Over the years, we have discovered a wide range of things to do on Captiva and surrounding islands. We know that your time on the island is precious, so we figured we would save you the time, and give you some hints on what we consider to be the “Best of Captiva”. If you would like any help planning your vacation activities, we would be glad to help.
Sunset Captiva guests have private access to a beautiful white sand beach, just minutes from the house. As the name of our community suggests, the sunsets here are incredible. Every evening you will find a gathering of friends, both new and old, on the beach, trying to spot the elusive “green flash” and always enjoying a refreshment. We have supplied beach chairs and an umbrella for you, which are located behind our storage shed. If you wish to rent additional beach gear, it is available towards the end of Andy Rosse Lane at Yolo Water Sports (239-472-9656).
If the gulf is a little chilly for you, enjoy a swim in Sunset Captiva’s private heated pool. There are also plenty of chairs available for you to work on your tan and enjoy your book.
The shelling on our beaches is world renown. With some effort, you can find a great variety of treasures, including olives, murex, fighting conch, tiny jewel boxes, multi-colored scallops, kitten paws, tellins and sand dollars. For more information on shelling in the Sanibel and Captiva area, visit the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum.
Captiva and Sanibel are great places for biking. One of our favorite things to do is to ride through the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Bikes and golf carts are available to rent next to Yolo Water Sports at Jim’s Rentals (239-472-1296). A greater variety of bikes (including road bikes and hybrids) can be rented at Billy’s Bikes located on Sanibel. Billy’s will deliver and pick up.
Although there are a lot of great options for eating out, you will find everything you need in our kitchen if you want to cook your own meals. Sunset Captiva has three new stainless steel gas BBQ’s located near the pool for your use. The Island Store is a good local convenience store located on Andy Rosse Lane. The N.Y. Times can be purchased there. They run out early – so the smart thing to do is to ask them to put your name on a reservation list. The store has limited, but ample, wine and beer selections. There is a small liquor store next door. For more serious shopping, there is Baileys in Sanibel (239-472-1516).
Hardware and liquor stores are adjoining. To purchase fresh seafood for cooking at home, try the market at Timbers Restaurant (239-395-2722). It also has good quality steaks. Another good grocery store on Sanibel which you might want to try is Jerry’s Foods (1700 Periwinkle Way, 239-472-9300). You can buy your groceries online from Jerry’s, and they will deliver the order and stock the fridge for you before you arrive. If time allows, we usually try to pick up groceries and supplies on the way from the airport at the Publix, which is on the right shortly after getting on to Summerlin. There is a surprisingly (good and reasonably priced) wine selection at the store.
There are several good restaurants within walking distance. (Once here, we rarely use a car to go anywhere.) We recommend Key Lime Bistro located on Andy Rosse Lane as well as R.C. Otters, located directly across the road. Key Lime is great for breakfast, and it has a Bloody Mary bar on Sundays. Otter’s does take-out. Next to Otters is Latte Da, which is a pretty good coffee and ice cream shop. On the Gulf, at the end of Andy Rosse Lane, is the well-known Mucky Duck Pub & Restaurant. This is a great place for lunch on the beach. Have a look at their live beach-cam to see what its like on the beach right now. A five minute walk to the South of the house is the Green Flash restaurant which is quite popular both for locals and visitors.
Sunset Captiva has two very well maintained tennis courts which you are welcome to use. The Dunes is a very good 18-hole public golf course on Sanibel (239-472-2535). Its back nine holes border a wildlife preserve.
If your family enjoys fishing, you’re in luck. Captiva has some of the best fishing around. Not only are your chances of catching fish good, but the variety of fish is incredible. You can catch redfish, sea trout, grouper, snook, ladyfish, flounder, and sheephead. There is good fishing right off the community dock. The Sunset Captiva dock, named “Gordy’s Dock”, was named after Gordon Rosenberg, who was our father, father-in-law and grandfather. The dock is just a 2 minute walk from the house on the Pine Island Sound side. Live shrimp work best. We have provided two fishing rods, a bait bucket, and a full tackle box for your use. Live shrimp, extra tackle, fishing licenses, and rod rentals are available at Jensen’s Twin Palm Marina (239-472-5800, www.gocaptiva.com), which is located to the left of Gordy’s Dock. Jensen’s is owned and operated by three brothers, Dave, John and Jimmy. The Jensen family has owned and operated Twin Palms for 25 years. They are much adored on the island and could not be more welcoming. If you want to take a fishing trip, fishing guides are available out of Jensen’s. We recommend Capt. Jimmy Burnsed. He can be reached at 239-472-1779. If he is booked or not available, his guide service can make arrangements for another guide. You cannot go wrong with any of them.
There are several ways to get on the water in Captiva. If you have some boating experience, 18 foot powerboats or a pontoon boat can be rented from Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort on a half or full day basis. The Jensens can point you towards one of the outlying islands. The navigation to get there is fairly straight forward. You can tie your boat up to a dock on the bay side of the island, walk across a path and enjoy yourself wandering on virtually deserted beaches. The beaches of North Captiva (the island which was famously cut in half by Hurricane Charley) boast some of the world’s best shelling. Also on North Cap is Barnacle Phil’s Restaurant (239-472-6394), which is very casual and has a good fresh seafood menu. There is a great restaurant on Cabbage Key (just north of North Cap) where you can enjoy a “cheeseburger in paradise” a la Jimmy Buffet fame (239-283-2278).
If you don’t want to rent a boat, the Jensen’s run a water taxi service and can take up to six passengers to North Captiva, Cabbage Key or Boca Grand. You can also make arrangements with Jensen’s for one of its guides to take you sightseeing, fishing or shelling. If you are not comfortable taking a power boat out alone and would like some instruction, our good friend Captain Mike Mcmillan offers boating lessons through his company, Boat Savvy (239-395-3167).
The waters of Pine Island Sound are great for sailing. Our friend Capt. Mick Gurley runs charters on the “New Moon”, a forty foot sloop. Enjoy a half day, full day, or sunset cruise with Mick. He sails out of Tween Waters Inn located about a half mile to the south. Mick may be reached at 239-395-1782.
Have you ever paddled along side dolphins and manatees? This is your chance. Our friends Barb and Greg own and operate Captiva Kayak Company (239-395-2925 or 1-877-EZKAYAK), which is located just a 5 minute walk away at McCarthy’s Marina. You can enjoy the bayous and mangrove mazes on a guided tour, or rent kayaks and go exploring on your own. They also rent small catamarans if you’re feeling adventurous.
There is a Health Club and Day Spa at Tween Waters Inn (239) 472-5161). You can have as little as a one week membership to the Health Club for a nominal fee.
The well-known Ding Darling Nature Preserve is open every day but Friday. Across the street is the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, which has a number of interesting nature trails as well as a nature center. The Captiva Memorial Library is a very good local library located on Chapin Lane (the next street to the south), which has a good book collection and also rents VHS tapes and DVDs. (The charge is $5 for a three-month membership.)
A wealth of additional information can be found on BestofSanibelCaptiva.com.
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