The Courtyard

Vacation ever so comfortably in this well-designed one bedroom, one-full-bath courtyard unit at Campbell Court. You can step off your front porch and up to the deck of the enticing, heated, residents-only Monaco pool. Steps to the right, you'll find a raised deck with table, chairs, and shade umbrella above. Tropical foliage and a locked privacy fence surround the whole lushly landscaped compound. But don't be fooled-despite its beauty and quiet tranquility, the compound is only two blocks off Duval Street and three blocks from the Historic Seaport, both listed (among many other locations) as must-do's in any Key West vacation guide.

When most visitors arrive, the sparkling pool and surrounding deck juxtaposed against a ring of palms, ferns, and bougainvillea is what grabs their attention. Thoughts turn to swimming or paddling around in the refreshing, temperature-controlled water under the southern sun. Or maybe you imagine something even more relaxing like stretching out in one of the chaise loungers to nap or to cultivate your tan or to read a magazine. If you need more reading material or a DVDs for viewing, the Key West Library, the first branch in Monroe County's 50-year-old public library system, is right across the street. Maybe instead you picture yourself sitting under a shade umbrella with a glass of ice tea or some frothy cocktail. Maybe you'll email a selfie from here to friends back home. The best part of a vacation is that the choice of how to spend your time is all yours. There is assigned off street parking for one mid size or smaller car. (If your vehicle is too large to park in the space (vehicles must be less than 16 ft.) you will have to find on street parking.)

Up a few stairs from the winding walkway, you step onto the private, covered front porch of the cottage that looks like it could qualify for the cover of Cottage Style or Southern Living. Freshly painted wooden decking, two white wicker arm chairs with pillows, and a matching wicker side table offer a perfect place to enjoy a morning latte and a pastry from the Old Town Bakery. A wall-mounted lantern next to the front door provides illumination and a stylish accent piece to complete the picture. As you enter through the front door, the living area is to your left. It offers a cozy conversation cluster: couch, two armchairs, a coffee table, an area rug, and two lamps, each decorated with cheery hand-painted images of bright tropical fish. To the right are two armchairs and a round table next to a stereo and TV cabinet. Of course there's cable TV, wireless high-speed Internet, and a DVD player. Ceiling fans throughout help circulate air and add a beachy flair to the design scheme.

The galley kitchen has blond cabinets, some with glass doors, set into clean white walls. Black accents in the appliances and artwork add the right touch of contrast. Everything you need to create a gourmet meal is handy. Or even if you feel less ambitious, the kitchen is highly functional and made even more so by a breakfast bar with accompanying chair stools. A window over the double sink ushers in plenty of ambient light, as do the sliding glass doors opening onto the back deck. Looking out, you see something amazing-a large tree trunk growing through the wooden deck planking and extending through the roof. Glancing up, you can see the top of the tree and all its leaves in canopy form above. The private deck comes complete with glass-top table and four chairs. The gas grill is nearby in case you get inspired to barbeque for lunch or dinner and enjoy your feast al fresco at the table, maybe with a glass of your favorite wine or a bottle of some craft beer. Or relax in the hammock chair suspended in one corner.

Back inside, next to the living room, is an inviting bedroom with queen bed and all the creature comforts like fluffy bedding, side tables, lamps, a ceiling fan, dresser, TV, and a generous closet for hanging clothes. A framed painting of a conch cottage adds fun Key West color to the room. The full bath is adjacent to the bedroom and also cleverly designed to be accessible through another door opening into the living room. Like the rest of the cottage, the dominant bath color is cloud white with colorful art accents on the walls. A shelf holds plenty of nubby white bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths.

When you're unpacked and ready, slip on your flip-flops and head out to explore the rest of the Southernmost City. Walking just three blocks will bring you to the Historic Seaport and Harbor Walk. Follow the wooden board walk along the Gulf of Mexico to find historic tall ships offering day and sunset cruises or take an all-day ferry excursion to the Dry Tortugas. If you're interested in watersports, there's all kinds-diving, fishing, parasailing, snorkeling, and jet skiing. If you get hungry, a dozen or so restaurants of varying levels of informality ring the harbor.

Or walk two blocks in the other direction to Duval Street to check out tours, museums, shopping, more restaurants, more bars, and the Key West Aquarium, where you can pet a shark if you dare. Check you cell phone for sunset time so you don't miss the legendary celebration at Mallory Square, where locals and visitors alike gather to witness the sun sinking into the horizon. Be sure to applaud at the magical moment when the last round edge of fiery orange disappears. If you're lucky, maybe you'll catch the elusive neon green flash at the last second. Hang around to enjoy the carnival atmosphere as artists and street performers entertain the crowd with circus cats and magic tricks. Others juggle fire, tell fortunes, strum guitars, and sell handmade items. In between you can buy conch fritters and other small food items while pop-up sidewalk bars offer many varieties of cocktails, wine, beer, and soda.

If this is your first trip to the Conch Republic, a guidebook from Books & Books on Eaton Street or a stop at the Chamber of Commerce Information Center on Greene Street will help make sure you don’t miss anything. Other info on the current music scene, movies, plays, gallery openings, and charitable events can be found at milezerokeywest.com (calendar section). Historic Hideaways' informative Area Guide/Events page located on our website also has a Calendar of Events. We DO NOT guarantee that the information VRBO (and affiliated sites) scrapes from our site to display on theirs is 100% accurate, particularly the amenities. If you come to us through them, be sure to look at all the information on our site related to your rental once you book to be sure you have accurate and up to date information.

Amenities Include:

- Bed Size 1st/Master: Queen

- Number of Baths: 1 Full

- Parking: Off Street - Compact

- Square Footage, Est.: 600

- Pool: Shared Heated

- High Speed Internet: Wireless

- BBQ Grill: Gas

- Cable Television(s): Yes

- DVD Player(s): Yes

- Patio: Yes

- Ceiling Fans: Yes

- Stereo System: Shelf System

- Washer/Dryer: Yes

- Microwave: Yes

- Air Conditioned: Central

- Bldg. Complex Name: Campbell Courtyard

- Beach Distance: Biking