Tropical cottage escape: The Moorings Village

Think of a cottage vacation away from home and a week in Eng­land's Cotswolds or the Scottish Hebrides might come to mind. Each, certainly, has its own distinct attractions, as would something a bit more unexpected: say, a stay in a rustic cottage in a village on Greece's Pelo­ponnese or an isolated cabin in Argentina's Pata­gonia. In fact, combining your cottage experience with travelling can open up a whole new world beyond Canada's borders. Fitting that bill perfectly, and a bit closer to home, is the 18-acre Moorings Village cottage resort in the sleepy Florida Keys.

A former coconut plantation, The Moorings Village is peppered with self-contained cottage units of varying shapes and sizes, from sweet little bungalows to colonial-inspired multi-storey houses. Tongue-and-groove walls, charm­ing rustic porches equipped with old-fashioned mailboxes (our favourite touch!), wide-planked floors and shuttered windows in cheery colours characterize all the accommodations here as cottage country casual. And to top it off, all this relaxed comfort is tucked away like a step back in time under a canopy of palm trees on a peaceful, private stretch of beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

For a true cottage experience, look for destinations where things are kept deliberately simple. Wood is the predominant construction material at Moorings Village, for example, from floorboards that make it easy to sweep the sand away to panelled walls and ceilings that add a carefree, bucolic feel. The furniture is a graceful mix of mismatched pieces and crisp linens in cottage style checks and prints. Homey touches like unpretentious artwork, big cozy chairs and lots of sink-into pillows make places like Moorings Village seem more like a home away from home than a luxury hotel. And that's the key, really: Wherever you spend your cottage vacation, relaxed elements like these are a must to put you in the mood.