Family Vacation - Port Richey Vacation

My family and I just spent a week in Port Richey, Florida, for one of our semi-annual family Florida vacations. We had planned on going to the “Redneck Riviera,” but the oil leak changed that. I was trying to decide on a place for our family vacation and searched for gulf coast rentals. Amid my search for vacation homes, I remembered how much a close friend loved the Port Richey area, so I began my search for Port Richey homes on Vacation Rentals by Owner, or VRBO. I was specifically searching for waterfront rentals on Vacation Rentals by Owner. I found several Port Richey homes for rent, including several waterfront rentals.

Luckily, among all the Port Richey rentals, I found “Sunset Bungalow.” It’s located right on the Cotee River, and it has its own private dock. It’s also just across the street from a great marina called “Sunset Marina.” The same people who own the house own and operate the marina, and with the house rental, you get the free use of a pontoon boat for 8 hours. You can use all 8 hours in one day or split it up into two days. Since we’re a family of fishermen, this sounded great to us, so I sent the deposit for our vacation home.

We loved the Port Richey vacation home. It was built in the 1930s and had beautiful knotty pine paneling throughout. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and comfortable, and the price was right! In fact, it was about one-third of what we we've paid for gulf coast rentals on the panhandle. Downstairs were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a breakfast room, a dining room, a living room, a reading room, and a den. A couple of the sofas made into beds, too. Upstairs was another bedroom, along with another kitchen, a sitting room, and dining area. There was also a large grassy yard for the kids to play in. The layout was perfect for my family vacation.

The house is located in a quiet neighborhood of similar Port Richey homes and has little traffic. My two granddaughters took their bikes and enjoyed riding them on the side streets. There were several kids in the neighborhood, so they were in good company.

The best thing about the house for the adults was the river. The Cotee River, a saltwater river, was just across the narrow street, and we had our own private fishing dock. We made friends with the captain of the shrimp boat who stopped there for refueling, and he often left us free bait shrimp.

Next to our dock was the marina, run by Kristen and Tim. They were extremely friendly and helpful, and the location of the marina was very convenient. We could buy bait, ice, snacks, and drinks by simply stepping across the lane. And when we wanted to use the pontoon boat, they had it ready and waiting for us.

Kristen went over maps with us and gave us directions to interesting sites in the gulf. She also made sure all the kids were properly fitted with life jackets, which the marina supplied.

We were very near several great restaurants, and we took advantage of that! Kristen told the kids about a swim park that was near the house, and they loved the pools and water slides. Of course, we also spent a lot of time on the dock – fishing, bird watching, and experiencing the glorious sunsets over the water. That’s the great thing about waterfront rentals!

Port Richey is in a great location. It’s close to Tarpon Springs, so we spent a day at the sponge docks and took the kids to the Tarpon Springs Aquarium. We also ate Greek food and shopped while we were in Tarpon Springs.

Tarpon Springs was largely settled by Greek sponge fishermen, and the town has an atmosphere much like that of a Greek fishing village. If you indulge in a Port Richey vacation, be sure to set aside a day for a visit to Tarpon Springs.

Port Richey is also near Weeki Wachee, and the kids had a blast there. They played in the water, slid down the slides, and saw the mermaid show. Weeki Wachee is a beautiful natural spring with cold, crystal clear water and a white sandy beach.

 Live shows are performed throughout the day, and the granddaughters loved seeing the mermaids swimming under water.

We also found a nice beach near the house that Kristen had told us about – Fred Howard Park. It’s a nice place for sunning, swimming, and fishing. The park has several covered picnic areas, hiking trails, and a playground for kids.

Sunset Bungalow is located just off Highway 19, so there’s plenty of shopping and entertainment nearby. There were several miniature golf courses, including one that you play inside a dark warehouse-like structure.

Our vacation home in Port Richey was also very near the Gulf of Mexico. We took the pontoon boat out for three days for flats fishing and cruising. Near the mouth of the Cotee River are some amazing stilt houses, flats fishing, and a private island with a wonderful secluded beach. The grands loved playing in the sand and in the clear, shallow water, while the guys and I enjoyed some flats fishing.

We had a great family vacation, and we plan on returning to the same spot! I highly recommend Sunset Bungalow for anyone who’s looking for a fun, relaxing family vacation.

You can find other gulf coast rentals, including Port Richey rentals, on Vacation Rentals by Owner. The site is a great place to find good deals on vacation homes.

Using Vacation Rentals by Owner is easy. Below, you'll find a link with tips for using the site to find your own vacation homes around the world.