Our Tiny Home Stay in Alachua, Florida Review

If you have ever been curious about living in a tiny home, I have an exciting idea for you. This past weekend, we were graciously offered a stay at Simply Further’s Shanti Tiny Home. This allowed us to stay in Alachua for a weekend trip and try out the tiny home lifestyle!

This tiny home is set in a quiet area right between Gainesville and the Freshwater High Springs. It is the perfect home base for a couple or a solo traveler looking for an adventurous, Florida vacation. I had only been up this way a couple of times, so I was very excited for a weekend stay in Alachua. Most exciting of all was the tiny house, so read on to hear what we thought about staying in the Shanti home!

Full Disclosure: I received a free stay at the Airbnb because of my blog. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Tiny Home Location

The Simply Further Tiny Home Airbnbs are located in Alachua, Florida. This is 20 minutes from both the University of Florida college town, Gainesville, and the Freshwater Springs like Ginnie Springs and Gilchrist Blue Springs. Being a halfway point between these two makes it the ideal spot for experiencing the local nature trails and the college town food and bar scene. However, the town of Alachua itself is also a cute spot to visit with a variety of local cafes and a historic downtown.

Currently, you can rent either the Shiva home or the Parvati home on the family’s property in Alachua. Both are pretty secluded with plenty of privacy. The tiny homes have a similar arrangement with a kitchen, living space, bathroom, and loft queen bed.

The Simply Further Tiny Home Atmosphere

Upon arriving at the Tiny Home, we were already enamored with its natural look and location. This adorable, little blue house was right in the middle of the woods on a quiet street. There was lots of plant life surrounding the home including a pomelo plant!

Inside the house, the cozy vibes are strong! The main area is wooded with all sorts of cute plants hanging around and boho décor. The living area includes a bench and a lounge chair to sit in, although we mainly hung out in the loft.

There is also a barstool area overlooking the window, as well as a kitchen with a sink and hot plate. They provide all the equipment you need to cook here, however we only stuck to coffee on this visit, which was provided. If you do plan to cook, make sure to note that it is a vegetarian tiny home, so no meat is allowed.

Tiny Home Bed and Bath

The most surprising thing to me was how big the bathroom was. It was just as big as many hotel bathrooms I have seen before. There was plenty of room to get ready in and the shower had higher water pressure and a warmer temperature than I expected.

The bed is located in the loft, which requires a ladder to get to. I was excited to get back to the bunk bed days of my youth, but this ladder was a little tricky. It was completely vertical, so we had to be careful climbing up. It seems in future homes they have found a way to make a more tilted ladder to make getting your and down easier.

The bed was pretty comfortable and we felt very at home here. There is no TV, but there is free Wi-Fi. However, we were happy to unplug and just spend time in nature and reading on the loft together. Though the home is smaller than we were used to, it was a great opportunity to get some quality time together. I think most couples will love the intimacy of staying in this tiny home!

Our Stay in Alachua

Though the tiny house is super comfy, we wanted to spend a lot of time exploring the great outdoors on this trip. This area is a lot more north than where we live, so we were able to take hikes and see the springs. We started out the trip with a hike on La Chua Trail, which had many views of alligators! This is located at the Paynes Prairie Preserve and definitely a worthwhile spot for nature lovers.

After this, we checked into the tiny home a little after 3 PM and did so easily using the lockbox. We spent the afternoon relaxing around the tiny home until it was time for dinner in Gainesville at Dragonfly Sushi, followed by a drink at First Magnitude Brewing Company. Craft beer fans loves definitely need to visit the local breweries of the area!

The next day was a very full one, starting with breakfast and coffee from two local spots, Mi Apa Latin Café and DOXA Coffee Co. There are two must visits while in the area! Our day of exploring included a visit to the Gilchrist Blue Springs and a hike around the nature trail there because it was too cold to swim. We also checked out Devil’s Mill Hopper, although the bridge was being repaired so that was a shorter hike than expected. We spent some more time in Gainesville and High Springs that day for lunch and dinner.

Our trip came to a close on Sunday and we were sad to see it end. This had been just the peaceful getaway we needed! Though it did not have as many amenities as resorts we have stayed at in the past, it was nice to have a secluded tiny home to ourselves. With Covid cases soaring again, this was a very safe trip as we barely encountered any people and were outside for the most part. Whether you are interested in a winter getaway from crowds this year or a visit to the springs this summer, a stay in Alachua at one of these tiny homes would be my suggestion.

Know Before You Go: Tiny Home Stay in Alachua

We have definitely gotten creative with traveling this year due to the pandemic, and our Tiny Home stay was my favorite trip yet! There are not a lot of hotel options up in Alachua, so staying at this tiny home is the best way to visit. You also get an authentic experience staying here too! This family-owned, small business has a love for the area and sustainable living and it shows in every aspect of their tiny home. Here is everything you need to know about staying in the Florida tiny home!

• A stay in these Alachua Tiny Homes ranges from $70 to $120 per night.
• There is free parking and also free coffee provided in the tiny home.
• Rooms sleep a maximum of three guests with one queen bed and one floor mattress.
• Pets are allowed for no additional cost.
• There is no smoking and no meat allowed in the tiny home, as it is a vegetarian only home.
• The tiny home is within walking distance to a couple of cafes, but it is ideal to drive. There are dozens of restaurants and attractions with a fifteen-minute drive.
• If you love this tiny home and want one of your own, this family designs and sells tiny homes just like this one! Find out everything you need to know about buying a tiny home or just visiting at the website, here.

Have you ever stayed in a tiny home before? It was one of the most unique experiences I have had and was perfect for a weekend enjoying the North Florida nature. For more ideas for taking a stay to Alacua, check out my Ultimate Things to Do in Gainesville List and my restaurant guide to Gainesville and Alachua!