Living Off the Grid Near Keewaydin Island

keewaydin beach

If the idea of living “off-the-grid” sounds appealing, secluded Keewaydin Island is a great place to begin your search. Located off Naples, the island offers 50 private lots, some of which already have homes sitting on the property.

While much of the island is public, the rest is private property, located mostly on the island’s west side. You won’t find roads, bridges or even cars on the island, but rather dirt paths leading from private boat docks to homes.

Used as a winter retreat since the 1930s, to this day the island is commonly used for vacation homes. Some homeowners also rent out their property for extra income.

Most of the sustainable homes on the island use solar panels for electricity and collect rain in large barrels, which is then filtered and reused by homeowners and guests. While residents are dependent on sunshine and rain, the homeowners don’t have to worry about things like electrical outages.

It’s said the solar powers are able to generate enough electricity to power air conditioning and even high-speed internet service. It’s not often, though, that homes on the island even go on the market.

Accessible only by boat, some of the homes of Keewaydin Island can easily top the million-dollar range. In recent years Coastal Living ranked Keewaydin Island as number three on its list of the 10 best secret beaches.

A popular stop for tourists, you’ll often find people out on the beach, along with food boats and even ice cream boats for an extra treat. Wildlife spotting is also common on the island, including frequent sightings of iguanas, deer and wild boar.

If life on Keewaydin Island isn’t what you’re after, you can always check out places nearby like Little Marco Island. It also offers an off-the-grid lifestyle, with private beachfront properties for sale.

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