Bokeelia Tarpon Inn

Wanted an anniversary getaway to someplace different and spied an ad for The Tarpon Inn. What a treat! Old Florida style and charm…not fancy, but comfortable. We chose a water view in the stilt house and we’re very pleased. Our room is large, comfortable, and well appointed, and our balcony view of the water was stunning. The service is excellent and everyone on property is friendly and helpful! It’s like visiting a friend’s waterfront vacation home.

We had been here last year and found it so nice that we went back to see if the survived the hurricane. It looks pretty much as it did before, which is a real taste of old Florida. ||We just had drinks and enjoyed the views and atmosphere, which were excellent. We will drop by for lunch before we head north.

This property is often confused with the Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant in Bokeelia, on Pine Island. We live on Pine Island and I have been in this beautiful property when it was the Bokeelia Tarpon Inn, but after selling in June of 2012, it is now called the Lahser House in Bokeelia. The new owners have remodeled the 1914 built historic home and it is absolutely stunning! We attended a very dear friends wedding there this summer. It had been a B&B, but now has a commercial kitchen for large events and can easily seat 40-48 people. It has 5 large bedrooms and 5 ½ baths. The views are absolutely amazing. What a wonderful spot for a destination wedding!!!

My husband and I have stopped in for lunch a few times. This time we decided to stay overnight for 3 nights. We were in room 6, which was the farthest from restaurant. I think it was the best of their rooms! The view from the small balcony overlooking lawn, palm trees, and boat docks was wonderful. We even saw a helicopter land and take off from lawn. The sunset was spectacular (looked like a postcard). The room was roomy with updated bathroom. The stand-alone air conditioner was quite loud, and their is a gap between door and frame, but those are the only complaints we had.

It was a wonderful surprise to find this restaurant, like going back in time to 1926 when it was. built. It's in excellent condition, so it must have been restored, but restored with history in mind. We ordered the spinach salad with grilled shrimp. Everything was excellent! The service, the ambiance and the food! Next time we visit, we would love to stay at the Inn. The property is located in a wonderful waterfront area with many things to do.