travelbug

I am looking at the Sanibel Captiva area as a vacation destination, but would prefer an area a little less populated. Pine Island looks nice and rustic, but I'm wondering if there are any accomodations on that Island. Is anyone aware of any? What about surrounding islands like Boca Grande?

lovetotravel

Have you done a search for Pine Island or Boca Grande? I know there is a website for Pine Island. We drove to PI last winter and found it very charming and it looked like there were several B & B's there.

travelbug

Yes, I have done a search and have come up with nothing. I'm not sure a B&B would work with our 2 children. I was thinking of a little beach cottage. I'm not a big fan of condo's or resorts so if anyone has other suggestions I'd appreciate it!

Sal

IMO, you would be better off to stay in Sanibel or Captiva. Pine Island doesn't have much to offer in the way of accommodations or dining. If you're looking for a less populated beach, check out Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze. Summer is the slow season down here, so you probably won't run into crowds anywhere this time of year.

travelbug

Thanks Sal, will do. Have you stayed at Palm Island? What type of atmosphere?

jody

You might want to look at North Captiva Island. You can only get there by boat and you drive golf carts to get around the island. There are no hotels, only homes and cottages are for rent. It was a great vacation!

lisa

We just returned from a week in Boca Grande with our 3 year old. It was a wonderful, laid back beach vacation - uncrowded, family-friendly, not overly developed. The beaches were beautiful, great shells and marine life, bike paths, etc. However, if you're looking for a place that has lots of nightlife or commercialized activities, this is not the place to be. We stayed at a small, extremely well-maintained condo complex on the beach - Sea Oats. Post if you'd like additional information.

travelbug

Thanks for the reply. I prefer a non-commercialized area. Please let me know of a phone number or website with information on Sea Oats. It sounds like what I'm looking for. Also, how do you get there? Ferry or is there a bridge?

Sal

Yes, we have stayed at Palm Island many times. It's a sprawling condominium resort. You park on the mainland (in Cape Haze) and take a short water taxi ride to the resort. We always rent one of their golf carts since it's so spread out. Boats are also available for rental. There is a fishing dock, pool, small general store etc., but dining choices are very limited. You should buy groceries on the mainland before going over. You will return home truly relaxed. You can check it out at www.palmisland.com

lisa

Sea Oats was a small, wonderful condo complex with a pool and a short walkway to the beach. We went through a private condo owner that we found on the internet, but there also appeared to be a property management group on site that leased out several of the condos. Several of the realty agents in Boca Grande had Sea Oats on their listing, as well as other nice looking condos. Some of the realtors also had some private listings of homes/cottages, but they were out of our price range. I'll email you directly with more details. Boca Grande is attached to the mainland by a causeway with a toll bridge - pretty easily accessible. All around, it was a great trip.

starrs

This may be some kind of record. This thread was 11 years old - before it was topped for an ad.

santamonica

oops. i topped another post on pine island. that was an ad too i'm too gullible.