Staying in Sanibel/Captiva/Keys in late January?
Dec 30th, 2008, 09:20 PM
#1
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Staying in Sanibel/Captiva/Keys in late January?
Hi all!
We'd like to take our toddler to the beach in late January, and the Keys and Sanibel/Captiva seem to be the best options for warm water... I think. I'm looking for something kind of upscale (I don't need the Ritz!) but little-kid friendly. We need a 1-bedroom or some such so we can close the door after our daughter goes to sleep! I'd really like to stay smack on a soft, flat beach, but have access to a pool and a variety of food without a car. We don't need a lot of activities, but would love to walk around and maybe rent bikes... mostly be lazy and play in the sand.
I was about to book South Seas when I checked here, and have been dismayed by what I read. Fodorites save the day again!
I've never been to the keys or these islands, so please tell me if I'm on the wrong track or should be looking somewhere else, as well.
What do you think? Thanks!!
We'd like to take our toddler to the beach in late January, and the Keys and Sanibel/Captiva seem to be the best options for warm water... I think. I'm looking for something kind of upscale (I don't need the Ritz!) but little-kid friendly. We need a 1-bedroom or some such so we can close the door after our daughter goes to sleep! I'd really like to stay smack on a soft, flat beach, but have access to a pool and a variety of food without a car. We don't need a lot of activities, but would love to walk around and maybe rent bikes... mostly be lazy and play in the sand.
I was about to book South Seas when I checked here, and have been dismayed by what I read. Fodorites save the day again!
I've never been to the keys or these islands, so please tell me if I'm on the wrong track or should be looking somewhere else, as well.
What do you think? Thanks!!
Dec 31st, 2008, 08:08 AM
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Ugh - was up all last night doing research. Sounds like many people don't find Key West toddler friendly, although if there was less of a partying resort I'd be open to it. Are there other keys that are relatively short drives from an airport we should consider? I'm getting the picture the barrier island sand is great for shelling but tough on soft little feet.
Dec 31st, 2008, 08:37 AM
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We have stayed on Sanibel for years, dating back to when my youngest was a toddler. We stayed at Blind Pass Condos. ( http://www.blind-pass.com/index.html )
We loved it there, and my kids always want to go back. It is not on the ocean directly, but so close! From the condo grounds, you go through a gate and over a bridge and you are at the beach. We went every night for sunset, swims, shelling, and daily beach walks. The water isn't that warm, though, in January. But, the pool is always warm and wonderful. The condos are nice. Many have been updated. You can check individual condos on their website. We liked the ones on the 2nd floor, and with a balcony (enclosed, so safe for little ones). They are much more reasonably priced, being just off the beach, too. They are located very near Ding Darling Sanctuary and Captiva. There is so much to do, you never have to leave the islands! Hope you like it as much as we did!
We loved it there, and my kids always want to go back. It is not on the ocean directly, but so close! From the condo grounds, you go through a gate and over a bridge and you are at the beach. We went every night for sunset, swims, shelling, and daily beach walks. The water isn't that warm, though, in January. But, the pool is always warm and wonderful. The condos are nice. Many have been updated. You can check individual condos on their website. We liked the ones on the 2nd floor, and with a balcony (enclosed, so safe for little ones). They are much more reasonably priced, being just off the beach, too. They are located very near Ding Darling Sanctuary and Captiva. There is so much to do, you never have to leave the islands! Hope you like it as much as we did!
Dec 31st, 2008, 10:52 AM
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Key West is my favorite vacation spot, but it is NOT a beach destination. The keys are coral and all beaches are man-made and most are tiny.
The best beaches in Florida are in the panhandle or on both coasts (excluding the keys).
The best beaches in Florida are in the panhandle or on both coasts (excluding the keys).
Dec 31st, 2008, 10:03 PM
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Thanks, all.
dhswor - We're really looking for more of a resort than condos, but i really appreciate the suggestion. Do you know anything about South Seas (sounds like you're very familiar)? I have such a hard time judging how to take the negative reports, especially the older posts. Most seem related to renovations that are now over.
dhswor - We're really looking for more of a resort than condos, but i really appreciate the suggestion. Do you know anything about South Seas (sounds like you're very familiar)? I have such a hard time judging how to take the negative reports, especially the older posts. Most seem related to renovations that are now over.
Jan 1st, 2009, 11:01 AM
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If you're flying anyway, you may want to consider Puerto Rico instead of Florida.
What you're describing does not exist in the Keys- you can have walkable restaurants in Key West, but it's really not a destination for kids, and there are only a few (maybe three) beaches. The rest of the Keys aren't walkable.
The least fun trip DH and I have taken was to Sanibel. We were there in late September 2006, while they had a bacterial contamination- not a red tide, it sounded like it was a sewage issue.
Their beaches are not groomed- so everything that washes up stays there until it gets eaten, rots, or washes back out. Once you step over that, then you're in half sand and half broken shells. I absolutely would not go to the beach without surf shoes- DH got a nasty cut on his heel on the first night.
We went to Captiva one evening- the beach we saw (in front of the Mucky Duck, I think) looked nice. We were kind of upset we weren't staying there!
What you're describing does not exist in the Keys- you can have walkable restaurants in Key West, but it's really not a destination for kids, and there are only a few (maybe three) beaches. The rest of the Keys aren't walkable.
The least fun trip DH and I have taken was to Sanibel. We were there in late September 2006, while they had a bacterial contamination- not a red tide, it sounded like it was a sewage issue.
Their beaches are not groomed- so everything that washes up stays there until it gets eaten, rots, or washes back out. Once you step over that, then you're in half sand and half broken shells. I absolutely would not go to the beach without surf shoes- DH got a nasty cut on his heel on the first night.
We went to Captiva one evening- the beach we saw (in front of the Mucky Duck, I think) looked nice. We were kind of upset we weren't staying there!
Jan 1st, 2009, 11:36 AM
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We were at South Seas last March, and it's EXACTLY what I thought of when you said, "upscale" and "kid-friendly". I don't know how warm the water will be in January, though. Most of the villas are right on the beach and, though you'll probably want a car, you can walk or take the resort trolley throughout the resort and into "town".
