Captivating Captiva Island

Florida's Captiva Island is enchanting year round.

Located in the southern portion of Florida's beautiful Gulf Coast, Captiva Island is stunning, with white beaches, invitingly warm Gulf waters, and enough pastel-colored seashells to fill your child's bucket again and again.

Visiting Captiva
Thanks to south Florida's sub-tropical climate, visitors can enjoy a stay at this lovely island just about any time of year.

While the summers can get a bit toasty, the winters are certainly warm and beautiful, making it a popular destination for snowbirds.

Winter, however, isn't the only time you'll want to visit Captiva Island. The weather during the spring and fall is perfect for active pursuits like golf and tennis and in the summer, you'll enjoy the best in family vacations.

Recreation
Captiva and neighboring Sanibel Island are both world-renowned for shelling. The beaches of the island, unique in that they lie in an east and west direction (different than most islands which lie north and south), face a direction which allows Captiva Island to catch abundant sea shells that the Gulf of Mexico brings to its shores.

Turner Beach is an especially busy shelling place, where you'll see dozens of visitors armed with buckets, bags, nets, and scoop, eager to take home their interesting finds.

Where there's an island, there's lots of water, of course! Having fun in and on the water here can be accomplished in several ways. From swimming in the warm water to canoeing, kayaking, and water-skiing, you're sure to love the Gulf Coast waters of this southern portion of Florida.

How about a little fishing? Southwest Florida is known for wonderful tarpon, redfish, snook, grouper, trout, snapper, and shark fishing.

Fishing off the coast of Captiva Island can be a terrific family activity, with even the youngest members of the family enjoying time on one of the many charter boats available around the island.

Biking is popular on this flat island, where even novice two-wheel riders can enjoy the miles of paved bike paths that keep vacationers away from traffic and amidst beautiful island sights. Bike rentals are readily available. Walkers, joggers, and in-line skaters also take advantage of the bike paths year-round.

A number of wildlife refuges and conservation foundations on both Captiva Island and Sanibel allow you to view native ecosystems up close. Guided walking tours, beach walks, boat cruises, and even an eco-history trolley tour are available so that tourists can learn more about local flora and fauna.

Shopping
During the warm summer months, it's not unusual to experience intermittent rain showers on Captiva Island, especially during the afternoon hours. No problem! It never rains inside the wonderful stores on the island, including the upscale shops and boutiques of Periwinkle Place and Tahitian Gardens.

At either of these locations, you'll find high-end men's and women's clothing stores, fine jewelry retailers, and a plethora of fine art galleries, featuring works by local and regional artists as well as nationally well-known painters and sculptors.

Weddings
Looking for a beautiful place to tie the knot? Captiva Island may be the perfect location, with its pristine beaches and beautiful sunsets. For North Americans, it's also a lot less costly than traveling to a foreign island destination for your ceremony.

Getting There
If you're traveling to Captiva Island by air, it's best to arrange a flight to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and rent a car for the 40-minute trip to the island.

Posted by Pat on Wednesday, November 9, 2005