Not everyone can sell paradise.

Harry Higel became a master at it.

He saw dollar signs in a backwater hunting ground on a remote barrier island off Sarasota, on Florida’s southwestern coast, where others saw nothing.

Higel saw nothing too. Nothing but fine-sand beaches, turquoise waters and sultry coastal breezes.

He knew the tropical location between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Roberts Bay to the east would appeal to wealthy snowbirds seeking shelter from cold winters. Boating and fishing opportunities were excellent too.

Higel mapped out lots on the northern tip of the island, saving a sweet spot where he would place a hotel. It was the early 1900s, about a decade before coastal areas around the Sunshine State would feel the wallop of a development boom like no other. He dumped the name Sarasota Key in favor of the more languid Siesta Key, and a desirable-destination star was born.

Today 5,000 residents live on the key, which measures just 3.5 square miles, including land and water. It’s an exclusive part of Sarasota that’s connected to the mainland by bridges (when Higel started his project, it was boat access only). And the demographic skews older, with more than half the population being 65-plus.

Residents love what that early developer loved: the utter beauty of the place, the mild climate, the wonder of open waters outside your back door.

The owners of a home at 3440 Gulfmead Drive appreciate the history and the idyllic location. They keep an old photo on the wall as a reminder of Higel’s dream. It depicts an impressive catch—seven tarpon and a 500-pound shark—strung up in front of the short-lived Higelhurst Hotel.

The family built the house in 2008 and have lived in it year-round ever since. It’s located at Big Pass, a few hundred yards from that “sweet spot” where the hotel once stood. Such direct access to the gulf called for the addition of two boat lifts and a deep-water dock.

Their children enjoyed the place too, whether they were playing in the backyard, wading in the water, jumping off the dock or sitting around the firepit. Now the kids are older, and the owners have decided to sell.

Visitors who arrive streetside take a winding path through a backyard landscaped with palms and tropical plants. But the real USP here is the side of the house that faces the water, with a large set-back patio where you can catch wide sunset vistas.

The three-story home goes by the name Pineapple House, though others in the area also claim that title. In this case, the moniker comes from the carefully crafted finials inside and outside the house.

Designer Diane Weinman, based in Nokomis, Florida, brought those details to life. Her designs convey an easy indoor-outdoor lifestyle that celebrates coastal living. Large outdoor porches and an emphasis on natural light lend a level of elegance with touches of Old Florida design. The use of glass doors and large windows frame ever-present views of the water, a reminder to relax and soak up the gift of unhurried life on the key.

Siesta Key isn’t just special to the locals. Tourists pack the main beach made of white quartz sands that over thousands of years have washed down from the Appalachian Mountains. Siesta Key Beach regularly lands among the top 10 in rankings from sites like the discerning Dr. Beach.

For avid boaters and fishermen, sealife runs mark the season. Massive silvery game fish called tarpon peak at gulf beaches in May and June, stone crabs appear in mid-October and stick around until May, and redfish and snapper arrive September to November.

But back to those early years…

Higel wasn’t alone in his quest to champion the Sarasota area—others also saw the tropical potential. Scotsman John Hamilton Gillespie laid out the area’s first golf course in the late 19th century and became Sarasota’s first mayor in 1902. In the 1920s, circus magnates John and Mabel Ringling brought art and culture to the city. Higel would also go on to serve as mayor—and city booster—before meeting an untimely and tragic death in 1921. A street on the key still bears his name.

The words he chose in his marketing pitch created a certain mystique around Siesta Key that may still speak to many who cherish island life. He described it as an alluring place to “lose yourself in the rapture of thought, and the inspiration of soul, and feel that God really exists in this lovely land of opportunity, freedom and life.”

Jennifer Linehan of Michael Saunders and Company holds the listing for 3440 Gulfmead Drive, on the market for $13,950,000. Michael Saunders and Company is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes..

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