location is phenomenal! We had a great time. Our dogs were right at home. If there was another door on the second king bedroom for privacy it would be perfect!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Shanna T., Harrisburg, Arkansas

Liked: Cleanliness
Our secret beach house
This was our third stay at Carmel’s Blessing and will not be the last one. It’s a vintage beach house with character that can only come from years of creating special family memories. The location is right across from the public beach which guarantees that the view of the beach is secured and a perfect sunset will never be missed. If you are looking for you place to get away from it all….this is it!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

6/10 Okay

Cheryl P.

Review of Carmel's Blessing
My overall impression is a mixed review. For location, it was excellent. From the front room of the property, you can look out the window and see the beautiful beach right across the street. Access to the beach is simply walking across the street. Also, there were only three steps to get into the home which was nice for easy access. The amenities were all of those that you'd expect in the kitchen-- minus a dishwasher. The kitchen was fully stocked with things you'd need, but while we were there, the inside of the oven was not working for the first 3 days and we stayed 5 and had planned to do some cooking. The host is extremely nice and answered questions quickly. The type of things that I would want others to know prior to making a reservation is that the bedroom and sleeping areas don't allow for privacy but in two bedrooms that have doors to close. There is a king bed in the den, sitting in the middle of the room which is the common area. There is another bed in a "bedroom" that only has curtains that go around it to give privacy. With this bedroom, you have to walk through the uncurtained area to get to other areas of the house which allows no privacy, no quiet. The bunkbed room is connected to one of the two bathrooms. The floors are quite uneven thoughout the home which was a HUGE safety concern for us as my mother walks on a cane. We paid $2,740 for 5 days and I took criticism for how expensive it was with regard to what we were paying for. The view is excellent and again the host seems like a wonderful person.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Jason S.

Very Very Rustic
I’m going to give an honest review here. This is an old Florida beach house make no mistake all the way to the painted wood floors. To be honest it was a little to rustic for our taste. The floors give and squeak when you walk the interior has not been updated in a long time other than maybe a coat of paint. Electrical outlets and switches are randomly placed and some lights are still on a pull chain. There is no concrete outside to wash feet or chairs or shoes off so it tracks in with you not bad if it’s just a couple of adults but very hard to deal with when you have 4-5 kids in the party. There is an outdoor shower with steps leading into the back bathroom but again it’s hard to get 4 adults and 5 kids in that way. These are not complaints just honest reviews to help the next party. All in all the place was descent and affordable, The owner was very responsive and super nice
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

RICHARD P., Lake Charles

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
Perfect beach house
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Dave L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect Getaway!
Our stay was wonderful! This property is located across Hwy. 98 from the mouth of St. Joseph Bay. Beautiful location! The house is old, but well kept and clean. This was our 2nd time in this house and would highly recommend it!
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

J.J. S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Knocks it outta the park again
This place has become an annual trip for us, 4 years running. Never disappoints.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021