While I’ve visited the Sunshine State of Florida dozens of times, glamping in Florida is not something I ever imagined doing, and even more so, I never thought Florida Keys glamping existed. The last time I went glamping was deep in the Sahara Desert in Morocco, entirely disconnected from civilization and it was one of the best travel experiences to date. From then on, I always equated glamping with remote locations, so when the opportunity to go glamping in the Florida Keys with Petite Retreats presented itself, I was both curious and intrigued. Turns out, glamping is an incredible way to experience the beauty of the Keys, and incredibly practical, too!
Florida Keys Glamping with Petite Retreats – a Better way to go Camping in Florida
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “glamping” is like camping, but as the same suggests, much more glamorous. Glamping accommodations can range from tents, domes, and yurts, to in the case of the Petite Retreats at Sunshine Key, small, fully-functional homes made within luxury trailers. What sets apart glamping from camping however, is the modern comfort and amenities of a hotel room, without the actual hotel (or having to sleep on the ground.) This usually means real beds and private, fully-operational bathrooms/showers, electricity, and A/C and heating. With the rising interest in safe and responsible ways to travel, camping and glamping are great options for an attainable and socially-distant, pandemic-safe getaway.
Glamping in the Florida Keys was an exciting new way to experience a familiar destination. It was truly a unique experience to be nestled right in the natural, tropical environment while still having the comfort and luxuries of a hotel room. Watching the colors of the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, and waking up to views of the tranquil Key waters from my Tiny House’s queen-sized bed made for memories I’ll never forget, and an option that I would recommend over a traditional hotel to anyone considering alternatives or looking for a novel way to travel.
About Petite Retreats and Sunshine Key Tiny House Village
The Petite Retreats campsite I stayed in is called Sunshine Key Tiny House Village, and is located approximately 120 miles from the Miami Airport (about a 2.5-hour drive) and just 30 miles from Key West. This Florida Keys beach camping site is in an ideal location making it the perfect base for exploring all the Keys has to offer, as it’s minutes away from top attractions such as Bahia Honda State Park, which is known to have one of the best beaches in South Florida. Petite Retreats also have another location in the Keys, called Fiesta Key which looks equally as impressive.
Located on the 75-acre Ohio Key, the Sunshine Key RV Resort and Marina where the Tiny House Village resides, is presented by Encore RV Resorts and Thousand Trails campgrounds, with more than 280 locations across North America. Other Petite Retreat sites can be found in West Coast hot spots such as Portland, Yosemite, and Sedona, to popular East Coast destinations such as Bar Harbor, Boston, and Philidelphia. They have a multitude of accommodation types from cabins and cottages, to teepees and yurts, and all provide unique and comfortable getaways in scenic environments just moments away from city life.
At these Petite Retreats RV campgrounds on the beach in Florida, several amenities are available for your enjoyment, including a swimming pool, tennis, basketball, and beach volleyball courts, a game room, playground, yoga and other activities, a seasonal restaurant and bar, beach, and pier to snorkel, kayak, and swim from. As far as campgrounds on the beach in Florida go, Sunshine Key seems to be as good as it gets.
The Tiny Houses at Sunshine Key
At the site, there are 5 brightly painted personified tiny homes, each with their own unique personalities demonstrated through their individualized decor. I had the pleasure of staying in Lucy, a bright yellow 2-level loft that sleeps up to 6 and has its own little outdoor front patio.
Lucy’s amenities include two lofted queen beds; one lofted twin bed; a sleeper sofa; a full bathroom with a shower, tub, and toiletries; A/C and heater; a TV with basic cable; and a kitchen complete with a full-size refrigerator, stovetop, coffee maker, toaster, cookware, dinnerware, and a bar-b-que grill outside. All the interior finishings and decor were modern and stylish, and though the space may be cozy and small, it feels spacious enough to comfortably house multiple people.
The 4 additional Tiny Houses all seemed equally lovely, each with their own unique offerings. I loved staying in Lucy which seemed more spacious than the others available, and was placed right in the middle of the row of Houses, but the pink and teal exterior of Pearl really spoke to me as well. If you’d like a Tiny House on either end of the row of Houses, you can book Hemingway or Kai. No matter which Tiny House you choose to stay in, you’ll be sure to have a great time glamping/waterfront camping on the Florida Keys!
Click here for prices and bookings!
Disclaimer: This post was kindly sponsored by Petite Retreats. As always, all opinions are strictly my own.
Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Disclosures page.
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Would like to know more about them please
Hi Ella, click this link to go to their direct site for more info and booking: https://www.sunshinekeytinyhouse.com/?utm_source=MonaMolayem&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=SSK%20Tiny%20Stay%2012.14.20
Oh how cute these tiny houses are! I always wanted to stay in one of them. I also may go to the Florida Keys at some point this year, so definitely keeping this article handy. 🙂
Such cute tiny houses and directly on the waterfront. Perfect!
They look so cute! Not a bad getaway.
What is your process for planning a trip? How do you choose your destinations?
This is a great question! I have a bucket list of destinations I want to go to, and I usually let the flight deals determine where I go next (this usually involves credit card points, flight sales, error fares, etc.) I usually compare destinations to see where I can get the best deals. Flying during the destination’s off-season or shoulder season also helps keep the cost down.
My hotels are often booked on points too (hotel credit cards and loyalty programs are great for this.) Of course, some trips are also a bit more spontaneous, like the trip in this blog post where I visited the Florida Keys, because I was invited/hired by Petite Retreats to come check out their tiny houses and create content. 🙂