We first came to Captiva on a day trip to explore 10 years ago and have returned for long stays almost every year since. Captiva has managed to save its old Florida village atmosphere by restraining development - no chain restaurants or hotels, no line of high rise condos, and in fact no buildings taller than a palm tree. The best way to visit is to rent a home in the village where you will never be more than a block from the beach or two to three blocks from several good informal restaurants. The beach is the draw here but you would never know by the crowd - or lack thereof. You will often have long expanses of beach to yourself, except at sunset when everyone on the island and many visitors stroll to stand and watch the beautiful sunsets. Great shelling and bird-watching. The most relaxing vacation you will ever have!
Quick Tips:
There are several real estate companies that rent homes on Captiva in a variety of sizes and costs from 2 bedroom cottages for around a week to huge castles with 7 bedrooms, elevators and private pools for around ,200 a week (summer). The village is small enough that driving is unnecessary unless you want to take a day trip to Sanibel to shop or sample a wider variety of restaurants. On Andy Rosse Lane -the village 'main street' you will find several good restaurants, a small grocer and a variety of shops. O C Otter's is my favorite place for a crispy grouper sandwich while listening to someone's best live version of Buffet and Chesney. Don't miss Jungle Drums gallery with its wide range of art by mostly local artists. The Bubble Room and Mucky Duck are widely known local restaurants but they are not my personal favorites. For those who just can't relax on the beach all week, you can rent a bicycle or a kayak to explore around the island. Island cruises has several different trips you can try from dolphin watching to shell finding or just a relaxing sunset cruise. Plan to get beach shoes to protect your tender feet from the thick piles of shells along the water line and don't forget to bring a 'noodle' (foam tube float) to bob lazily in the warm water.
Best Way To Get Around:
Walk! Really! One of the big draws of the island is that it is so informal and compact that you can stroll to lunch from the beach or stroll out to the beach after dinner to catch the sunset. You might wonder why you rented a car.