ESCAPE TO NORTH CAPTIVA ISLAND
During the summer of 2020, deep in (what we thought was) the middle of the pandemic, our family wanted to plan a socially-distanced trip to a beach. We knew we wanted to drive and avoid the five of us getting on a plane. As we were narrowing down our choices, Dream Vision's Travel planner, Brandon, suggested North Captiva Island, on the Gulf Coast of Florida near Fort Myers. It was perfect. It was a bit of a drive, but worth it. We rented a home on the island and ordered our groceries, so our interaction with others was minimal. Leaving Houston, it took a day and half to get there.
Captiva Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. North Captiva, however, can only be accessed by ferry. The ferry service has a dedicated parking lot on the mainland and a shuttle to the port. A 25 minute ferry ride is all that separates you from the peace, quiet and relaxation of North Captiva Island. North Captiva island is only 4 miles long and 1/2 a mile wide and there are no cars allowed, only golf carts. Each rental home has at least 1 golf cart included and your keys will be waiting for you when you arrive at the dock. There are roughly 400 houses on the island and several different property management companies to choose from. We rented our home from North Captiva Island Resort. There are homes in all different price ranges and all different sizes to accommodate your travel party.
If you are into shelling, then this is the island for you! The amount of shells that my girls collected was incredible. We shelled every day. Most of the southern half of the island is a state park perfect for exploring, but if you'd rather not do anything, there is plenty of beach for relaxing in the sun. We ordered our groceries the week before we arrived, and they were delivered directly to our home. We ordered enough for the week and did a loose meal plan in advance. There's a small market on the island for last minute essentials. There are also a few places to dine or grab a drink if you aren't in the mood to cook. The Boathouse, Mango's Café and Grill, Over the Waterfront, Mainstay and Barnacles Bar are great options for a lunch or dinner. We spent our time shelling, reading and lounging on the beach. It was the perfect spot to rest and recharge after months of social distancing, distance learning and working from home.
If you are interested in learning more about vacationing on North Captiva Island, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Dream Vision Travel team!
As always, if you have any questions, I can be reached at: natalie@dreamvisiontravel.com
Natalie - June ’20
