Nice home in Cape Coral
Review Submitted: 19 April 2013
Date of Stay: March 2013
We spent three enjoyable weeks at the Blue Dolphin in March 2013.
The house is clean and fresh, and the photos and description in the listing very accurately describe the home. The house was clearly completely renovated within the last year or two. The furnishings, utensils, linens, etc, are virtually all good quality IKEA products still in near new condition.
The neighbourhood is pleasant, very quite and safe, but like most of Cape Coral, there are many undeveloped lots throughout the area. While this isn't a problem in any real way, it does detract a bit from the look of the city as a whole.
The highlight of the home is undoubtedly the beautiful and top-quality pool and spa. It is also quite private. Although there are houses on all sides of the pool/lanai area, none of them have pools and we saw virtually no one in any of their back yards, so it had a very private feel. We had the heater on almost continuously for the 3-week duration, and the extra electricity charge was just $40 for the entire period. The spa (essentially a large hot tub) was particularly enjoyable, especially on cooler days. A big plus if you have young children: they also have a good quality fence that you can easily put up temporarily to protect young children from wandering into the pool.
The owner is very professional and responsive on all issues relating to the rental, and there is a good local manager who takes care of the check-in and check-out, and is readily available if any problems arise.
However, you should be aware that Cape Coral generally is not a great location if you want to go to the beaches frequently. Ft. Myers beach is about 25-30 minutes away, that is if there is no traffic. Unfortunately, traffic is heavy in the Ft. Myers/Cape Coral area, and the trip can routinely take up to double that time. Sanibel has some of the best beaches in the US, but again traffic is a problem, and it took us almost an hour each way on two occasions, mid-morning on weekdays. Also, you had better get to these beaches well before noon if you want to find a parking spot in busy seasons. There is a nice little beach at the Cape Coral Yacht Club Community Park, about 15 minutes away. This is on the bay, but it has a nice small beach with clean water and a kid's playground.
In total, this is a great house if you are looking for a very nice home with an excellent pool at a reasonable cost, as long as you don't want to go to the beach on most days.
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