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Black's Island is a well thought of island in the heart of Port Saint Joseph Bay. We offer several amenities such as kayaking, snorkeling, full service restaurant, bar, private balconies and private beaches. Black's Island is the only resort island in North Florida within driving distance from Chicago to Texas and along the Eastern Coast.
This is a fantastic destination family/adult experience! This is not Panama City, this is not "30A", but it is like 30A was before all of Atlanta moved there in the 80's. I was concerned the Atlanta ties were going to mess Black's Island up, but it turns out the owners have Florida Roots, and their long term plans will honor the island. Being from North Florida we knew how bad Black's Island was hit by Hurricane Michael, so bad they are just now reopening 4 years later, and we wanted to support them. We came from Apalachee Bay over to St. Joseph's Bay, 4 couples, on 4 boats, with a 3 hour boat trip broken up half way by oysters and beers in Apalachicola. We all rented a Bungalow, but Bungalows sleep 4-6 comfortably we learned, so we could have shared. The docks are new, the walk ways are new, appliances are new, and the family cookout summer kitchen style is straight up North Florida style every night, with flat tops griddles, gas grills and a fantastic Mexican deep fryer!! If you want to go out to dinner, you don't really want to come here. If you get along with others, know how to clean up after yourself, enjoy fishing, cooking out, family community, sharing yours or someone else's fish and shrimp and tasting new dishes in a beautiful and unique setting, this is it! You can also just cook in your Bungalow! Great pool, great dock, great fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, relaxing reading spaces, ring game, cards and more... Guierrmo and his Partner Alexandra are hard working and positive, they help you experience island life. Their garden is beautiful, with chickens, Guinea's, peacocks, McCaw's, Cockatoo's and Quail for domestic birds on the island, but we saw in addition to Pelicans, seagull's and terns, Black Skimmers, Willets, Imperial terns, all of those are endangered species. Here is the tip of the day if you read this far. Order your groceries in advance delivered to your bungalow. Order less. Carry less. Pack less. You have a washer and dryer. Did I mention pack less? Pack less... We will be back for sure!!
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Date of stay: May 2022
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Room Tip:Â One story bungalows have a queen loft, two story Bungalows have a bunk room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I were able to get away for the weekend and meet up with 20+ of our friends on Blacks Island. Something we haven’t been able to do in years and the Island was the perfect retreat! Arriving at the boat landing in Port St Joe we were greeted with smiles and helping hands that loaded our luggage onto the shuttle boat that then took us over to the island in about 7-10min. The boat ride in was beautiful. When we arrived at the dock on the island we were greeted by Blacks Island staff that helped us get the luggage off the boat and onto a cart and the staff took our luggage to our bungalow. The staff was so kind and helpful we really appreciated the concierge service. Our bungalow sat right on the water. We stayed in the two story bungalow with another couple and it was so spacious. Each room had their own King bed, access to the balcony and their own bathrooms. The Kitchen and dining area was fully equipped and the bungalow was spotless! I’m a pretty big cleanliness snob and when I say it was clean I mean it was extremely clean. The sheets, the floors, the shower and the bathrooms were all spotless. Our time on the island consisted of watching sunrises and sunsets. Taking walks along the island shores. Listening to all the animals on the island. Eating some great fresh fish, enjoying the pool and bar on the island. It was the perfect slow serene getaway. Shelli McMillan and her husband Trent McMillan provided the best accommodations for us on the island. The Blacks Island Staff was wonderful and personal that always made sure we were comfortable and enjoying our time. Whether it’s a trip with your family and kids, a couples getaway or a group vacation of 20+ Blacks island provides the tranquil environment of a island resort stay that’s right there in Florida. We truly cannot wait to return!
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was “this weekend” old when I learned the true meaning of the word Getaway. It’s Black’s Island. A new standard in my book.
All the necessities, a little sense of luxury and none of the fuss.
Our bungalow was simply furnished and crazy comfortable with beautiful views. The clubhouse, pool and grounds are well maintained and welcoming. If you are looking for a real retreat, this is it!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our company and I had an amazing week at Black’s Island Resort. Beautiful views, numerous activities, and great food! The staff were amazing and the bungalows were pristine. This place is perfect for a very private stay. We will be making this an annual trip for company leadership going forward. We will definitely be back again!
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Island is beautiful. Bungalows are spacious and lovely.
Resort itself, though, feels like an afterthought. Owners are nice but when paying elite- level prices, it needs to be reflected in the resort's customer service and amenities. Discrepancy between cost of stay and what you're getting is huge. Staff was scarce to almost comic proportions. Garbage littered the island, which I was surprised at. It's a small island, but there were beer cans and plastic wrappers here and there. Other examples: garbage in lodge's bathroom was overflowing for two days, with candy wrappers littering the floor. Scuba masks for guests had lipstick marks all over them. Breakfast area: garbage can had no liner/ bag in it.
Breakfast is supposed to be offered from 7 to 10. At 8:30, I came in with my children and the owner is hanging out, says he hasn't gotten around to putting breakfast out yet. Doesn't work with families with young children. Breakfast offerings are the kind of plastic- encased stuff, with weak coffee, that you'd find in an Econolodge. The whole idea of "we're on island time" is fine if the prices reflect that. But "I'll get to it when I get to it" of course doesn't work with 350- 500 a night prices. Perhaps that's not a lot of money to some, but we really splurged based on the reviews, and got something very different.
No information given before arriving to island except for a restaurant menu and how to get picked up. When I asked about the "restaurant", staff member didn't know what hours dinner was served and told me I needed to order a few hours ahead of time with staff. So, not really a restaurant but a food service that was available if you could find someone to order from. Ditto the full bar: was told I couldn't get a beer because the owners had the keys and again, I'd have to call them to find out where they were. About three hours later, I was able to get a beer.
A resort like this also needs a checklist sent to guests that aren't from the area, listing stuff like the need to pick up all groceries before entering the island, the fact that there's a washer/ dryer in bungalows, so bring detergent, coffee filters, etc....
All in all, I just didn't get it. Felt like an idea that just didn't work. Also felt like a playground for people that own their own boats and are from the area.
Final thing that summed up the customer service: out of towels and need a few more. Can't find anyone to ask. Finally, I see a staff member but she disappears behind the bungalows and when I call, there's no answer. Didn't hear me or ignoring me? Try throughout the day. No towels by pool, kids are freezing. Pool hasn't been cleaned. Finally, I find a young man. He seems impatient, doesn't apologize. Proceeds to tell me I need to call the owners on the cell phone to reach them. Also tells me what each of the staff members are doing as if to say they're too busy. Finally, an hour later, my kids get towels.
Remarks kept being made about how we would want to run back after going to St. Joe's State Park (we were spending two days at Blacks and a week at the park). However, St. Joe's offered great beauty and isolation at a tenth of the price. Could go into more detail about the randomness of our two days here, but I think you get the idea. Had a good time because we just had to let it go and enjoy the great beauty the island offered. However, don't want other families to pay out the ear and not know what they're getting into.
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Date of stay: September 2013
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Black's Island on June 4-6 4pm thru 10am. I wanted to give some feedback on our visit. The island is beautiful along with the clubhouse and place we stayed. The hosts (Jeff & Wanda) are very nice folks. The less than 48 hours we were there were very disappointing. We weren't informed that the "all inclusive" was very limited and what we would consider "sub-par" for the price. In our bungalow, which was beautiful by the way, the TV didn't get reception the whole time we were there. The master bathroom shower didn't work (we were asked to use the other shower). The guest tub didn't drain. There were cobwebs all around and a few lights that were out. The limited menu (that we didn't know about) was to say the least "not" very appealing. What we did have was tasty and enough of. The kayak we used leaked enough that it couldn't be used and the snorkeling gear was broken. It would have been nice to know that they don't serve liquor so we could have brought our own. It would have been a very pleasant stay if things would have worked, and we would have been informed by "No Worries Vacations" (at the very least after you accepted our money) about the menu and liquor. It could have been very easily done by sending an email with the menu included, and letting us know about not serving liquor. That fact that things didn't work wasn't "No Worries Vacations" fault, but the other is, and we did go through them to rent the time there so we would consider their company accountable. The policy of not being able to work on things in the bungalow w/o our presence is understandable but that basically holds you hostage unable to experience what one would want/like to do while there. This was not a very good experience for the price ($499 per night) and we were really disappointed on the money we spent for these services. We could have stayed at a Westin/Hilton like hotel on the beach and purchased our own food and beverages for very "close" to the same amount of money and actually enjoyed ourselves much more. One other thing is when we shared this info with "No Worries Vacation Rentals", we never received a reply from them at all. One thing to note is that the "crew" at Black's Island Resort was great and this (2012) is their first year being open so they should only improve?
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Date of stay: June 2012
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Let me start by saying that I would love to demand my money back form these folks but form the looks of things, the money is already gone.
The place is marketed as an exclusive, high end getaway and I suppose that COULD be true. We arrived and were picked up promptly. Turns out they are "closed" during the winter though decided to take the revenue anyway without mentioning that many of the regular amenities were unavailable. We did not have great weather so only got to paddle board for a couple of hours one day. Other than that there was NOTHING available so if you go in bad weather, bring some entertainment that does not require a wireless connection (no movie streaming). The whole place was in total disarray and falling apart and I don't mean just regular seasonal upkeep. Over half of the bungalows are unusable and some in state of falling apart. The one next to ours seemed to be a garbage dump of some sort or a hoarder house with crap and garbage piled up inside and out. The owners have 2 very cute dogs that run free and they do not clean up the poop (NOT CUTE!). They are living here and just trying to get some revenue off of renting bungalows when they can get them in good enough condition to rent them.
We were told that for the boat to pick us up after midnight (on New Years Eve) would be $50 extra. Absolutely not disclosed when we were making the inquiries with Wanda.
I also did a little research and the place is for sale as well as they are trying to sell individual bungalows. all indications seem to point to a place in financial struggle so if you go, I would negotiate a lower price (we paid ($300+ /night) and be ready to be totally self sufficient and hope for decent weather.
Overall, not an absolute do not go but definitely be prepared for limited access to mainland and be ready to entertain yourselves.
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Date of stay: December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Was there July 4th, Staff was rude and treated us very rude, I would never recommend this island once your are there you are at their mercy, They made our stay the worst ever. after being there a few hours we left, and its been impossible to get our money back, When trying to get a hold of someone for a refund, Good Luck!!! They will not answer your phone calls or return them.
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Date of stay: July 2014
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Poorly executed concept and not worth the premium they charge! It felt like something belonging to a Jeff Foxworthy punch line relative to how things are managed there! Positives: nice cottages with great views, & decent pool. Negatives: zero food and beverage options (false advertising!), not well maintained, no wifi, poor tv options in cottages, no formal beach area, guests are mostly locals who visit the owners in their boats, poor coordination of ferry service to mainland, minimal amentities and activity especially for children. Feels like a concept that just does not work! Priced at a premium and marketed like a pristine resort with features that are just not there. For families looking for a beach get-away, avoid this option. We stated 4 days and wanted to depart after the first day!
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Date of stay: August 2014
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have stayed all over the world, and to say the staff here is the worst of them all, is an understatement. Once you are there, you are at their mercy. They are nowhere to be found, the restaurant is never open, and the facility is falling apart. Boards on the deck were literally giving way. Not to mention the pool, which was disgusting, trash all over the place, and a hot tub that hasn't worked in over a year. Do not waste your money!
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Date of stay: July 2014
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry for the delay - we've been busy rebuilding after Hurricane Michael! We took a direct hit, but our hurricane-resistant bungalows came through like champs. We're getting ready to open up reservations for the 2020 season and are getting soooo excited...
3 night minimum - but you'll get a lower rate on 6 nights! Post hurricane-cleanup just completing to reopen in 2020 - partial inventory will be available to rent in February, maybe as early as January. Fully reopened by late spring/early summer.
To keep the atmosphere intimate, facilities at Black's Island are reserved for our guests only. To answer question below, we provide regular shuttle service, and a partner on the mainland for boat rentals of all sorts.
There are more places to choose from in the Port Saint Joe area.
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida PanhandlePort Saint Joe
NUMBER OF ROOMS
26
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Which popular attractions are close to Black's Island?
Nearby attractions include T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (4.6 miles), The Rockin M Ranch (3.0 miles), and Shell Shack (4.4 miles).