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Captiva

Carolyn

Carolyn

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,237
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Location
Carmel, Indiana
Resorts Owned
Westin St John
WJL St Lucia
St James Club Antigua
Charter Club Marco
Sheraton Desert Oasis
We explored Sanibel last year and now will be going to Captiva (South Seas Plantation). We aren't golfers and wanted to know what there is to do there?
Any Captiva lovers who can give us some suggestions. We are staying at The South Seas Beach Club. Thanks.
 
I love Captiva for pure relaxation, shell collecting/beachcombing, waiting for the "green flash" and just a low-key vacation all around.

I go off island to Naples, Ft. Meyers or Bonita for any thing beyond watching my feet in the sand.



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It may be hard to believe, but Captiva is even more laid back than Sanibel.
IMHO, one does not go to Sanibel-Captiva with the idea of "doing" stuff.
Go to the beach in the AM, take a nap after lunch, go the beach in the PM.
.
.
 
We stay on Sanibel every year and do things on Captiva. It is all pretty much the same. There isn't that much to do on Captiva. Jim provided a link to the activities at the resort. Otherwise, the choices are, in no particular order:

boat tours, Ding Darling, the Shell Museum, shelling, walking the beach, sunrise, sunset, deciding among the various restaurants, attending an open house or two.

Enjoy it.
 
We were lucky enough to trade into the South Seas Island resort last year. We were in the South Seas Beach Club, Unit#1325. Here are some of the things we did: fished at the resort and shelled on their beach. Rented bikes from Finnimore's Cycle ship in Sanibel (excellent service & delivery). I rented a bike from the resort & returned it within an hour.

Lunch at the Mucky Duck, coffee & cake at the Bubble Room. Shelling at Captiva Pass, t-shirts at the Jensen's Marina, Bailey's General Store and the tram tour at Ding Darling (Sanibel).

Visited the cemetery next to the Chapel By-the-Sea (I have a thing for cemetery's).

I am an early riser so I would bike ride around the resort and then hit the beach for shelling (don't forget a bag). Watch out for the maintenance guys around some of the blind corners.

Relax!!! One of my nicest timeshare vacations.
 
Denise said:
We were lucky enough to trade into the South Seas Island resort last year. We were in the South Seas Beach Club, Unit#1325. Here are some of the things we did: fished at the resort and shelled on their beach. Rented bikes from Finnimore's Cycle ship in Sanibel (excellent service & delivery). I rented a bike from the resort & returned it within an hour.

Lunch at the Mucky Duck, coffee & cake at the Bubble Room. Shelling at Captiva Pass, t-shirts at the Jensen's Marina, Bailey's General Store and the tram tour at Ding Darling (Sanibel).

Visited the cemetery next to the Chapel By-the-Sea (I have a thing for cemetery's).

I am an early riser so I would bike ride around the resort and then hit the beach for shelling (don't forget a bag). Watch out for the maintenance guys around some of the blind corners.

Relax!!! One of my nicest timeshare vacations.
Click to expand...

Sounds wonderful! Why did you return the bike within an hour? Thanks for the great responses.
 
I assume you have been to ding darling, we would go every day if we could ever get a week there. and I would take the boat trips such as to Useppa Island, etc.
 
The Bike

The bike had some type of "shift gears at random" set up. I rode it from the bike rental area to the unit and right back to the rental area (near check in).

The bike I rented was in excellent condition and the 6 speed shifted like my bike at home.
 
Andy Rosse Lane is the street where the Mucky Duck and the Bubble Room are. At the bay end is a marina that has a boat ride to Cabbage Key and Useppa Island. Locals say that Cabbage Key is the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's "Cheeseburger in Paradise". Everyone tapes a dollar bill to the walls or ceiling, which eventually gets donated to charity. The cruise to the island along the Pine Island Sound is very scenic, and Cabbage Key is a fun, rustic place - but they don't have french-fried potatoes, as mentioned in the song!

check this out: http://www.cabbagekey.com/home/
 
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Sea Six said:
Andy Rosse Lane is the street where the Mucky Duck and the Bubble Room are. At the bay end is a marina that has a boat ride to Cabbage Key and Useppa Island. Locals say that Cabbage Key is the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's "Cheeseburger in Paradise". Everyone tapes a dollar bill to the walls or ceiling, which eventually gets donated to charity. The cruise to the island along the Pine Island Sound is very scenic, and Cabbage Key is a fun, rustic place - but they don't have french-fried potatoes, as mentioned in the song!

check this out: http://www.cabbagekey.com/home/
Click to expand...

there was a writer named Mary Rhinhart Robers (or something like that) that set early 20th century novels on one of those islands.
 
If you like shelling , there is a great website iloveshelling.com and she tries to update it every day and lets you know where the shelling is best. I didn't care for Ding Darling but it was hot and there weren't any birds around. Lots of nice boat trips to the out islands. Don't forget to go to the lighthouse in Sanibel & look for the "mini" shells. shaggy
 
I don't, but summer would be the logical time for maintenance. I bet they plan to have it finished by the time that the thousands of migratory wading birds, who have flown north for the summer, return to their winter refuge.

Shaggy, you'll have to return in winter, I'm sure you'd love Ding Darling in bird season.
 
Captiva entertainment

Oxymoron...not exactly but there isn't much. No one has mentions NasCrab at Tween Waters Inn. Two shows, on PG and one more adult. It is idiotic and hilarious and has been going on for years, at least 29 years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-gyahXSZ4I

There is the Schoolhouse Theatre on Periwinkle in Sanibel. Better than you would think theatre.

http://www.bigarts.org/theatre.php

You could charter a small boat to explore Pine Island Sound. Interesting shell mounds (ancient burial mounds by the Calusa Indians), small islands like Cabbage Key where (Cheeseburger in Paradise was not written like the legend says...also says he wrote it over on the east coast at about 5 places and one down on Marco as well as the Keys). Fishing in this area is magical and your children can perhaps see a manatee up close, as well as bald eagles, white pelicans, dolphin, silver tarpon, etc.

Please pick up a couple of Randy Wayne White novels to immerse yourself in the area. You can pick them up at Doc Ford's on Sanibel. Great little restaurant and rum bar..http://www.docfordssanibel.com/

I live in Fort Myers, but we often will do small vacations on Sanibel and Captiva. We just went there yesterday morning.
 
I've enjoyed the boat trip Cabbage Key and/or Useppa Island for sightseeing and lunch. Also the waverunner tour around North Captiva Island.
 
Here's something that I did in 1983 (30 years ago)...

Rent a sailboat and take it out bay-side.
Watch the rudder housing work itself loose and fall off the boat.
Without the ability to steer, attempt to guide by sail only.
Strand yourself on North Captiva and wave at passing boats.
When two older ladies are dropped off for a picnic, beg for help.
Get towed ignominiously back to South Seas.

Lots of fun.
.
 
We love SSR so much that we bought the week after Christmas a few months ago We have three little children and love the combo of serenity mixed in with things to do like the pool, waterslides, nature center "tiny but fun!," the ice cream/candy shop, etc. We've been 3 times now and see visiting yearly until the kids are old enough to complain

Having said that, we recommended it to my in-laws and they were disspointed - they liked it but said they didn;t find much to do and preferred Sanibel with the movie theater, bike to "town," etc. I don't know, we love Captiva! But then again, I'm happy with a book in one hand and a drink in the other in what I refer to as the Caribbean of FL.

2nd the bikes - we always have problems with them, but since it's mostly flat, we just deal with it. They just constantly shift, esp when you really push down on the pedals.
 
havingI consider South Seas Plantation ( I know it is no longer called that) the antidote to Disney. Over-scheduled kids either love the break from routine or hate it. We always loved it.
 
I'm confused but aren't the islands like right next to each other. Do people really only visit one at a time? We were staying at Marco Island and we drove up the highway just to visit. Granted we weren't staying a week but we thought it was very lovely and quaint. Definitely, a place to visit when you just want to veg out. Too bad it isn't closer to where I live.
 
Sanibel/Captiva would be one barrier island but for the cut at Blind Pass. Problem arises when someone doesn't rent a car during their stay. It can be a very long bike ride..15 miles from SSP to the business district of Sanibel.
 
We were there last week in a beachfront condo and it was awesome.

The priority for this trip is beach, relax, eat and we accomplished that goal. the ocean is flat calm in the morning and then gets choppy in the afternoon.

I would also recommend Yolo Sports for the best Waverunner prices and also parasailing.

I highly recommend dinner at The Mad Hatter, even over the Bubble room as the food is outstanding here and is probably the best on the island.

The Crab races at Tween Water Inn was hilarious.
 
We were last at South Seas in summer 2004, just before Hurricane Charley blew through. My kids were 13 and 10 at the time and enjoyed the pool, fishing, boating, tennis lessons (which they never had before), on site fishing "camp" for a 1/2 day, etc. We'd like to go back some day to appreciate the rebuild. Are exchanged units even available, or are owners using or renting them? What are your experiences with how many TPUs it takes to get in at various times throughout the year?
 
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