****Hi Y’all, Connie here your owner/ hostess at Carpe’Diem Marathon Florida Keys. I are still accepting weekly reservations for summer/winter 2024/25 Seasons with some great specials throughout the year with reduced limited acceptance of no more than 4 guests at any time. My decision to do so after being one of the very first licensed vacation homes over 20 years ago was made not only as an extra safety measure but to ensure our guests have ample room to relax and enjoy our home during your stay. Please remember the number of guests you list at time of booking are the number of guests we are expecting upon your arrival, no exception without contacting us before your arrival date once your stay has been confirmed. As all our past guest know we will always try to accommodate that last minute requests when Grandma or your Grandchild decides to join in the fun. Please just contact us in advance so arrangements can be made. We would like to thank all our guests that have traveled down to visit our home and taking the time to leave your fantastic reviews in the past , summer season 2023 We are so happy y’all were able to enjoy not only our home but our beautiful island chain.**** Thank You All Again!
Carpe'Diem is located in the Heart of the Fl.Keys on the Ocean Side. Mile Marker 50.3 on the island of Marathon. The style of our home is a ground level classic Conch home featuring just a couple steps both in the front entrance and out to the deck/dock area. This is a feature that has all but disappeared on our islands due to building codes therefore it is one of the few making it great for both children and seniors not to mention not having to carry everything up and down a flight of stairs. That was one of our primary reasons for opening our vacation rental at this location and speaking of locations we are located in in the middle of everything. A direct access canal to the Great Atlantic and minutes to the beach, transit service, shopping and fine dining. Being in the middle of our island chain makes easy to take advantage of exploring all our beautiful islands from a central location. Our home has been extensively updated and is absolutely beautiful and we look forward to welcoming back both old and new friends that suffer from the need to enjoy all the many beauties, relaxations, and warmth the Fl. Keys has to offer for all ages. As you can see we are already booking for the winter seasons and we have some wonderful weeks open plus once again they are calling for a early long cold winter so we hope to hear from you all soon if you are thinking of coming down to play by the sea in the sun. Our rates as you can see are very competitive for our amenities and we do have an insurance policy included in your final cost to protect against any unforeseen accidents that may occur during your stay however if not needed upon your departure it is refunded. .We do offer a really deep hurricane gamblers dicounts we offer starting in Sept and running through November for those of you with a brave heart. Please remember if we all have to evacuate or we are already gone on your Hurricane reserved week we all lose and there are NO REFUNDS. As always we have your keys to the Keys awaiting your arrival and thanks once again to all our many friends for your continued visits to our hide away in Marathon over the past 20 some years. Remember to always contact us or book your dates early as island time openings are here today and booked tomorrow! We always keep the sun shinning and the drinks cold down here by the sea side!
For all who are thinking of visiting our island home let us tell you alittle about it. We love to welcome our guests with our lovely island decore! Our island hide away is a 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, ground level duplex home that features 50 foot of furnished dock which includes a six person spa tub and gas grill. Our dock also has the convienance of a step down feature for easy loading and unloading of your boat and is on a direct access canal to the Great Atlantic. We invite one and all to enjoy the beautiful water of the Keys when coming to boat fish and dive however please keep in mind that neither the Atlantic or Gulf waters are like any lakes you may be an accomplished sportsman on. They both require an experienced and safety minded boater to navigate it’s many obstacles, sand bars and remember a free online open water ocean safe boater courses are available and recommended for both old and new boaters before venturing out on what we call “The Big Water”
Our home features tile floors throughout the living room,lanai and kitchen areas with carpeted bedrooms. Our bedrooms have a king bed in the master, queen bed in one guest room and full bed in the other. Our master bedroom has a beautiful screened in furnished lanai to relax on over looking the canal and it's bath features a seated shower encloser. The guest bath has both shower and tub which is located off main living room area. You will love our kitchen which features a extra large refrigerator freezer,dishwasher,micro wave, electric stove with oven, coffee pot, 4 slice toaster, air fryer and instapot/slow cooker along with Rachel Ray cookware, fully stocked spice rake and round dining table with rectangular dining out on the deck. Enjoy setting the table either in the house or on the dock with our beautiful island tableware even if you did just call one of our many fine dining establishments for carry out. However, if you do choose to cook it's all there for you to use.
There are so many ways to arrive on our islands so may we just suggest a few: You may want to fly into Ft. Myers and consider taking the four hour cruise across the beautiful Gulf of Mexico on the Fast Cat which runs out of Ft. Myers Beach to Key West. Everyone agrees this is a wonderful way to arrive and the view is breath taking as you zip along with the dolphins where the water meets the sky. However you may also choose to fly into either Miami or Key West where rental cars are available or if you choose not to do the driving you may catch the Keys shuttle or coach service to our lovely island hide away. Once you are on our island chain, we now have our new public shuttle service which allows you to island hop in both direction for as little as $3.00 round trip. This allows you to relax and enjoy all the islands of the fabulous Flordia Keys and Yes, we do still have our local cab service that will take you and your guest anywhere on our island of Marathon for the small fee of $10.00 a trip per car load. The Flordia Keys are one of America's most beautiful gifts to all mankind and a life style experiance we hope to share with all of you. Come on down and take a relaxing break on island time at our much loved Carpe’Diem in Marathon hideaway. So take advantage our always low prices and all the amenities our home and island chain have to offer you as our guests! Don't just go down South to visit, Go All The Way Down South and be our guests at Carpe’Diem in the Fabulous Fl. Keys. See Ya Soon! Until than: Remember to Seize The Day wherever you may be!
NOTICE***** Saturday to Saturday Arrivals Only
Thank you for stopping by and your interest. Carpe'Diem Vacation Rental Owner / Agents - Constance Merando PBR 2011-00081
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UPDATED, 4 BIKES 2 KAYAKS, WALK TO SOMBRERO BEACH!
Marathon
UPDATED, 4 BIKES 2 KAYAKS, WALK TO SOMBRERO BEACH!
Pets allowed: dogs and cats less than 23 kg per pet (limit 3 pets total)
Owner contact required before booking .
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Check-out instructions
The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Gather used towels
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights
I do not change a cleaning fee so I expect your party to leave the house as close to the way you found it at check-in please😃
Departure check list is available upon arrival in welcoming book to assist in departure procedures for your convenience.😊
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
About the area
Marathon
Located in Marathon, this cottage is on the waterfront. Florida Keys Country Club and Captain Hooks Marina and Dive Center are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Sombrero Beach and Curry Hammock State Park. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and kayaking nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling and hiking/biking trails.
Crane Point Museum and Nature Center - 9 min walk - 0.8 km
Boot Key Harbor - 19 min walk - 1.6 km
Florida Keys Country Club - 2 min drive - 2.0 km
Sombrero Beach - 5 min drive - 4.4 km
Seven Mile Bridge - 10 min drive - 11.1 km
Getting around
Marathon, FL (MTH-Florida Keys Marathon) - 2 min drive
Restaurants
Brass Monkey - 12 min walk
McDonald's - 9 min walk
Mr. Beans Books & Beans - 4 min drive
Wendy's - 17 min walk
Roco's Dockside bar & grill - 4 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 3 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet.
How much does it cost to stay at Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials?
As of 19 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials on 30 May 2026 start from AU$263, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials?
Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl. Keys Specials located?
Offering direct access to the beach, this Marathon cottage is within 1 mi (2 km) of Crane Point Museum and Nature Center and Boot Key Harbor. Sombrero Beach and Sunset Park Beach are also within 3 miles (5 km).
Reviews
8.8
Excellent
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Connie the host was excellent! Attended to our every need. Location is ideal. Nice quiet neighborhood. Very well supplied with extra items. Towels, beach chairs. Toiletries, etc.Perfect for fishermen!A lovely vacation
Host was extremely welcoming. Unit was very nicely decorated and well equipped.
Dianne H.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Jan 2026
Thank you so much for choosing my property Carpe’Diem and your wonderful 5 star review. I am so glad yall enjoyed yourselves even though the weather was not the greatest but know it was better than 40 below shoveling snow and that’s why we love it! Besides how often do ya get to see the manatees in fur coats. Looking forward to your return and don’t forget Charlie next year!
Connie was the best host, she provided helpful information about the area and had the place open and inviting when we showed up. The ac was struggling and she had someone out there that day to fix it.
Connie made everything seamless from start to finish. Saw manatees off the deck!!!
Eileen R.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Feb 2026
Just so glad y’all enjoyed your stay and even though the weather wasn’t the greatest sure was better than 40 below and y’all enjoyed every minute coming from the great white north it had to feel like springtime! Looking forward to your return!
Connie was great, really enjoyed meeting and talking to her. We had Manatees every day in the canal, anywhere from Mom and baby to seven one evening. Great original old keys charm and layout. All on one floor, no climbing stairs. We really enjoyed the week.
William B.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Jan 2026
Thanks so much for your honest review. I am so glad you enjoyed your visit & y’all found everything to your liking as I do try to still offer my guests a clean safe quiet base with that old Keys charm at reasonable rates. The manatees swam by to visit but seemed to know they had missed ya and am sure both they & I look forward to your return visits in the future.
Had a wonderful time here! We had everything we needed and enjoyed the screened lanai and back deck. Even had a visit from some friendly manatees. It was comfortable and plenty of room for 2 couples and one fur baby. It was a quiet street ad convenient to the gas station, grocery, great food, beach, etc. We will stay again.
We had our pet, rooms were good size & beds were comfortable, water pressure was good also for showers, kitchen was fully stocked, more than I expected, tvs in 4 rooms thruout, the hot tub was a bonus, convenient location to grocery store & pharmacy. We enjoyed our stay , too bad they don’t have 6 stars for a review but this may qualify
We left after 3 days and we presently have a case filed for our filthy experience. Not cleaned, mold, and the final straw was cockroaches. This place shouldnt be rented to anyone. Never going back.
Easy check-in, great location, plenty of space, great dock, pets allowed, house was as described, awesome hosts… what more could I say! would definitely stay again.
Now these guys were here to fish for 2 weeks! They came with a beautiful big twin engine go fast boat named Bull Headed which went out each evening with a professional crew that returned in the wee hours of the morning loaded with numerous types of fish! Although they slept durning the day they were kind enough to share their catch with us and I thank them! Those boys not only enjoyed their sport and had perfected it they were living the dream! I know some great memories and stories were made for y’all out on the Big Water! Thanks not only for the enjoyable conversations but the fantastic way y’all left our home upon your departure! Know you will alway be welcome to come back to Carpe’Diem with your flying circus!
The house is convenient to restaurants and beaches. Connie was very welcoming and most important for me, she welcomed my dog.
John G.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Feb 2024
Thanks John for your reservation and just LOVE those doodle dogs and so glad you brought yours down to play with y’all in the sun and surf! Very special , great traveling companion!
This property is a great place to stay. It is convenient to everything in Marathon. The property is well kept and clean with excellent beds. Plus there's a canal right out the back door with fish, manatees, and of course iguanas. We highly recommend this property!
Great property on a very good location. Easy access to open water. Comfortable house. Plenty of amenities. Great dock with super easy boat access.
Eric F.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Apr 2020
Thank you all so much,
We enjoyed having you and your friends down and the way you left our home on your departure was fantastic. Like I said please feel free to come down any time and play.
Connie & Captain Rick
The house was nice and the kitchen was very well stocked so we could easily cook for the week. Connie was an excellent host and we would stay here again if we head to Marathon again.
We had a blast. Nice house and canal deck area. Island furniture plus fun beach/Florida Keys touches everywhere, 3 big beds, 4 TVs.
C E.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Oct 2023
Hope you took a couple of your Iguana friends you made home in your carryons girls! Lol Glad y’all enjoyed your first return sister’s only trip to the Keys sense your childhood and yes it has changed so much but I know you both made some great memories together snorkeling the reef, relaxing in the spa and enter acting on the deck with the wild Iguanas that dropped by to see just who was visiting at Carpe’Diem. Hopefully y’all won’t wait so long for your next visit to our island chain. Until we meet again I’ll be sure to keep the sun shining, palms swaying, Iguanas racing by and the ice machine cranking! Thanks again for choosing Carpe’Diem Marathon for your visit to the Fabulous Florida Keys.
About the host
Hosted by Carpe' Diem Heart of the Fl.Keys
Connie Merando your Owner/Hostess has been serving guests as their hostess on the island of Marathon since 2002 offering one of the first licensed weekly/monthly vacation rentals available to the public. I was formally a professional animal handler in the conformation field for over 30 years traveling the world with as many as 4 dogs at a time for clients from not only the USA but from around the world. After staying nearly everywhere and working not only with my clients but the general public for so many years at the shows I soon became an authority on not only K-9’s but lodging and conversational etiquette learning to solve the most drastic of problems. After retiring to the Florida Keys, fishing tournaments and partnering with a Charter Captain when the vacation rental market opened up in Marathon I naturally jumped into the opportunity to be one of the first to look for just the right location and become an owner. I wanted to continue to work with the public offering them a real taste of the old Keys experience while offering them the finest hospitality, relaxation and affordability so they too could experience just what the fabulous Keys had to offer. After 23 years serving as the hostess of Carpe’Diem, my home, I have met some amazing people that have enjoyed visiting our islands and just knowing them and the fantastic memories they have taken home after their visits has brought me great satisfaction and joy over the years not to mention all the K-9 friends they have brought along from time to time as I have never forgotten my attachment to my first love the K-9 world allowing them to visit as long as they bring their owner along. This is why I have enjoyed being your hostess all they years. No problem has ever been to big to solve as long as the sun shines down on one of the most beautiful locations in the world!
Why they chose this property
After looking high and low for just the right place that I myself would want to live in, that was quite, ground level and located in the very middle of the Keys but of course on the water I accidentally stumbled upon the neighborhood when going to pick up a friend for a shopping expedition when I suddenly found myself on a quiet dead end street one Saturday morning and was shocked as I didn’t know that the neighborhood even existed and after looking with numerous realtors had no idea the street was even back there had my friend not given me directions to her new home. At that exact moment a person was putting a For Sale sign in front of a duplex as the property was just about to be going on the market. I stopped the car went up to the gentleman and requested the information concerning its availability and about the realtor about to handle it. Driving on down to my friends home instead of shopping we spent the day discussing not only the home but the neighborhood and as the afternoon progressed I soon discovered what “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere ment in that neighborhood as we went to numerous homes on the street meeting different neighbors. They were friendly, welcoming and basically wonderful local residents that enjoyed meeting someone new. I was having a wonderful time on a road that ended at the Atlantic with maybe 8 homes, quiet, out of the way, and very little traffic with great neighbors! One neighbor even had the keys as the present owner had him keep an eye on it for her as she had moved back up North with her kids. So I saw the house the first time by a trusted neighbor and friend of the owner and with that I knew I had found what I had been looking for, quiet, relaxed atmosphere, on the water with the greatest of trustworthy friendly neighbors! A secret hide away, it had it all and I purchased it the next day! Carpe’Diem
What makes this property unique
Location,Location, MM50 and Location! Sun, Sun, Sun! Food, Food, Food! FUN,FUN,FUN! This is the prefect locations to hang your sun hat in our island chain! In the middle of everything! You can either take the car or catch the shuttle bus and travel up or down the island chain. For $4.50 try the shuttle and get off in the different island communities or go all the way and do the Duval Crawl in Key West. Don't come to see part of the Florida Keys come to see all of it from Key Largo to Key West and everything in between. We are close to the beaches, shopping, restaurants, water actives, dancing and about everything you can imagine on the island of Marathon which by the way is only 6 miles wide and 10 miles long. The Sun as you know just keeps on shining down here when it's 40 below and their ah shoveling snow up North we love it! Island breezes sway the palms at about 78 degrees down our way in the winter but once in a while we may have a cold snap of about 60 in the dead of winter.Enjoy the end of each beautiful day with a majestic sun sets over our emerald seas. FANTASTIC! Food - Some of the best Chef's in the world are right here in the Keys. Choose from 5 star restaurants or Mom and Pop joints for some of the best fresh seafood you can eat. It doesn’t matter if you like to catch or buy your own fish and grill a quiet dinner on our patio deck, whichever the fresh produce and seafood will tantalize the taste buds and don't forget the Key Lime Pie! FUN,FUN,FUN - You have just stepped into the twilight zone of FUN. Spend a day on the water on one of our party boats, take out a jet ski, spend the day like a beach bum up and down the island chain, snorkle or dive the reef, have a dolphin encounter, theater, take a biplane or helicaptor ride. parasail, water ski,and always plan to catch a sunset at the Sunset Grill, dance til dawn! The list goes on - like the saying goes,'If you want to try it the Keys have got it!' and at Carpe'Diem we know where it's at!
Languages:
English
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