Florida Keys Estate Offers the Ultimate Fly-In, Fly-Out Beachfront Location
HOME OF THE WEEK
By Alyson Pitarre / Feb 23 2024
An astonishing achievement in beachfront luxury, this remarkable compound offers the effortless comforts and extravagant amenities of an island resort. Lovingly named The Bait Shack, the gated estate of nearly five acres, with 244 feet of frontage, is both an ultra-private retreat and the perfect setting for lavish indoor-outdoor entertaining. With magnificent ocean views, the home sits in a manicured tropical garden among fruit trees, palms, pools, fountains, meandering pathways and welcoming porches, patios and decks.
Created by D’Asign Source with a gingerbread-style exterior and Victorian interior detailing, the residence is exquisitely crafted with uncompromising quality. Gracious rooms with richly detailed vaulted ceilings, clerestory windows and handsome custom cabinetry offer picturesque sightlines to the pool and ocean, with romantic garden patios just outside the door.
Beautifully designed for majestic living, dining and entertaining, the main residence easily accommodates both formal and informal gatherings. The living room, dining room and kitchen open onto a pool- and ocean-view portico with a huge stone fireplace and ample room for dining and lounging. The kitchen is a chef’s dream, with top-of-the-line appliances, a center island with bar seating, generous custom cabinetry and a butler’s pantry.
The all en-suite bedrooms include a sensational main-floor primary, which is a spacious and private getaway with doors to the pool and ocean views, beautiful walk-in closet, and magical bath finished with Italian tile and a custom-built coral wall. The home’s upper floor features a lavish theater with a wet bar and a library/office with wraparound windows over an expansive built-in desk.
The guest house is a separate structure with a wraparound porch and porch swing. It has ample room for sitting and sleeping, plus a full kitchen, laundry room and a spiral staircase to a rooftop belvedere with spectacular views.
The grounds are, in a word, stunning. The dramatic grotto-style pool, a bit of paradise in itself, wraps around two sides of the home, with bridges, waterfalls, a flowing river, a large spa, water slide, and a poolside palapa with a swim-up bar, outdoor kitchen and overwater deck for dining, lounging and entertaining. Fulfilling the promise of the property’s name, there is an actual bait shop and a boat ramp and marina with ocean access. With the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport minutes away, this impressive property offers fly-in fly-out convenience, complete with U.S. Customs and additional opportunity for private hangar acquisition.
Secluded, serene and picture-perfect, The Bait Shop is an incomparable property situated in a tropical wonderland.
View the complete listing by Lisa Wiebe of Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. in Marathon.