Entire home

Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks

Photo gallery for Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks

Living area
Living area
Terrace/patio
Beach
Beach

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 14194.4 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Parking available
  • Outdoor space
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
Gilchrist, TX
  • Crystal Beach
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Gilchrist Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • High Island Beach
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Galveston, TX (GLS-Scholes Intl.)
    ‪68 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 14)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

4 Queen Beds

Bedroom 3

1 King Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Double Bed

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Dining area

About this property

Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks

The Salty Dog

Our calendar is updated in real-time & our nightly rates are accurately displayed. Simply enter your desired dates and click 'Book Now!'

This oceanfront treasure is the perfect getaway for anyone wanting to enjoy a more rural side of the Texas Gulf Coast and have a luxurious home to relax in.

This stilted, three-story home is bright and spacious, with the living spaces on the second and third floors (which are accessed by stairs). There are nautical accents throughout the home, and its open layout makes it great for a larger group of guests. The fully equipped kitchen features a large island with seating, along with upscale accents, stainless steel appliances, and gorgeous granite countertops. The main living area is open, expansive, and full of tasteful furnishings.

Two primary bedrooms are located on the third floor, as is the laundry room. One bedroom features an en suite bathroom; the other bathroom has a door to the second bedroom and another access point from the main living area. Step out onto the partially covered, third-story deck and enjoy sweeping ocean views. There are deck chairs, loungers, and rocking chairs to help you enjoy the salty sea air.

The second story features a mezzanine deck with porch swings, and an open bar area with a refrigerator and a chest freezer. The bunk room, with its large full bathroom, and the fourth bedroom are accessed from this deck The ground level has an open seating and counter area, along with bench seating and a firepit right along the beach. This home is a lovely place to bring friends or family together.

Things to Know
Please note that the two primary bedrooms are on the third floor and accessible from inside the home. There are two additional bedrooms located on the mezzanine (second floor) deck which are not accessible from inside the home and have a separate entrance with deadbolt locks.
This home is equipped with high-speed WiFi, along with an outdoor shower.

Parking notes: There is free parking available for 4 vehicles.

Security camera details: There is no cameras on the inside of the home or pointed in the direction of in the home.
All the cameras are active and on record at all times.
On main upper level
One Camera pointed towards entrance of front door and stairway to enter home.
On 2nd level of home.
there are a total of 5 cameras all in use and constant record. All the cameras are pointed to entrance of bed rooms and the stair way entry
On ground level of home.
there are a total of 3 cameras. pointed at entrance of drive and a Ring cam at base of the stairway.


Please note: this home resides in a noise-sensitive area and the owners participate in our Good Neighbor protection program. Our smart home technology will alert our team if excessive decibel or occupancy levels are detected, allowing us to reach out directly with a reminder of maximum occupancy and quiet hours. This technology is privacy compliant, and only monitors the presence of decibels and devices-not any personal conversation or information. Thank you for supporting our efforts to be good neighbors!

Damage waiver: The total cost of your reservation for this Property includes a nightly damage waiver fee, plus tax if applicable (the “Damage Waiver”). (A discount may be applied for stays of 28 nights or longer, if permitted.) The Damage Waiver covers you for up to $3,000 of accidental damage to the Property or its contents (such as furniture, fixtures, and appliances) as long as you report the incident to the host prior to checking out. The Damage Waiver fee eliminates the need for a traditional security deposit.
More information can be downloaded from the "Rental Agreement" on the checkout page.

Due to local laws or HOA requirements, guests must be at least 25 years of age to book. Guests under 25 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the reservation.

Property manager

Vacasa of Texas
Premier Host

Languages

English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Ocean view

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

No pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the premises.
For information about quiet hours, please refer to the listing description.

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 indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
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

Port Bolivar

Located in Port Bolivar, this holiday home is on the beach. While the natural beauty of Crystal Beach and Gilchrist Beach can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Stingaree Marina. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Gilchrist, TX

What's nearby

  • Crystal Beach - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Gilchrist Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • High Island Beach - 5 min drive - 5.9 km
  • Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary - 11 min drive - 11.9 km
  • Port of Galveston Cruise Terminal - 58 min drive - 43.4 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Fantasea BBQ & Grill - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Gulfway Grill - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Pop's Beach Boil - ‬2 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Beautiful oceanfront home with expansive decks located?

Nestled on the beach, this Port Bolivar holiday home is just steps away from Crystal Beach and Gilchrist Beach. High Island Beach and Hooks Woods Bird Sanctuary are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 23 out of 29 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 29 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 29 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 29 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 29 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Check-in

8.6/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

8.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jan C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome

Awesome place. Great house and locatiom
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lisa E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Love this place

This is our favorite rental in gilchrist. Will definitely be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer L.

Beautiful Retreat!

My family had an amazing time at the Salty Dog. The beach access and hot tub were a big hit. Fishing was great. The house is beautiful and well equipped. Thank you!!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth B.

Luxury Beach Home

This home is so beautifully decorated. It is so inviting inside & out. The decks are amazing, such a short walk to the beach (just a few steps, really!).

10/10 Excellent

Morgan H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome beach house

You can’t beat the proximity to the beach! No neighbors so you have a big chunk of beach to yourself! The beach was clean! The hot tub was fantastic! This house is fully equipped, all you need to bring are groceries! We will definitely come back!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brandee A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Family Getaway

We had a wonderful time with family here! Bigger than expected! Beds were really comfortable! Home was clean and beautifully decorated!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

2/10 Terrible

Jordi T.

Liked: Location
Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS RENTAL

I am giving terrible feedback to make a point because previous reviews gave 4 out of 10 and things seem that did not improve, so I gave 0 out of 10. The location is outstanding to see wildlife, but it is better and cheaper to set up a camping tend in the beach that staying in this house, the commodities are the same.For VACASA/VRBO/OWNER: I do not wish wasting my time writing about this house and the whole disappointing experience.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Amanda S.

Best House on Bolivar

Perfect location, steps from the beach. House is located at the quiet end of Bolivar. There are no houses on either side of the Salty Dog making it feel like a private oasis.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Amanda S.

Always a great place to stay

The Salty Dog is one of the best houses on Bolivar. It's location in Gilchrist is remote and peaceful. The beach is just steps from the house and it is not a busy part of the beach. This is our 3rd time to stay at the Salty Dog and we will cintinue to stay here every time we come to Bolivar. Vacasa makes the rental process so easy and they are very timely with instructions, as well as following up to make sure we are settle in.

10/10 Excellent

Lisa E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely Love this place!

This place is our favorite house in gilchrist. Big enough for our hole family and friends. We just love everything about this place. This was our 2nd time renting it in 2 months. We will definitely keep renting here. Thank you.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gail Denise F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Time

The house was beautiful and so was the location. The only disappointment we had was the hot tub and outside shower was not working. They were able to fix the shower by not the hot tub. The porches were amazing. All the chairs and swings. Thank you for sharing your Beautiful home.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

Molly Z.

Amazing house

We loved the location of this house! So pretty, back yard is the beach! Waking up to those views was priceless. We got torn up by mosquitoes a couple of nights. I’m sure just a mosquito hatch with standing water all over. The hot tub needed a little TLC, but they sent someone out almost immediately. Amazing customer service. we hope to return again soon depending on mosquito season.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

Larry N.

Good home

The house itself was good but a lot of things did not met my expectations.

4/10 Poor

Priscilla C.

Liked: Check-in, communication
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Beautiful but would not recommend as is

The house was beautiful with comfortable beds. But the smell of mold and visible mold through out the house made our stay uncomfortable. All issue and pictures have been sent and discussed with the property manager. Another issue was the beautiful view we could have experienced if we could have accessed the beach in front of the house. One of the main reasons we picked the house was the view. I wish as a host wanting their guest to really enjoy the house would of added in the information that the weekend we picked was a shark tournament weekend and the beach would be super crowded with loud music playing all night.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Matthew G.

The Salty Dog

House was great. Everything that the pictures showed plus the amazing view! We went in Oct 2023, the water was warm enough to body board and still have a fire at night. We spent a lot of time on the patios. We also booked a fishing trip on our last day which was amazing. The only things to note is that the beach is a little small so you have to time your beach activities around low and high tide and that the mesquitoes were horrible. But as long as you plan and spray yourself down with mesquitoe spray it is all manageable. Overall, great experience and we will book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

KELLEY T.

Liked: Location
Disliked: Communication, listing accuracy

Great location

The house is nice and the location to the beach is amazing; however, there were so many issues with the house! To name a couple, the hot tub does not work so should be removed as an amenity. The a/c in the house also does not cool. I informed the management company (not VRBO) of my many concerns but nothing was resolved. I also gave a review to Vacasa prior to this review and never got a reply. I have booked properties thru VRBO for 15+ years and have never had any issues and will continue to book, only if solely managed by VRBO!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lance T.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Short, relaxing stay by the beach

We had a brief stay at The Salty Dog which was very enjoyable. The location is great, a little on its own and right on the beach. The house is great; we only has 2 of us stay but plenty of room for a family and wouldnt have been crowded. Decor inside is very well themed for the beach and the property is generally very well kept. The only 2 items for attention: - the lock boxes are very corroded fromnthe sea salt and very hard to use. - the main living space is on the third floor and the service lift is not usable to get luggage up. We were on a 3 week trip and so we had a lot to get up there and back down again! Both inconvenient but in no way took away from our stay. Would love to bring the family back if we were ever in the area again.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

mattpatt0007

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great property as described!!

Beautiful and clean house as described with all the necessities. Beach access and hot tub were both AMAZING!!! We had one issue with speakers in the house not turning off, but they sent someone out to handle it quickly. Be prepared for mosquitoes, there were a TON of them around the island while we were there (November). Bring plenty of spray, candles, etc. For whatever reason they did not seem to like the hot tub so we were still able to enjoy the hot tub which was a huge plus, and a big reason we booked here. Very private location. We highly recommend Margaritaville for nearby food/entertainment which was about a 10+ min. drive away. Especially if you have kids, they had an awesome set up for kids entertainment (mini football field, pool/hot tubs, volleyball, basketball, arcade, live music, etc.)
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

nancy a., Henrico, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great house but several glitches!

Good location, some very nice amenities ( beach towels) but no coffee bean grinder, no waste baskets in the bathrooms, no outdoor grill. Most importantly the dishwasher was non- functional! When we got there it was full of dirty dishes. I called mgmt. re this but nothing was done.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kelli T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome home & location

The house was awesome. Perfect location to the beach. Beautiful decor, comfy beds and room for everyone in our family. The kitchen is well equipped. The only 2 complaints that I have are the middle floor description of the two bedrooms was deceiving on the online site with the two rooms not being connected to each other and (1) bedroom not connected to the bathroom. You had to go outside on the middle deck to access the separated bathroom. We had young teens staying on the floor. NOTE# I did know in advance that the two rooms downstairs had to use stairs outside to go to kitchen and living room that are upstairs, but not clear on the bathroom situation and being separated bedrooms from each other. Also, there was no outside BBQ grill to use. So prepare for that. Not a game changer, but needs to be noted. We will stay here again. Thank you for the great week stay in your beautiful home. Lots of great memories made. Thanks again, Kelli Tennison
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Bonnie O.

The Madison Gang

We so enjoyed The Salty Dog, it was indeed a beautiful beach house & right on the beach, it had so much room in the kitchen where you know everybody congregates, we enjoyed the hot tub, which was one of the deciding points, if you have a big family or a lot of friends like us the private quarters on the second floor felt like a bonus, the two en-suites bedrooms on the top floor were awesome, beautifully decorated if you enjoy beach life & we do, all in all a great experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Amanda S.

Great Beach House

I love the views and the house is very spacious.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Sue Y.

Beautiful home!

Very close to the beach, great views.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Randy H.

Beautiful Beach Home!

The house is absolutely beautiful. The location is Great for finding sea shells and sea glass.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Adam J.

Nothing better than a Salty Dog

Spent a week and what an experience! The top floor was perfectly furnished and fully functional for our entire family (parents, kids, grandkids). The large kitchen accommodated cooking for our crew without being cramped and we had nine people easily seated at the kitchen bar to eat! The mezzanine was great for watching the beach from the shaded deck swings and for the kids to sleep while the parents played on the top floor deck once the sun went down. The additional refrigerator and freezer on the mezzanine were very helpful too! The ground floor was fabulous going and coming from the beach with the outdoor sink, shower, and charcoal grill. Bring a flameproof lighter; the cooling beach breeze never stops (which is great in late July). When spending a week on the beach there's nothing better than a Salty Dog!

About the host

Hosted by Vacasa of Texas

Host profile image

Languages:

English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests