rfrank1031

We are looking to rent a condo on Marco Island over Xmas Break. 3 kids (8, 6, 2). Will most likely have a car. Questions include:
is there a better part of Marco Island I should look to rent for any special reason?
Are day trips to Sanibel/Captiva achievable and enough or would you recommend staying one of these other places instead and daytripping to Marco?

Sorry...unfamiliar with this area so all info appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

rfrank1031

OK, did a bit more research...so if I had to equate to New England would you say: Captiva is Nantucket, Sanibel is Marthas Vineyard and Marco the Cape? (In terms of beauty at all three, but how built up things are and which are more "high-end?"). Thx!

volcanogirl

I'm bookmarking because I'm interested as well.

HappyTrvlr

I would choose Sanibel or Captiva over Marco Is as they are much nicer.

garyt22

Sanibel and Captiva are connected by the main road that runs from Ft Myers beach... both offer excellent accomodations and because they are narrow islands there is a lot of beach access... weather at Xmas can be great or iffy and cold (50s)

There is a lot of nature activity, beaching,biking and several great restaurants along the islands, but in general the islands are quieter

I would stay on Marco and visit Sanibel/Captiva for a beach/shelling day with the kids... have fun

mabella101

Not sure about the New England comparisons but here is my take: If I were staying in Marco, I might take a drive to Sanibel, (apx. 1.5 hrs) but if I were in Sanibel i wouldn't see the need to take a day trip to Marco. Neither Sanibel nor Captiva have high rises. Marco does, Sanibel has miles of bike paths, Marco does not. Sanibel has a wildlife sanctuary, Marco does not. Both are close to outlets if that's your thing. Some hotels on Marco do offer rentals of jet skis, Banana boats, parasailing etc., don't believe Sanibel has that kind of thing available. Sanibel has tons of shells waiting to be picked, Marco does not. Between the two I would choose Sanibel. Good luck!

rfrank1031

Found a great deal on Sanibel for only $800 for the week. Is this possible? Are there better locales on Sanibel? How do beaches on Sanibel compare to Marco. I know Sanibel is known for shelling but does that affect sand/beach quality? I understand tge draws for S over M but what are the pros for M? If it were just my husband and I, I think this would be a no brainer but bc of the kids I keep thinking Marci offers more. Anyone care to give input on that? Thanks!

rfrank1031

Sorry for all of the misspellings...phone typing

brubenow

I have never been to Marco but have heard it has lots of high rise hotels and more commercialized. I have been to Sanibel and liked it because it is NOT commercialized. It is quiet, nature preserve, tons of shells, etc. The beach is not soft because of the shells however. You might also consider Siesta Key a little farther north. Gorgeous, gorgeous beach, but still quiet.

sanibella

Marco has *more* commercialization than Sanibel/Captiva, but it is not terribly developed. If the children like the beach, they will likely be satisfied either place for the week. Also, if you need something while on Sanibel, you can hop over the bridge to Ft. Myers to get it -- not that far, although traffic during the busy season (when you will be there) may add to travel time. Ft. Myers offers anything a standard city offers, including larger grocery store, chain restaurants, malls, etc. You could even go see the Boston Red Sox during winter training!

Marco has a nice beach with nice accommodations. While there may be some water activities to enjoy there, I am not sure the ages of the children you are traveling with will be conducive to those activities (jet skiing, parasailing and the like)...but that would be up to your decisions about the individual children I guess.

Sanibel, while quieter, has charm you will not find elsewhere, and several activities you can enjoy with the children. Ding Darling has a lovely preserve, shelling really is a lot of fun and possible for the young ones to enjoy, and the beaches are not powdery but are still plenty soft enough to enjoy in most areas (especially where there are accomodations to stay...the shellier beaches are near public areas). You can rent bikes, canoes and small boats in the area near Captiva. On the other end of the island is a lighthouse with a good bit of history. There are plenty of places to eat that are family friendly. (All of them, really.) Fishing would be fun. A dinner/sunset cruise would be enjoyable. On a rainy day you could venture into Ft Myers to visit Edison's winter home. Or if the kids don't mind a bit of a drive you could take a half-day Everglades tour and see some alligators and other wildlife up close and personal.

Obviously my screen name shows where my heart is, but not only would I choose Sanibel over Marco, I would pass on the drive up to Marco altogether!

Just my two (okay ten!) cents!

volcanogirl

sani, how long would the drive take to get from Sanibel to an Everglades alligator tour?

Ackislander

It is easy to rent a house in Marco with a pool and dock within biking distance from the beach. But what do you do if it rains? It is also a l-o-n-g way from the airport.

I really like what maybella wrote. You would go from Marco to Sanibel but not vice versa, though Marco is closer to the Everglades.

Sanibel is great for kids because there is avariety of things to do. Captiva is limited.

You absolutely will need a car in any of these places.

sanibella

There is a long bridge/pass between Sanibel and Ft Myers. At least one of the Everglades tours has a pick up at the end of that pass. Then the tour starts from there. The reason I mentioned the driving is because the tour itself has a lot of driving -- a good bit of time between the stops within the tour. Depending on the children, this could be an issue (or not at all).

You will definitely need a car though, regardless of what you do, as previous poster mentioned.

mabella101

Rfrank, am curious What do you think Marco had more of to offer? You seem to be leaning towards Marco, is there a particular reason?As sanibella said, at that age, the kids are going to be happy at either place. Honestly you'd probably be satisfied with both especially if coming from the north, but you'd probably be happier with Sanibel. Another thing to consider with young kids, if yours are anything like mine were, you're going to be running back and forth to your room several times a day. One of the things I love about Sanibel is that the hotels are small enough that I can keep an eye on my kids I have to run back to the room for something. In Marco this wouldn't be possible as the hotels are highrise. Sorry to go on & on, it's just that Sanibel grows on you. We go back every year.
By the way, if you need another destination for a day trip, Corkscrew swamp sanctuary, is a beautiful National Audobon sanctuary, located about an hour away. My kids loved seeing all the birds, reptiles and mammals. It's a very special place.
Good luck !

rfrank1031

Thank you all. I guess really the only 2 reasons I lean towards Marco (though that is changing!) is its proximity to Naples which a relative recommended and someone else mentioned to me that the beach on Sanibel was so shelly it was unenjoyable to walk/sit on. Maybe they just didn't explore enough?! That said, someone else now recommended Amelia Island to me. Head is spinning, but think I'm just going to book this fantastic condo for $800. Seems like a steal. Does anyone know Loggerhead Cay?

SusanMargaret

Go with Sanibel! Sanibel and Captiva are beautiful and there is lots to do, you won't regret it. Yes some of the beaches are shelly, but amazing and your kids will enjoy collecting shells. All the beaches are walkable and lovely to sit on. Loggerhead has some great write ups on Tripadvisor.com. It appears to be near the lighthouse, which is a good location. I'm biased, but we spend our winters in SW Florida and go over to Sanibel at least once a week.

MollyinFL

Sanibel is fabulous! Will be there in 9 days for a week, 5th summer in a row I have gone there. Be sure and get beach shoes for the kids, the lack of high rises is a huge draw, the shelling is amazing, just sitting under an umbrella with a beverage and letting the kids run around is what I think vacation is all about. Most of the restaurants are very family friendly, nice bike paths too.

Sanibel gets my vote every time. I am a Florida girl and have been to nearly all the beaches on both coasts, I chose Sanibel each time.

mabella101

By the way I recommend The Island Cow for family friendly dinning and good food. We've never been let down.

nlg

Marco Island is one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to, but it is also very shelly-if you or your children have tender feet, you will probably need to wear water shoes.

CaptivaBeachVilla

A Few comments about Captiva. Beaches are less shelly [Is that a word?]. Captiva Village is very walkable, resident populations of dolphins and manatees. Eight restaurants include very kid oriented Bubble Room in a few blocks.
South Seas Resort while expensive has extensive kids programs, shallow fountain pool for your 2 year old, a slide pool for your older kids, miles of beach, lots of kid oriented activities. Beach Villas are somewhst reasonable.
Tween Waters Inn has hotel like accommodations.

Consider Captiva the anti-Marco island, very laid back.

Have a good trip.