Captiva getaway
 

Planning a family vacation to Captiva in early January. 2 adults (plus a wonderful babysitter!) and 3 kids all under the age of 5. I've been to Captiva only once before the hurricane, and loved it. But that was before children. My questions are:

1) weather.com reports that the average temp in January is 75. I'm assuming that's warm enough to hang out on the beach but not for swimming. Am I right (currently in the north east and have forgotten what 75 feels like!).

2) If we get bad weather - what would bad weather be in Florida in January and what is there to do in Captiva in that case?

3) I'm looking into renting a house for the week - any areas that we should focus on or stay away from?

Thanks in advance for all your help planning!

1. Canadians and New Englanders may swim at 75, Floridians, never. Water temperatures are about like Cape Cod/Nantucket Sound in late July -- 70 degrees.

2. Bad weather would consist of highs in the low-mid 50's with wind. You are unlikely to get more than a day or two of this at a time, and those days would be infrequent.

3. Captiva is so small that there really are no bad areas, at least observable to the visitor. I suppose being right on the main road would not be a plus. The downside of Captiva is that it is a l-o-n-g way to a supermarket. It is not far in miles to Sanibel, but the speed limit is 35 miles an hour and very, very strictly enforced.

4. You didn't ask about this, but this area is subject to red tides. I would google "red tide" and Captiva and think through what you read. Red tides come in cycles that are somewhat predictable, if I recall correctly, so you will want to look for predictions for this winter. Red tide is a natural algal bloom that kills fish, which then float up on the beach and rot. It is not dangerous to humans, though some get a choking sensation.

If you are lucky, NeoPatrick will respond to your message because he knows more about the southwest coast of Florida than anyone and is an absolutely reliable resource.

None of what I have written is meant to scare you off. This is a glorious, glorious part of the world in the winter, but I did want you to know about a couple of issues so you would not have unrealistic dreams.

Red Tide (usually) does not appear in winter, only in hot summer months, so I would not be concerned about that at all.....

I've been to Captiva many times in the winter and it's been too chilly to hang out on the beach.

75 can feel like 55 with a sea breeze -- it's amazing how much colder it can feel on the sand.

My favorite (and the only) place I stay on Captiva: www.southseas.com

Enjoy!

Would Naples be a better destination for us? Would it be warmer? Just bought airfare tonight $130 round trip - so we're committed to somewhere in the area.

Thanks for the advice!

I live in Sarasota so I'm speaking from experience.

Don't take the negative weather, water related advice too seriously.

Yes, it can be as low as 50-60s during the day in January, but it can also be in the low 80s in a matter of couple of days after a cold front passes through.

At the moment we are having a cold spell and it's under 50s at night and low 70s during the day. Great for the locals(I'm loving it) as we finally are able to shut off the AC and leave windows open, but I agree it's not ideal weather for tourists coming from the cold north, but it's suppose to warm up to 80s in couple of days.

I will agree that perhaps swimming in the gulf may not be possible unless you don't mind somewhat colder water. I would look for a place with a heated swimming pool, but generally speaking, you should be fine getting a suntan on the beach or by the pool.

Captiva Island is gorgeous, laid back type of a place. Naples is more cosmopolitan and busy. The weather will be the same in both places.

Naples has a lot more to do if you find it too cold or if the weather turns bad -- not a huge likelihood, though.
Naples will not be noticeably warmer than Captiva.

NeoPatrick - what is there to do in Naples if the weather isn't goood? We're definitely not shoppers ... kids are all little.

What about in Sanibel/Captiva? Whatever the weather is there, it will be warmer than in the northeast!

Well, I'm not very good at giving you lots of activities for kids under 5, but for starters there are lots of movies, a mall, a zoo, the Conservancy (and natural animal refuge), and a couple of amusement centers.

For the past three years we have stayed at Fort Myers Beach for the months of January and February and two or three times each week we drive to the tip of Capitiva to our favourite beach near South Seas Island Resort. The beach is amazing and there are always lots of children having a great time in and out of the water. We have rarely had a day when we felt it was too cold to be on the beach. I don't know anything about South Seas Island Resort, but it certainly looks great, so I think it would be worth checking out.

Thanks to all! We've decided on renting a house in Captiva. I'm very much looking forward to this getaway! Thanks for your input.