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Gray Dolphin — Waterfront Home with Heated Saltwater Pool, Dock & Kayaks

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Outdoor dining
Property video
Terrace/patio
Interior
Interior

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10175 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Free Wi-Fi

Explore the area

View map
Apollo Beach, FL
  • Place, Apollo Beach Dog Park
    ‪17 min walk‬
  • Place, Port of Tampa
    ‪24 min drive‬
  • Place, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
    ‪35 min drive‬
  • Airport, Tampa, FL (TPA-Tampa Intl.)
    ‪35 min drive‬

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About the area

Apollo Beach

With a stay at this vacation home in Apollo Beach, you'll be on the waterfront, within a 10-minute drive of Tampa Bay and Apollo Beach Dog Park. .This family-friendly vacation home is 16.2 mi (26.1 km) from Tampa Riverwalk and 18.6 mi (29.9 km) from Tampa Convention Center.
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What's nearby

  • Apollo Beach Dog Park - 17 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Tampa Riverwalk - 22 min drive - 30.2 km
  • Port of Tampa - 24 min drive - 30.9 km
  • Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa - 25 min drive - 34.4 km
  • Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - 35 min drive - 38.3 km

Getting around

  • Tampa Union Station - 27 min drive
  • Tampa, FL (TPF-Peter O. Knight) - 43 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Planet Smoothie - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪7-Eleven - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Finn’s Dockside Bar And Grill - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪First Watch - ‬6 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Gray Dolphin — Waterfront Home with Heated Saltwater Pool, Dock & Kayaks

Discover waterfront living at The Gray Dolphin—a private canal-front escape in Apollo Beach with a heated saltwater pool, private dock, complimentary kayaks and bikes, and outdoor dining. Perfect for families, couples, or friends who want water access and quick drives to Tampa Bay and Gulf Coast beaches.

A. Top features:

1. Heated saltwater pool with tanning shelf for kids and lounging
2. Private boat dock with direct canal access—bring a boat or rent nearby
3. Two kayaks and two beach-cruiser bikes included
4. Covered lanai with gas grill, outdoor dining and total privacy from neighbors
5. Modern kitchen, smart TVs, fast Wi‑Fi, washer/dryer, driveway parking

B. Sleeping & layout:

3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms — sleeps up to 8 comfortably
Family-friendly layout with room for relaxing, dining and entertaining

C. Nearby highlights (drive times):

Apollo Beach Nature Preserve: 5 minutes
Bahia Beach (Ruskin): 15 minutes
St. Pete Beach: 50 minutes
Clearwater Beach: ~1 hour
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: 45 minutes
Tampa Riverwalk / Amalie Arena: 40 minutes

D. Why guests love it:

Private waterfront views, dock access, and a heated pool make this a true Florida retreat—close enough to beaches, parks and Tampa attractions for day trips but peaceful enough to unplug at the lanai.

Book The Gray Dolphin for a waterfront stay with boating, kayaking and sunset poolside evenings.
Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned vacation home, which features a private pool and a Smart TV. There's a private lanai. A kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, an oven, and a stovetop. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as gas grills.
Guests will find features like onsite parking.

Property amenities

Pool/Spa

  • Private pool

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Hob
  • Ice maker
  • Kitchen island
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Sofa bed

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table

Entertainment

  • Games
  • Smart TV

Outdoor areas

  • Garden
  • Gas grill
  • Lanai

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Work spaces

  • Desk
  • Desk chair

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming dogs only
  • Up to 9 kg per pet

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 2 accessible parking spaces
  • In-room accessibility
  • No lift (single-level property)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • Near a hospital
  • Near a zoo
  • Near an outlet shopping centre
  • Near the bay
  • Near the marina
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Basketball nearby
  • Bicycle rentals nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Casino nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Parasailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Snorkelling nearby
  • Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Theme park nearby
  • Water tubing nearby
  • Wildlife walks nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 1,881 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
1 total (up to 20 lbs per pet)
Note from host: All pets subject to approval by owner.

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Gray Dolphin — Waterfront Home with Heated Saltwater Pool, Dock & Kayaks Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 25 out of 26 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 26 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

grayson B.

Liked: Cleanliness
The host was wonderful the property was wonderful everything was amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sherri H.

Liked: Cleanliness
It was perfect for our family. Everyone enjoyed the house and the pool. It was also conveniently located to all the events we had planned.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Philip B., Central Square, New York

Liked: Cleanliness
Great property with water access. We had a great time with access to the bay by boat. Highly Recommended!
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Shannon H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very clean & beautiful home! It was perfect for my family of 6! My husband and kids loved fishing off the deck while I watched from the pool. The house had so many things stocked especially in the kitchen! House is close to stores and shops but also about a 30 minute- hour drive for the busier areas but we loved the small town feel. Host made communicating so easy and recommended things to do in the area. Overall a GREAT experience and will definitely be back on our next trip to Florida!!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Susan M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wedding!

Nathan was very prompt with responding to any questions and it was easy to ck in/out. We were there for our daughters wedding who lives about 2 miles away and got married in Tampa! Great location and convenient! I k
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Steffanie G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Paradise

Everything was perfect! I would stay here again, for sure. Nathan, the host, was wonderful!
Stayed 13 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

David H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Annual birthday getaway

Had to find a new location because of the hurricane. This place was amazing and the host was great! Would recommend to anyone
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

zulma d.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wonderful stay in Apollo Beach

This was one of the houses our family rented in Apollo Beach for our first family reunion. We gathered from different parts of Florida, Boston, N.Y. - one travelling from Alaska.This house was just as lovely as the pictures making our time here even more special. We loved spending time here and "hanging back at the house" when there were no other group events. We would definitely rent this one again! Thank you for a great stay!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carl S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great Property!

We had a great stay. Property was absolutely as described.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kerry H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fun stay with friends and family

We stayed 8 nights and brought our 29’ center console. The location was great for boating, about a 10-15 min ride to Tampa Bay, and close proximity to 2 nice restaurants to go to dinner by boat. It was a nice quiet canal, with friendly neighbors. The pool was a perfect way to relax after a long day of boating, and the covered patio with screened in pool area made it nice to be able to stay outside at night and not have to worry about any bugs. The house was clean and nicely decorated inside with enough room for the house full of family and friends that were there during our stay. The 4th bedroom with the bunk beds, little couch and TV was a hit with our pre teen girls. There are 2 Publix’s close by which made those quick shopping trips and ice runs easy. The check in process was very easy and the host was very responsive for any questions that came up during our stay. Definitely a great experience and everyone that stayed had a great time and loved the house!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martin G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great

Thank you so much. We had a lot of fun. Will come back later this year.
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jessica B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Escape from the cold

This is a lovely house with great common space for watching TV or playing board games. The pool area provides lots of area for lounging while watching the kids in the pool. The pool was comfortably heated which allowed for enjoying swimming even when it wasn’t particularly warm outside. The house was also nicely supplied with essential paper goods for our time there, which was very convenient.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jason M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Christmas Vacation

Had a wonderful stay with family of 12 (grandparents, kids, grandkids). Pool area is perfect and pool is heated well enough to swim in even in the cooler than normal weather. Kitchen has everything we needed and beds were very comfortable. Finshing was suprisingly great from the dock, caught everything from catfish to crab, even a stingray. Manatee viewing center is a must-see nearby attraction. Great communication from the hosts. Highly recommended.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness

Thanksgiving Family Trip

We had a wonderful stay! The house was exactly as advertised. We had everything we needed for the week. The best part was the outdoor space! The kids loved the pool and fishing off the dock. There was a lot of seating on the lanai. We spent a lot of our time outside relaxing and enjoying the beautiful Florida sunshine. Owner was super responsive anytime we had a question.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Amy T.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely canal home

Property looks exactly like the photos. Clean and well stocked. The pool area is fantastic and we had a blast with the kayaks. Manatees came right up to us. Owners were very nice and prompt with all responses. The only thing I would say is it is a bit tight for 8 adults as the one bedroom is pretty small. Overall a great place and I would definitely recommend.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Charlene B., Chicago

Liked: Cleanliness

Outdoor space seals the deal!

Good property as far as number of beds and kitchen well stocked and wash/dryer a big plus! However, the pool, tiki bar, covered eating area, ceiling fan in outdoor TV area, dock, kayaks, grill and pool floats/toys…fabulous!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Casey W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Rental with Great Pool and Kitchen

I had a fantastic stay at this VRBO rental. The pool area was a highlight – clean, well-maintained, and perfect for relaxation. The modern kitchen was well-equipped and made cooking enjoyable. The overall cleanliness of the property was impressive. Highly recommended for a relaxing getaway. Well-maintained pool area. Modern and well-equipped kitchen. Impressive cleanliness.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Robert H.

Apollo Beach Canal Access

Overall the property was great and in a good location. I had great communication with the owner and they checked in with me almost everyday. Overall the accommodations were great but we did have a few issues. First issue was that the post of 3 bedroom/ 3 bath was false. The property was 3 bed/ 2 bath and when we confronted the owner about the lack of another bathroom they refunded us $100 for the inconvenience. Next, we had issues with the cleanliness of the property. Ceiling fans were packed with dust, the pool was dirty, grill was dirty, and under sofa was riddled with left over dirt and food particles. We attempted to use the grill and upon opening the grill there was a strong gas smell. We inspected the tank only to find that it was left on and the gas was empty. I had to replace the gas tank and was told by the owner I would be refunded but it has been almost a month since our stay and have not seen a refund yet. Last issue we had was with the master bedroom ceiling fan it was rocking uncontrollably. I inspected the ceiling and when I touched one of the blades it was loose making the fan unbalanced. With the little bit of tools I found in the garage I was able to tighten the screws and get the fan working properly. Although we had these issues with the property we overall enjoyed ourselves. House is beautiful and in a great location. Pretty good fishing off the back deck, I caught plenty of catfish.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kelly S., Blackwood

Liked: Cleanliness

Cozy house

Great time at Apollo Beach Home. Quiet and Peaceful, nice pool. Owner was very kind and quick to respond to any questions. Home very cozy. Awesome Tub!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeni M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great home!!

Our stay at the gray dolphin was phenomenal! The home really does have everything that you need and the beds are absolute heaven! We enjoyed the heated pool and kayaking on the canal. The owners were very responsive when I had questions. Would highly recommend this property!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brenda V.

Liked: Cleanliness

Apollo Beach 2023

This house was perfect for our group. The kids loved the pool. The house was supplied with anything you would need. Great communication with the owner. Highly recommend this rental.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Amy G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Vacation

I rented this house so my Aunt and Uncle could fly down and surprise my dad for his birthday and allow for a nice spot for the whole family to meet up. The home was inviting, the mattresses were comfortable, the location was quiet, and the vibe was chill. Really enjoyed being able to sit by the water, lounge in the pool, and hang by the tiki bar. The owners reached out to check in and ensure we were enjoying our stay and we’re easy to contact both during and prior to stay with any questions I had. Great trip. The only disappointment is that I did not see any dolphins. Maybe next time:)
Stayed 6 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Barb F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Cece's review (8 yr old granddaughter)

Thank you for letting us use your pool, sleep in your beds and let us stay in your home. Your pool is amazing and fun; your beds are comfy! Is there any house as amazing as yours? We went to Busch Gardens, the manatee center. Sunset bar & grill, the beach, Finns. It's amazing in Florida. I do not want to go back to Pennsylvania today. Thanks again for letting us use your house -
Stayed 15 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ben H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Exceeded expectations

Very relaxing place. Quite neighborhood.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2023