I had an amazing adventure at The Castaways on the River. They are dog friendly and don't have an charge extra. They make things so much easier by renting boats and pontoons, and convenient accommodations. They went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable. We originally booked room 100 (see photo of map). However they had a bad storm and they had to move us to cottage #3. It's perfect for a small group of 2-4. You can still see the lake from the balcony while you rock in your chairs. The cottage has everything from a coffee maker to toiletries. Check out their website. It's resourceful and it explains the layout of the cottages very well. We got there late but just in time to meet Cindy at the front office who already had a lock box ready with our key and all instructions just in case we got there past 5pm. The next morning we woke up and walked up to front desk to pick up all the instructions from Cindy to our pontoon. They give precise directions in navigating the lake and getting to the springs. It's about 30-40 minutes to get to the springs. We took our time since it's such a beautiful trip. The only thing that was I inconvenient is that you have to stop and fill up the gas tank at a specific place before you return the pontoon. Astor is a small town. We stopped at Buc-ees in Daytona Beach and purchased everything for our trip. It's great for all those snacks and drinks you will need. After a day at the springs we drove to a restaurant called Castaway. It was packed but a great atmosphere with locals watching college football with their families. I plan on making this a yearly vacation!!!! read more

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RIP OFF BUSINESS! GREEDY and IGNORANT! The office staff was not very friendly to start out. The room we rented was old and needed alot of work,cleaning,painting, furniture, appliances. A good pressure washing would be nice. Above all that the price was very high and then they overcharged me for an extra night ! I called to advise them but they were not interested in listening only about the money for them! I would NOT reccomend this place to anyone! Alot of better businesses in Astor then Castaways. read more

What a fabulous place in Old Florida! Our family will definitely return to Castaways for future vacations, and we have already recommended it to several like-minded friends. After a busy year, we needed a laid back place to enjoy nature and reset. We originally rented a dog friendly cottage and pontoon for 3 nights and 2 full days on the river. But after relaxing in Astor, my husband surprised Mom and I by extending our trip by 2 more nights. There isn't much to do in Astor or surrounding communities except for boat, fish, swim in the springs, relax on the front porch of the cottage and play cards. And that was just what we needed. The Castaways staff was top notch! They were welcoming, friendly and made sure all of our needs were met. As a dog family, we were grateful for the truly dog-friendly cottages, pontoons and grounds. Castaways even provides several doggie cleanup stations with dog waste bag dispensers and covered disposal receptacles. The pontoons include Bimini tops to keep you and your doggies shaded. Please be advised that the St. John's River and surrounding lakes are full of alligators that are capable of eating a large dog. As responsible dog parents, we kept our dogs leashed and held their leashes while on the boat. And they wore dog life jackets in case of emergency. Do NOT under any circumstances let your children or dogs swim in the St. John's River or any of the lakes. Wait until you make it all the way to the beautiful crystal clear 73 degree Silver Glen Springs to swim in safe waters. The local restaurants are fantastic. We especially enjoyed Castaways (not near the cottages, but down the road several miles), Sparky's and Sammie's Ice Cream. If you're interested in venturing out, drive down the road to nearby Astor to browse the delightful garden art store and spend an hour or two touring the Barberville Settlement and learning a bit of Old Florida history. read more

We just stayed our 2nd time in 6 months at the Fisherman's cottage and this time brought others to join us. The cottage is right on the river with a large screened porch and comfy rocking chairs to enjoy a very nice view. The place was well stocked with amenities and all we had to do is bring the food. If cooking or grilling isn't your thing there are several restaurants a short distance away. I give it 4 stars as it does need a few repairs but nothing that would deter our coming again. It's a hidden gem that we would recommend to everyone. read more

DO NOT RENT from them !!! Total SCAMMERS !! Unfortunately, I am only now reading on yelp that others have also been scammed by this company. We rented a boat yesterday from castaways and they accused us of denting the propeller... which 100% was there prior to departure. We were a group of knowledgeable boaters and most certainly didn't hit anything at all. The interesting parts of the scam that guarantee it was a scam was that the guy checking us in within one minute of pulling up and the propeller still in the water said it was damaged, he informed the office we were coming to discuss the matter and by coincidence the Extra propeller replacement was sitting right on the desk. $169 fee for a part that we didn't damage- a total lie they put together to make more money and scam people. DONT support this scamming company read more

i have used this place many times; we rented for 8 hours; i thought we possessed it for 8 hours; we could not get there for four hours, so we had 4 hrs left; would not give us boat and would not refund deposit; just dishonorable. read more

Big scam. You can definitely find somewhere else for cheaper, with better boats to rent out and a better staff. Tried to accuse us of putting the smallest and let me emphasize SMALLEST or should I say minuscule chip on the prop of the boat that was already there. Biggest rip off of my life. Made me pay 150 for something they will not replace and keep scamming people. So if you go there ( and I highly recommend you don't) make sure you take a picture of every tiny detail on the boat you rent out or they'll say you messed it up and make you pay for it. On top of that the staff was rude. Live and learn I guess and if you were smart take my advice and learn from my mistake and take your business somewhere other then here that actually deserves your time and money. read more

We've come here for years. We're born Floridians and this place allows us to get back to real Florida. The fishing has very much improved after several years of flooding from hurricanes. A group brought in a great catch of really big crappie while we were here January, 2021. All accommodations have always been clean and well equipped. The staff is very professional and courteous. Thanks for the emergency corkscrew! read more

AMAZING! The ladies in the front are so friendly and accommodating. The staff go above and beyond to make sure your stay is great. The cottages are clean and updated. The boat slips are a short walk away and so is the restaurant next door. Our family, my husband's co-workers and their family's come every year on the same weekend and have been for the past 4 years. We can't wait to go back! read more

Best thing I can say about our pontoon rental today is, we had great friends with us and the weather was outstanding. The boat however was another case. I reserved a pontoon with Castaways 10 days prior to our rental date, which should provide plenty of notice that we were coming and to have a clean boat. The boat was filthy. It had not been cleaned from the prior rental. Dirt and grime covered the floors and seats, shells and cigarette butts in the cup holders. Sticky spills on the table, seats and cup holders. Canopy top ripped and dirty. Seats ripped and so dirty we didn't want to put our towels on them. I ask for a different boat and was told they were all rented. I said yes and I rented one 10 days ago and you gave me this mess! We're not a new customer to Castaways. We've rented several times before and had good success. This time however, will be our last time! read more

This used to be a wonderful, quite retreat. Even family friendly. Great place to dock your boat, and good clean modern cabins. Not anymore. Under new management. We had to listen to a bunch of drunks, and their loud music until 3 AM. Not going back. read more

Rock bottom in customer service. I have lived in Florida for over 40 years, (the first twenty in Miami/Ft Lauderdale where "bait and switch" is common.) Six people were in our party, two guys were in one Cabin, we two couples had planned to be in another cabin (actually both are double wide house trailers.). I am partially crippled, when my wife saw the number of steps I would have to climb, she knew I could never do so. The night clerk offered to move us to two motel rooms. She said the upgrade would be $10 to a max of $15 per room. Upon checking out we found the actual charge was $150, or $75 per room. We explained the night clerk had cited a max of $15 per room. She said it wasn't her fault the clerk had made an error, implying we were not being truthful. The manager came and was even more adamant. We asked to see the owner and the night clerk, she flatly refused. It seems it was the clerk's day off and the owner was unavailable. We paid the additional charge although it was both unfair and unconscionable. We had planned to come back at least monthly, no more. I will never again patronize any business managed or operated by this company. I intend to accurately portray our experience to all my friends and family and warn them of the tactics employed by this business. read more