This year we are staying on Captiva Island for our annual women's bonding trip. Our usual place, when we stay in the states, is the neighboring island community, Sanibel. We are having an ongoing dialogue about which is better. Here are some pros and cons about each:
Sanibel has miles and miles of biking paths and walking trails. We usually rent our bikes from Billy's for a weekly rate. One of our favorite morning activities, after checking the beach for dolphins, is to bike to the Lighthouse Cafe for breakfast. The line goes quickly and the food is worth the wait. After you eat, it's a short ride to see the actual lighthouse. I also recommend you bike or hike or drive through the HN Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.
Captiva has no biking trails and you take your life in your hands trying to bike along the edge of the main (only) road. If you're traveling around Captiva, walk along the beach, on paths that cut through the condos on the channel side or through the streets of the 'village'.
A plus for Captiva is that it has a more tropical feel and is more quaint with a small town feel. My daughter says that it's like a PG version of Key West. It's smaller than Sanibel and has less day visitors which translates into less traffic and fewer crowds. It's fun to eat at the Mucky Duck, but prepare for a long, long wait on weekend nights. At least they has great musical entertainment outside so the wait isn't painful. I met a very friendly cockatoo while watching the sunset there. Captiva is civilized enough to have several shops and restaurants including a wine store, a general store for fast groceries and, yes there is a God, a Starbucks.
Captiva also has the best swimsuit store ever- Beachhouse Swimwear. It's a dangerous place to go. So far, each of us has gotten at least two swimsuits and a coverup. We are going to Sanibel tomorrow and I've heard rumors that they too have a Beachhouse Swimwear. Help!
Sanibel's beaches are flatter, feel incredibly soft on your feet and are less turbulent than Captiva's, at least this week.
However, I've enjoyed the heck out of walking the beaches on Captive every day. They are so wide and inviting that, even though this spring break has brought lots of people here, they are never crowded. Every day we saw wildlife and they seemed to have no fear of any of us crazy tourists.
Sanibel offers more choices of great places to eat. I don't know if that's a good thing or bad. Some of our favorites on Sanibel are: the Sanibel Bean (for your morning coffee), the Island Cow (great burgers, lots of kids), Jacaranda (fancier with great fish and a more high end menu), Lazy Flamingo (casual, fun and islandy), and my favorite place for Ahi Tuna or salmon is Trader's (eat in the bar with the other grownups).
If you want to stay in, most rental units on both islands have kitchens and outdoor grills. You can stock up on groceries and wine and beer at Jerry's.
So, it's up to you You can't go wrong with either as long as you check out units carefully before you commit to one. If you go on line to Royal Shell Vacations, you can find lots of options in the area.
What to bring in your Wisepack travel purse:
1. Stick a bottle of wine, some plastic glasses and a corkscrew in your bag and head for the beach to watch the sunset. It's worth doing, even on cloudy days, plus you'll meet some nice people
2. If you head out on your bike, lighten your load but tuck a credit card or some cash in the pocket against your back for ice cream cones at the Dairy Queen, Pinocchios Ice Cream or Nick's Place.
3. Tuck in a lightweight rain coat, especially in April or May. It will probably rain sometime during the day, but not hard and not for long.
4, In addition to your bottle of water, put in a couple of energy bars, like Cliff Bars, or some nuts. Hunger can lead to a loss of energy when you're swimming or walking or biking. Keep hydrated and drink water. If you feel thirsty, it's a sign you've waited too long so start to drink twice as much as you usually do.
If you've stayed on either or have another Florida favorite place, please reply and share your wisdom and expereinces.
Karen
