This is a great place for families who love nature! Picked by "Harper's Hideaway Report" as Hideaway of the Year, this gem of an island is a special find. The majority of the island has been set aside as a state park and is totally undeveloped. Homes and villas are located in several small communities at the northern end of the island.
Initially, we were concerned that this island might be too remote for us since it's only accessible by boat. After one visit three years ago, we were hooked. You'll take a 20-minute ride by boat taxi from the mainland or from Jensen's Marina on Captiva. Upon arriving at the dock of the North Captiva Island Club, you'll be shuttled to your home. Both villas and 2-3 bedroom homes are available on the island. Each comes equipped with a well-stocked kitchen, linens, and a golf cart for getting around on the island's dirt roads. Our kids love the "gulf cart" and riding around in it is usually one of the highlights of our trip -- in addition to seeing lots of dolphins, a few manatees, and many gopher turtles.
The beaches on North Captiva are beautiful and are loaded with shells. Because they tend to be deserted, you'll find tons of nice specimens and many sand dollars. The North Captiva Island Club offers a pool, restaurant, tennis courts, and a kids program on selected days of the week. There are two grocery stores on the island for extras, several restaurants, stores and a marina. Shuttles are offered to the mainland and Captiva on a daily basis. For fun, rent a boat and journey up to Cabbage Key for lunch, or take a day trip to Cayo Costa to play Gilligan's Island for the day.
For more information, call the North Captiva Island Club at (800) 576-7343 or on the web www.northcaptiva.com
