Captiva Island is a beautiful, peaceful and secluded barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico, north of Sanibel Island off the coast of Ft. Myers in southwest Florida.
Famous for its white sand beaches and shelling, Captiva is a popular vacation destination, continually honored by numerous travel magazines as a family friendly destination and for its pristine beaches.
Approximately 5 miles long and only 1/2 mile wide, the only road access to Captiva is over the causeway from Ft. Myers, through the shopping and restaurant district of Sanibel along Periwinkle Way, and up Sanibel-Captiva Road.
Once over Blind Pass, there is only one main road on Captiva, with one property on each side. There are places where you can see the Gulf of Mexico and the bay at the same time. The road leads to a quaint, eclectic, upscale island village and South Seas Resort & Yacht Club, located at the uppermost part of Captiva.
Martha's Glade is a private vacation rental home located on the southern end of Captiva Island, close to Blind Pass and Sanibel. The house is on Roosevelt Channel, named for Teddy Roosevelt who came to Captiva in the early 1900's to trophy fish.
The property is conducive to peace and quiet. You can read in the back Florida Room or out in Martha's Glade, named for my grandmother. Swim in the pool, go to the beach, play tennis, or simply relax on the private dock. During low tide, there is a sandbar that forms across from the dock where you can always see spoonbills digging for treasures.
Different varieties of birds roost in the mangroves, mostly egrets and herons. We've seen otters, alligators, dolphins and manatees swimming up and down Roosevelt channel. Just wait with a good book or a fishing pole and experience nature up close!
Fish are common in the channel including sheepshead, redfish, snook, trout and mangrove snapper. At night, go down to the dock (there is an automatic light) and watch the huge snook feed on the unlucky shrimp skating across the top of the water. There are fishing poles available for use off the dock or across the island in the Gulf.
The private white sand beach is a short walk across Captiva Drive, only a few minutes away. You never know what the Gulf water will be like on a given day. If your vacation starts out with choppy waters, a few days later will bring waters as smooth as a lake.
There are sandpipers along the water line, seagulls looking for food, pelicans diving in the water and even herons and egrets walking around. Some of the nesting sea turtles have protected nests on the back edge of the beach. Dolphins are a common site when on the beach, especially in the evening at sunset.
After all the great home-based activities, you just might find the only time you leave is for dinner! Make sure you are home for the sunset, because every night is different with the only commonality being the peacefulness and tranquility of watching the sunset on a near-deserted beach. Almost every evening, you can watch the dolphins head north. We've always said that world peace could be attained if everyone had a chance to watch the sunset on Captiva.
My grandmother bought this house as a winter getaway and we have shared this home with guests from the beginning. There are so many wonderful memories that have occurred in this house. Reading the guest book is one of the first things we do when we arrive. I just cry reading about a baby's first steps in the house or how people continue to come year after year as their family grows and changes. There is something special about this house - it feels like a home to our guests. It is much more memorable than a typical rental property. We hope you enjoy your stay!