Despite this being a rental, we truly were made to feel like guests of the owners, Jose and Marcia, with every little need taken care of. The home is tastefully decorated, with a spectacular shower in the upstairs bathroom. The Executive Bay Club is a gated community, which gives a feeling of security. The other residents are friendly and helpful and it is only a short walk to the pool and beach, as well as Founders' Park, with their walking/jogging paths, beach, and pool. The location is ideal, just a short drive to the supermarket and great restaurants.
We really felt like we could just stay at this location, but did venture out most days to explore the Keys. We went to Bahia Honda Beach twice, about an hour away. This is a state park, with wonderful beaches on both the bay and ocean side. There is an admission fee charged, but well worth it for facilities available. We also discovered a gem of a beach, Sombrero Beach in Marathon, just a little closer than Bahia Honda. This beach was not as large, but was nicely maintained, with rest rooms, picnic tables, and a playground, and it was free. A full day was needed for our excursion to Key West, but well worth the trip. Be sure to visit the Butterfly Gardens and Hemingway House. We did check the schedule of cruise ships entering the port and chose a day when only one was coming in.
There were also some good attractions in the area for days when you are tired of the beach. Check out the wild bird sanctuary and the diving museum, each only a short drive away. There are some really good restaurants in the area, but we soon settled on two favorites, Harriet's and Bob's Bunz, for breakfasts. Each of these has its own special pastry, the first wonderful muffins and the latter tasty large cinnamon buns. For dinner, our hands down favorite was Marker 88. We ate there several times and were never disappointed. Of course, we also did a good deal of cooking at home, both on the grill and the full-sized smooth top range. The dining table could easily seat a crowd, but we preferred eating on the semi-secluded patio whenever possible.
Like all of the townhouses in the area, this unit does have a spiral staircase. Though this looks intimidating at first, we soon adapted to going up and down quickly, so if you are physically able to climb stairs, this should not be an impediment. One word of advice: unpack and store your suitcase downstairs.
All in all, this was a wonderful rental at a good price.
