Gorgeous Waldo Home w/ Dock on Santa Fe Lake!

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Waldo Vacation Rental Home | 5BR | 2.5BA | 2 Steps to Enter

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

9.8

Exceptional

5 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 8298 sq m

Popular amenities

Washer

Barbecue grill

Outdoor space

Kitchen

Air conditioning

Fireplace

Explore the area

Waldo, FL

Santa Fe Lake17 min walk
Gainesville, FL (GNV-Gainesville Regional)22 min drive
Gainesville Raceway24 min drive
University of Florida27 min drive

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Queen Beds

Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5

2 Single Beds and 1 Double Bed

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Full Bathroom

Half Bathroom

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

About this property

Enjoy the tranquility of Santa Fe Lake from this newly renovated 5-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom vacation rental in Waldo. This immaculate home offers beach access near the private dock framed by mature cypress trees. Take one of the provided kayaks out for a spin, or fish along the water's edge before a game of pool inside. Drive around the lake where antique stores, local restaurants, and cozy cafes await in historic downtown Melrose just 10 minutes away!

-- THE PROPERTY --

Lakefront Location | Free WiFi | Sunroom

Bedroom 1: King Bed | Bedroom 2: Queen Bed | Bedroom 3: 2 Queen Beds | Bedroom 4: Queen Bed, Twin Bunk Bed | Bedroom 5: Twin Bed, Twin/Full Bunk Bed

OUTDOOR LIVING: Private dock on Santa Fe Lake, 5 kayaks (3 adult-sized, 2 youth-sized), paddle board, canoe, outdoor shower, furnished patio, gas grill, backyard w/ cypress trees
INDOOR LIVING: Open layout, hardwood floors, 2 Smart TV, gas fireplace, dining table, pool table
KITCHEN: Fully equipped, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, drip coffee maker, toaster, blender
GENERAL: Washer & dryer, linens & towels, ceiling fans
SUITABILITY: Stairs required
PARKING: Covered spot (1 vehicle), driveway (5 vehicles)

-- THE LOCATION --

LAKE SANTA FE (on-site): Boating, kayaking, fishing
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS: Brown's Farm (5.2 miles), Historic Downtown Melrose (7.0 miles) Gator Bait (7.5 miles), Blue Water Bay (7.6 miles)
GAINESVILLE: University of Florida (19.5 miles), Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (20.0 miles), Devil's Millhopper Geological State (21.2 miles), Florida Museum of Natural History (23.5 miles), Kanapaha Botanical Gardens (26.4 miles)
AIRPORT: Jacksonville International Airport (71.8 miles)

-- REST EASY WITH US --

Evolve makes it easy to find and book properties you'll never want to leave. You can relax knowing that our properties will always be ready for you and that we'll answer the phone 24/7. Even better, if anything is off about your stay, we'll make it right. You can count on our homes and our people to make you feel welcome — because we know what vacation means to you.

-- POLICIES --

- Absolutely no smoking allowed inside or outside
- No pets allowed
- No events, parties, or large gatherings
- Must be at least 25 years old to book
- Additional fees and taxes may apply
- Photo ID may be required upon check-in
- NOTE: No loud music. Please observe quiet hours starting at 7:00 PM
- NOTE: Mid-stay cleanings will be required for stays longer than 3 weeks at no additional charge
- NOTE: the property is in a peaceful family neighborhood and guests must be respectful of the neighbors or they will make a formal complaint to the local law enforcement
- NOTE: This property has a strict maximum occupancy of 8
- NOTE: While the property requires only 2 steps to enter, stairs are required for full access

Property manager

Evolve

Languages

English, French, German, Spanish

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

Barbecue grill

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

House Rules

Check in after 5:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

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 and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Earleton

Located in Earleton, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Hippodrome State Theatre and Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Waldo Motorsports and Florida Museum of Natural History. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or Gainesville Raceway. With kayaking and power boating nearby, you'll find plenty of adventures in the water.

Waldo, FL

What's nearby

Santa Fe Lake - 17 min walk
Gainesville Raceway - 24 min drive
University of Florida - 27 min drive
Shands at the University of Florida - 28 min drive
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - 29 min drive

Getting around

Gainesville, FL (GNV-Gainesville Regional) - 23 min drive

Restaurants

‪Florida Cracker Kitchen - ‬24 min drive
‪Dunkin' - ‬11 min drive
‪Wendy's - ‬24 min drive
‪Wendy's - ‬9 min drive
‪McDonald's - ‬25 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Gorgeous Waldo Home w/ Dock on Santa Fe Lake! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Gorgeous Waldo Home w/ Dock on Santa Fe Lake!?

Check-in begins at 5:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Gorgeous Waldo Home w/ Dock on Santa Fe Lake!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Gorgeous Waldo Home w/ Dock on Santa Fe Lake! located?

This family-friendly Earleton holiday home is located on the waterfront, 0.9 mi (1.4 km) from Santa Fe Lake, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Waldo Motorsports and Santa Fe River. University of Florida and Lake Rowell are also within 20 miles (32 km).

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Marisa O.

27 May 2024

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

Perfect Place

This is a great house and property with an extremely helpful and attentive owner. We stayed for Memorial Day weekend and had the best time. Will definitely stay again.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

deborah v.

7 May 2024

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

Perfect stay

The house was great and the view and nature is spectacular. I was not aware that all but the master bedroom are on a second floor. But they are very spacious and plenty of room. Would definitely stay there again.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brian F.

15 Apr 2024

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

Amazing Getaway

We recently visiting this wonderful little getaway on Lake Sante Fe. I have stayed at several properties over the years on this lake, and I have to say, this has been my favorite. The owner was communicative and helpful. We are already looking to book again!

Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan M., Cocoa florida

20 Jan 2024

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

Awesome experience

Place was awesome and great customer service

Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2024

This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Rita

30 Dec 2023

Great home for families traveling for graduation

We had family coming in for our son's graduation from the University of Florida and we rented this beautiful lake house for us all to be together. The home was very spacious allowing us all to be together without being on top of each other. The bedrooms and bathrooms were very large and had ample storage space. There were so many things to do including playing a game of pool, fishing, swimming, boating, trail walking, and even a bricked-in firepit. The home was very clean with updated appliances and finishes. The owners were very responsive when we had a question and we will be recommending this home to our friends who also have kids at UF.

10/10 Excellent

Cathy M.

26 Nov 2023

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

Great Thanksgiving gathering

The house was beautiful, better than I expected from the listing. It had been obviously renovated, and the bathrooms really are nice. The dock, and the lake were beautiful. We enjoyed using the fire pit. The kitchen was very well equipped, and I had no problem at all making an extensive Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen. There is a nice Winn-Dixie about 15 minutes away. There is an up-to-date, modern washer and dryer that worked beautifully. We would like to stay here again!

Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mark S., Boulder, Colorado

8 Oct 2023

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

Great weekend

Had a great weekend, convenient location, and quiet! Great place for a weekend or longer, plenty to do, and a lot of fun. Well furnished and maintained.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Sonya

7 July 2023

Family and Friends Spring Break Race weekend

We had 2 families enjoy this beautiful home. Some headed to the Gator Nationals and other enjoyed the lake and the sunshine!

10/10 Excellent

Brenda H.

15 May 2023

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

Great home

Very nice home and we had a great time! Thank you

Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sonya D., Jay, FL

12 Mar 2023

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

Spring Break/Race weekend!

Had an awesome start to spring break 2023 in this beautiful home. Perfect for friend and family group. Very nice home and location. Would definitely stay here again!

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lisa B.

16 Aug 2022

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

Back porch swinging!

Loved the house and lake setting. Made lots of memories! Would most definitely go back! And loved sitting on the back porch swinging in the two swings, very peaceful!

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Daniel N.

7 Apr 2022

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

Nice, spacious house in an excellent location!

The house seemed even larger than the impression I got from the listing. Property is right on the lake and has everything you need to have a wonderful vacation. Owner was quick to reply to questions and requests.

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tara W.

20 Mar 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Amazing property

This house is immaculate, spacious, and has everything you need to enjoy a vacation with family. It is nestled in the woods and has a gorgeous view of the lake. The house body multiple areas to spend time with family; pool table, cozy leather sectional, big kitchen, deck out front, and my favorite…that back porch! My only issue is the photos show 11 beds and their occupancy is limited to 8. I understand why they limit their occupancy (otherwise you could host a wedding at this beautiful location and is is in a neighborhood), but this should be the first line of information in the description, not the last. To be fair, the owner contacted me within days of booking to verify I new the occupancy limit and was more attentive to my questions/issues then the management company. If you are looking for a family friendly place to vacation, this is it! We will be staying here again when we visit Gainesville!

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Arianne Jones

9 Feb 2022

Evolve was a fantastic host. Home was perfect!

We came in for our daughters baptism at Greenhouse Church in Gainesville, FL. The home was very clean upon arrival and the fireplace was even lit to set a nice ambiance. The home was perfectly stoked and we had everything we needed and more. The beds and bedding were comfortable. The homeowners really made you feel welcome! We enjoyed using the canoe very much! Our family had a great time together! I would recommend this home to anyone and would love to come back! Thank you so much for a great stay! We will definitely use Evolve again and recommend this home!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

11 Aug 2021

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

Lake house

The house was great , very clean . We enjoyed our stay very much . There were lots of water toys to enjoy.

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Steve C.

2 May 2021

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

Great Family Place

We were in the area for a UF Graduation and wanted a place the whole family could stay and enjoy. The house is wonderful with 4 big bedrooms, a large kitchen and plenty of seating at the dining room table then you throw in a pool table and everyone from 22 to 81 had a great time. Morning coffee on the back porch swings was a added bonus overlooking the lake. Can’t wait to come back!

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Chris D.

11 Apr 2021

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

Lake Stay

Great location and nice place.

Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2021

This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

Joe

2 Apr 2021

Bring bottled water!

Nice, quiet and relatively private waterfront location with a well maintained dock for direct water access. The home has a no-frills presentation but is clean and not missing of any basic necessities. There are a TON of beds (I think I counted 12?). The main drawback is that the household water smells and tastes awful. There is a disclaimer that the water may have a "slight smell of sulfur" but this is a vast understatement in our experience. We couldn't run a faucet or shower or even the washing machine without effectively fumigating one region of the home with a potent sulfuric smell of rotten eggs. On our first day, I escalated the issue to the property manager and was more or less dismissed and told there was a filter on the home and to drink the water from the fridge (which also tasted like a stagnant pond). Whatever filtering system they have adopted is not effective. Luckily we were visiting family who live nearby on the lake so we were able to use their home for washing and drinking water. My only other note is that when we arrived there was a bowl of water on the floor in the living room with eat appeared to be pet hair floating in it; clearly a cat or dog bowl. This was a little concerning for a no pets location but moreso because whoever cleaned the home before our arrival clearly didn't sweep or mop the living room as they would surely have spotted a bowl in the center of the floor. In the age of COVID, this did not inspire any confidence in the property owners sanitation protocols.

6/10 Okay

Thomas P.

19 July 2020

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

Disliked: Communication

House Amazing - Evolve Nightmare

The house could not have been better. Super clean. Anything you think you wanted was there and in various sizes. We had a wonderful time with the family, plenty of room for small babies to run and the swimming was great. Would have like instructions on how to use stove. It was too smart for me. Wish there had been more of a beach for the babies. Evolve was a nightmare. If you had a question you had to call, request a call back, then they would get in touch with you within 24 to 36 hours but they took your money in less than a minute. They are in CT so have no real knowledge of the property. Then there was the Welcome Letter. It did not make me feel very welcome. Don't do this or there is a fine. Don't do that or there is a fine. And if they THINK you did something else there would be a fine. Don't be too noisy after 7:00 pm or neighbors might call authorities. Sun doesn't go down until 8:30 pm. We played Corn Hole game in yard at 8:00 pm, yes we laughed and chased babies AND kept watching for signal from neighbor that we were too loud. I was a wreck, in fear we would break one of the many rules and be fined. Took the fine out of the trip for me. Everyone else that would not be affected by the fine had a really good time.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jo R.

18 Feb 2020

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

Weekend Wedding Stay

We traveled from Tennessee, Missouri and Oklahoma to come together and celebrate our daughter’s wedding. The home was spacious, clean and comfortable. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets, quiet talks on the porch swings and delicious home cooked meals when we weren’t busy with wedding festivities. What a great place for a family get-together.

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sheri E.

22 Aug 2019

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

Perfect!!

The home and property were perfect! Clean, beautiful home and spacious outdoor area! We loved it!

10/10 Excellent

Barbara & Casey V.

30 July 2019

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

Great Family Getaway

This lake home was great for our vacation with our kids and grandkids. It was well stocked with paper products and the kitchen had everything we needed to cook breakfasts and big family dinners. There are plenty of chairs for the big dining table, plus a second table and chair set. The grill was another nice addition. Everyone enjoyed playing pool and seeing the deer that visited daily through the pool room windows. The bedrooms are spacious and closets stocked with hangers, and the grandkids quickly named the bunk room the “cousins sleepover room” and loved being able to hang out there. Melissa was a great hostess and very quick to respond to any questions. Although a third full bathroom would be nice for a family group, having the half bath downstairs and the outside shower made it easy to accommodate everyone. We all enjoyed the porch, especially the porch swings and the pretty view of the lake and trees. We swam and watched sunsets from the dock, and the kayaks provided lots of fun and are a great bonus! While we were surprised to see a baby gator near the dock, it was definitely more afraid of us and didn’t prevent us from enjoying the lake. The neighbors were very friendly, and except for a must do trip to Satchel’s for Gainesville’s best pizza, we spent all our trip enjoying our lake time! We were definitely happy to have found such a nice place for our family vacation!

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Aurora Y.

16 June 2019

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

absolutely beautiful

We have a blast, such a beautiful place, highly recommend

Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Adrian S.

19 Mar 2019

This house was great.

The whole experience was just great. Our group is from the city and the silence here was what we needed. The house itself was very very well kept. We were a group of 8 and it did not feel like it. Very very comfortable house! We went to 2 springs which were about an hour away and that was a nice experience. The lake behind the house is huge (there are 2 parts to the lake and that was the smaller part of Santa Fe Lake). We kayaked the lake with our own personal kayaks but the house provides more than enough! Melissa was great and was very responsive. We did not have any problems during our whole stay! Thank You Melissa

This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Melody

21 Feb 2019

Relaxing Getaway

The house was spacious, clean and was well equipped. The owners were very much attentive and helpful when needed. My family of 11 all loved it and said they would love to come back again. A beautiful place and property!!!