PHOTO GALLERY: The Pointe at Mariner's Cove
The area of Cortez in west Bradenton, across the water from Anna Maria Island on a promontory of five square miles, used to be known as Hunter's Point.
Before it was settled in the 1880s, it was almost all wetland. It got its current name, Cortez Village, when it received a U.S. post office in 1895.
An idyllic scene at The Pointe at Mariner's Cove in Cortez. Staff photo / Harold Bubil
For more than a century, the plentiful fishing grounds at the mouth of the Manatee River were one of the most important seafood suppliers on the west coast of Florida. Although the fishing industry has fallen on hard times, and Cortez Village has become more of a tourist attraction, it is on the National Register of Historic Places for being one of the last working fishing villages on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Over the past 40 years, much of the area has yielded to residential development, but more recently the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (F.I.S.H.) purchased 100 acres east of Cortez along the southern shore of Palma Sola Bay to preserve some of the waterfront and other environmentally sensitive land.
As a result, many of the residential neighborhoods in the area are surrounded by great natural beauty.
One such neighborhood is The Pointe at Mariner's Cove, a small condo complex north of Cortez Road on 129th Street West, sitting on the Intracoastal Waterway across from Anna Maria Island.
Constructed in 1988, it consists of just 24 units in six two-story buildings. The condos range in size from 2,300 to 2,750 square feet and have their own private elevator entrances. A two-car garage on the ground floor for each unit comes with an air-conditioned storage room.
Gated and attractively landscaped, the Pointe has a geothermally heated community pool with a hot tub. Just outside the gates is a tennis court that it shares with its neighbors.
Dolphin feed near the seawall at The Pointe at Mariner's Cove in Cortez. Staff photo / Harold Bubil
But what sets it apart from other developments in the area is the storm-protected harbor with a full-service marina, Cove Sound Moorings. Each unit at The Pointe has its own deeded slip there.
"I always joke that, 'You can buy a boat slip and it comes with a condo,'" says Kevin Milner, a Realtor with Premier Sotheby's International Realty. His listing, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo, has a 67-foot dock with a 24,000-pound lift, one of the largest in the marina.
On the side facing the water, it has three balconies totaling 458 square feet, which offer spectacular vistas from the Cortez Road Bridge to Anna Maria Island and the entrance of Palma Sola Bay. "You've got the best of the Florida lifestyle," says Milner. "You have boating, you can walk or bike over the bridge to the beaches, and you have the views! In the evenings, you can see unbelievably gorgeous sunsets."
Resident Nicholas Kovacs agrees. "I'm looking at palm trees. I've always loved herons, and there are plenty of them," he says.
He and his wife are avid kayakers and enjoy using their dock at the marina as a launch to head out on the Intracoastal Waterway. "It is wonderful to go out and watch the dolphins play," he says.
They also love the sense of privacy and serenity. "About three-quarters of the units are owned by snowbirds," he explains. "During the summer and even now, it's very quiet. In the swimming pool, all you ever hear are the birds chirping."
Another attraction is the surrounding amenities. Just to the south are the seafood restaurants and galleries of Cortez Village. Across the bridge, Anna Maria Island offers powder-white sand beaches, other restaurants and quaint shops in a distinctly old Florida atmosphere.
Cortez Road provides other shopping opportunities and easy access to downtown Bradenton, the Village of the Arts, IMG Academy and the airport.
The condo fees are $4,050 per quarter and cover insurance, maintenance of roads and exterior painting. There is a fulltime maintenance/gardener who keep things looking beautiful.
Because The Pointe is such a small subdivision, condos don't come on the market often. Currently, only unit is on the market -- Milner's listing -- priced at $800,000.
"It is very rare to find an Intracoastal condo with such fabulous views at this price point," says Milner. "You want a boat in your backyard, the bay in your front yard and a private elevator that opens up to your unit -- this is it!"
