Picture this: the fire bowl (our fire pit) glowing at dusk, the hot tub spilling into the pool, and everyone you love settled into Adirondack chairs inside the gated Kiva Dunes community. Magnolia Mooring is a four-bedroom home with an emerald-green chef's kitchen, a porch bed swing, and room for a large group (sleeps 14). Tomorrow, walk to the beach in about six minutes along quiet neighborhood lanes, without having to cross a single road. ⛱️
THE HOME
Stroll to the sand for birdwatching, dolphin sightings, seashells, or sunset, then come home to the 27-foot saltwater pool, its tanning ledge loungers, and the raised spillover spa (hot tub) with its small waterfall. At dusk, the propane fire bowl (our fire pit) lights on a timer, circled by Adirondack rockers and chairs.
Four large porches give everyone a place to settle in, each with a fan. Upstairs, haint-blue ceilings shade Adirondack chairs, and the back porch adds a daybed-style porch swing, with stairs straight down to the pool so swimmers skip the living room. The screened back porch holds the gas grill, a table for four, and two tall Adirondack chairs with a table between them, easier for those with limited mobility.
Inside, the chef's kitchen has an emerald-green six-burner gas Café range, pot filler, farmhouse sink with brass fixtures, an island with five stools, and a wet bar with its own ice maker. The mango-wood table seats eight under a coconut-shell chandelier, and sliding doors on two sides open to the screened porch, so on mild evenings all 14 can dine together. Then gather by the green tile fireplace for games, puzzles, or a movie.
All four bedrooms have their own baths, and three have custom tropical wallpaper murals. Both king suites have soaking tubs, walk-in showers with body sprays, wands, and sea glass-accented tile, blackout drapes, and a door onto the adjoining front porch; downstairs, that's the one with three rocking chairs. With only two steps from the driveway into the back porch, guests who'd rather skip stairs can stay on the main level. Upstairs, two queen rooms open onto the back porch: one dressed in butterfly-and-sweet-pea botanical drapes we especially love, with matching pillows and handwoven rattan accents, and a bunk room with built-in twin bunks and a dramatic orange and green bird of paradise mural. The loft is a writer's retreat with a twin and trundle, secretary desk, and reading chairs; the living room has a queen sleeper sofa.
Every room has a TV with Roku and a ceiling fan. There's a washer and dryer, 1 Gbps Wi-Fi, and beach chairs, an umbrella, and a wagon for the walkover.
PERFECT FOR
• Three or four small families, or four couples with kids: little ones in the bunks, teens in the loft
• Family reunions: grandparents in the downstairs king suite
• Golf trips in the cooler off-season: tee times at Kiva Dunes, then the hot tub and fire pit
• Friend trips, retreats, and tournament families
• Want the pool, hot tub, and fire bowl to yourselves, plus a game room? Book our combined listing with the guest house: 12 spread out beautifully, up to 22
LOCATION
Magnolia Mooring sits in the heart of Kiva Dunes, Alabama's only beach and golf resort, in a gated community on the Fort Morgan peninsula. Away from the beachfront wind, the walk to the beach is easy and safe.
In Kiva Dunes:
• Beach: about a 6-minute walk to the West Boardwalk, over a 30-foot dune to 3,000 feet of private neighborhood beach (seasonal Kiva shuttle in high season)
• Osprey Pool, a minute away: lounge chairs, tables, restrooms, and tennis and pickleball courts
• Blue Heron Pool, down the lane near the West Boardwalk: lounge chairs, tables, and restrooms
• Kiva Dunes Lodge and Resort, a mile's drive: the Kiva Lodge pool, fitness room, Kiva Grill (indoor, outdoor, and bar seating), the Apparel Store, and the links-style Kiva Dunes golf course
• Meandering streets for walking or biking with no major roads, plus a little wooden bridge and wildlife watching
Nearby on the peninsula:
• Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge trails, historic Fort Morgan, and the Dauphin Island ferry
• Waterfront dining at Jesse's on the Bay and Tacky Jacks Fort Morgan; Gulf Shores is about 20 minutes away
GUEST ACCESS
The main house and its four porches are yours alone. The pool, hot tub, fire bowl, and pool patio are shared with guest house guests only when the guest house is booked by another group; otherwise they're all yours.
Your house key is in a keypad lockbox, and the code arrives before your stay. You're welcome to use the community pools, tennis and pickleball courts, fitness room, and the private neighborhood beach, reached by boardwalks with stairs over tall, scenic dunes. Kiva Beach Club access isn't included. For security, Ring doorbell cameras are outside each home: one at the main house front door facing the road and one at the guest house facing the driveway. There are no cameras inside either home.
PARKING
Pick up parking passes at the Kiva Lodge and display them in your windshields; they get you through the East Gate and show Kiva security your car belongs. Park up to two cars on the right side of the driveway, leaving the left side for guest house guests. Need more than two cars? It depends on whether the guest house is booked; just ask. No street parking, buses, trailers, or boats.
HOUSE RULES
Quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM; enjoy the pool, hot tub, and fire bowl quietly until midnight, sharing kindly with guest house guests. No smoking or vaping and no parties. No pets, including emotional support animals (trained service animals welcome). Up to 14 people, including visitors. The primary renter must be 25 or older and present for the stay. A rental agreement and $300 refundable deposit are required.