Barnacle Bed & Breakfast

I was looking for a place to stay in the keys as part of my new year’s getaway plans, and as you’d expect due to this being a last minute plan, was having a hard time finding accommodation. Then my girlfriend stumbled across Barnacle, and we were able to talk to the owner who gave us a pretty good deal for the top room, which also had a (tiny) shower stall that was open to the sky (no roof). The check in process was smooth, and the owner gave us a brief tour of the property.
We really enjoyed the hot tub, and the views of the water out back are amazing. Showering under the stars was a refreshing experience as well. The next morning, we came down for breakfast, and the owner’s wife dished out some good (maybe not great) pancakes. After that, we wandered down to the back and saw some deer, who were friendly enough to come close and let us touch them. How cool is that?
My only gripe is with regards to the cleanliness in the room, where we saw some cockroaches. This is probably a common challenge with having accommodation so close to nature, but nevertheless one you wouldn’t want to compromise on. Hence 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall, though, I had a great time at Barnacle and would gladly recommend it.

My first b@b experience and it was awesome! Eric was a great host!!! The property is amazing! The room was gigantic!!! Abundance of wildlife !!! The price is way cheaper than any room in key weird and it’s like your renting a house!!! Can’t wait to go back

**This review is not about the location or quality of stay here. It deals with a very uncomfortable and unsafe situation we encountered on the last day of our stay at the Barnacle, and one which we felt was not deal with appropriately. Because of this, I am not using my usual Unilocal account to write about it. The place itself was very beautiful, and we had already discussed going back there again at a later time with our family when the situation below happened.***
We stayed at the Barnacle for a couple of days last week and I’m upset to say that one of the employees there (not the owners) had a domestic altercation with his partner on the property. I will not make any allegations about physical abuse, because we did not see it happen– I will say that this fight was overheard from three separate rooms at the house, and that it was loud and profane enough to suggest domestic violence. There were families and children on the property at the time as guests, and I personally found it terrifying to have someone on the property exhibiting that kind of behavior. Another group staying there at the time left around the same time we did– a panicked, very scary situation for everybody involved.
Eventually, we heard the situation subside and another group of guests called the local police department and the owner from the safety of their car once they were on the road. We called one of the owners ourselves, who ensured us that the woman involved had brought on the fight by drinking alcohol, told us about the issues in between the families of the couple in question, etc., and pointed out that he doesn’t do this to her «all the time.»
I don’t know the history of these people, of their relationship to the owners, or the frequency and intensity of their fights, but let’s stop and think this through for a minute. This is not a situation with a lot of grey areas. That it happened at all should have provoked a very different response than what we got. She brought it on herself? He doesn’t ALWAYS engage in violent altercations so loud that those staying on different floors of the same building can hear them? The response that we expected from the owners was something along the lines of: we are calling the police, that person is fired, and this woman is going into protective custody, we are so sorry that this situation is happening in our home.
What we got was complacency and a set of excuses for an inexcusable situation. Loud, profane, and at a bare minimum emotionally abusive relationships are not ok, sheltering the people who treat their partners in this way is not ok, and allowing for this situation to go on, especially at a location where people have their guard down and where they bring their loved ones (which includes their children and their female partners who are smaller and less physically able to protect themselves against some volatile stranger that might decide today is the day to externalize his anger to strangers) is not ok.
If you choose to stay here or have a relationship with the owners of this place and read this review, please let them know that it’s on here and encourage them to take steps to ensure what happened while we were there doesn’t happen again. I will be glad to alter this review if there is any confirmation that the situation has changed, and I do understand this is a very serious charge to level against any establishment. But the lack of responsibility in dealing with this situation left us outraged and disappointed. If the situation will not be dealt with after speaking our concerns aloud from person to person, maybe the impact of this information being shared online to a community of people who are conscientious about where they spend their resources and time will.

We loved this place! Granted, we are folks who enjoy camping and nature. Eric is awesome and cooks a great, from scratch, breakfast. The views are fantastic. Key Deer, Iguanas and all sorts of awesome birds abound. It’s the Keys so bugs and sea weed are what they are. We thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary Kayaks (bikes too but we never got to that). We’ll surely come back here when we next visit the Keys. Thanks Banacle family!

This was my second trip to the Barnacle. I like a laid-​back place, but since my previous visit the management have become, I believe, too casual with regard to upkeep. This is not the type of inn you visit if you’re looking for luxury or perfection, but the sum of many minor inconveniences and distractions was too much.
I suspect that the keepers would probably have offered to fix these problems, but I don’t like being a squeaky wheel, particularly when there are so many other great places to stay in the keys.

Wild, untethered, very unusual and hosted by two very kind people who really know how to cook vegan. Check this place out if you want to immerse yourself in nature.

First, the good: great, off the beaten path location right on the water. Very private, quiet, amazing sunsets and view of the stars at night. Key deer roam around, especially in the morning.
The not-​so-​good: it is an old place, which is charming in it’s way, but it definitely needs some updating. I’m ok with the quirky architecture and décor, less ok with our bathroom with it’s unusual plumbing, tiny shower, lack of decent lighting, and a door that had to be propped closed with a doorstop when it was breezy. We also had an old, thin mattress on a platform bed which wasn’t terribly comfortable. Our room was clean; unfortunately the odor of the cleanser they used lingered into the next day and even permeated the food that we had in the fridge. We didn’t take advantage of the kayaks or bikes on site. Didn’t realize that there was a boat slip right across the street that we could have launched from until we were leaving. Also did not have breakfast there; the manager (s) are vegetarian and gluten-​free and their limited breakfast offerings (buckwheat waffles and pancakes) didn’t particularly tempt us.
We did enjoy the visit overall, but found it a bit pricey for the condition of the rooms and amenities. Could be a great place with just a few updates, but we probably won’t go back unless some improvements are made.

We just got back from a wonderful stay at the Barnacle! Norm (the new manager) is fantastic and very accommodating. We loved this small, off the beaten path location.
We stayed in the Loft room which is small and cozy with big skylights and an outdoor shower presenting you with an ocean vista first thing in the morning!
Breakfast was delicious and the location is perfect for anyone who prefers beaches, snorkeling, and nature trails to crowded tourist hot spots (Key West is only 30 miles away if you want to go see that too).
Can’t wait to go back!

We had a great time at this place. Jane and Tim are nice people and their breakfasts were ample and quite good. Had some trouble with insects but that’s to be expected in the keys… all the outdoor amenities are here… Kayaks, bikes, beach blankets, lounge chairs, etc. The place has a cool vibe.

The main building is a little strange — it has like a funky futuristic 70s vibe, but it all works. Most of the rooms seem to be in the main «barn» building pod; there is a semi-​open air veranda that all the rooms open off of. And you can walk up to the roof and look out to sea (the place is right on the beach). You can rent kayaks and also they have the endangered key deers traipsing around. Really pretty, reasonable prices and away from all the hubbub of Key West, but close enough to go to it.