Owners suggestion document

Owners Recommendations and Suggestions from Captiva Beach Villa 2412
Some of these have been provided by guests, so feel free to send us an email or mention it in a review if you found something that you think is worth sharing. Also, please pay close attention to the confirmation and where you will pick up your keys. It is probably on Sanibel at 2400 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel, FL 33957. There is a lock box for late arrivals.
On the way to Captiva you may want to stop and pick up some groceries. There are two grocery stores on Sanibel. After you get off the Causeway and turn right onto Periwinkle Way, Jerry's Foods will be 1.3 miles on the right and Bailey's will be 2.7 miles on the left where Periwinkle Way ends. Jerry's is a bit newer and Bailey's has been there as long as I can remember. I think they are a little more expensive than the chain stores on the mainland, but I have had guests tell me that the prices aren't any different. We do our shopping on the islands. The Island Store on Captiva will have most of the items that you would need, but it is a little more expensive. Every Sunday from October to May (8am to 1pm) there is the Sanibel Farmers Market by City Hall. They have fresh produce, fresh baked breads/pastries, and prepared Italian and German foods. I had one guest tell me they picked up a couple of hunks of lasagna and said it was the ticket. So, you may want to hold off on your grocery shopping until after a visit to the Farmers Market Sunday morning if you visit during this time frame. There is also a Farmers Market at the entrance to South Seas on Tuesdays, from mid December to the beginning of April (9am to 1pm). I haven't had the pleasure to attend that since it just started this year.
Once we get to the condo, we tend to walk to most places including all the restaurants on Andy Rosse Lane or near the four way stop. Captiva is about 5 miles long. When you go out to the beach in front of the condo, it's about 2 miles to Red Fish Pass to the north and 3 miles to Blind pass to the south toward Sanibel. A note about the alcohol served at the restaurants - There are 4 restaurants open to the public with a full bar as opposed to beer and wine (or wine based products) and I noted after the descriptions below which have the full bar. There is a Starbucks near the entrance to South Seas across from the guard shack, in Chadwick's Square South. The Island Store on Andy Rosse Lane at the four way stop has most of the groceries that you may want, or forgot to pick up on the way in and really isn't too bad on prices. Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grill opened in August of 2013 and has been a nice addition to the restaurant options. It is located in Chadwick's Square near the guard shack and entrance to South Seas. They have live music on the patio each evening and it's a great place to catch your favorite sports game. We make a meal out of the Black Bean Dip and a pound of the Yucatan Shrimp. Open for lunch and dinner. (Full bar) The Mucky Duck is a favorite spot on the beach for people wanting to catch the sunset before or after dinner. They also have live music outside nightly. It's located at the end of Andy Rosse Lane. Dinner is only served on the inside, but you can eat appetizers on the patio. We always walk the beach to get there and frequently notice the parking issues. We try to keep a flashlight in the kitchen closet if you need it. Open for lunch and dinner. The Key Lime Bistro (one of our long time favorites) has live music nightly and has both indoor and outdoor dinning. Located on Andy Rosse Lane. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Full bar) R.C. Otters also has live music nightly, with indoor and outdoor seating (another favorite). It's also located on Andy Rosse Lane. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Latte Da Coffee & Ice Cream Shop (name says it all). Also on Andy Rosse Lane. Captiva Pizza. Also on Andy Rosse Lane. The Crows Nest usually has crab races on Monday and Thursday nights. It is located at Tween Waters Inn, but it's a bit of a walk (about 1.3 miles by the beach), so you would probably want to drive. There are two shows nightly. One early (better for kids) and one late (geared more towards adults). Call for times (239) 472-5161. Reservations are often required or at least suggested during the peak season, so you may want to call ahead. (Full bar) The Bubble Room is a little different, but we do like to go there. It's always Christmas there and the wait staff is in scout uniform. The food has always been good and a lot of people walk out with a big hunk of cake for later. (Full bar) The Green Flash is a little further away, but we still tend to walk it. There is usually ample parking when we do drive. It is about ¼ mile past the four way stop on the left if you are heading back towards Sanibel. It overlooks Pine Island Sound. (Full bar) Cantina Captiva offers Mexican or Texmex type food. Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar. I've heard good things, but haven't eaten there. Open for dinner only. Worth mentioning on Sanibel are The Lazy Flamingo, The Island Cow, The Lighthouse Cafe, The Over Easy Cafe, Timbers Restaurant and Fish Market, plus so many more. With all the choices on Captiva we rarely go to Sanibel since we only get to stay for one week.
That covers eating. Now some other suggestions. J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on Sanibel. Yolo Watersports is located on Andy Rosse Lane. They rent bicycles, golf carts, paddle boards, sail boats, wave runners and lots of other things. They also do the Parasailing. The Manatee are often seen in the marina waters at the north end of the resort. As you walk slowly around the marina, look for bubbles rising up from the water as they pop up for a breath and submerge back into the water. They may not be there during the colder months when they migrate to the inland rivers where the water temperatures are a couple of degrees warmer. Captiva Cruises (day cruises). We have done the Sunset cruise and the Cabbage Key cruise and enjoyed them both. The Sanibel Lighthouse. Located at the south end of Sanibel. Shelling can be good just about anywhere and some spots can be better than others. It really depends on the currents and the storms. Fishing charters. The management company can provide specific suggestions.
The Wifi access code is “v2412+cap”. The real estate (management) company will provide the code for the keyless deadbolt so you don't have to carry a key every time you leave the unit.
Typically, I work Monday to Friday from 8am-4:30pm, but feel free to call, text or just send an email if you have any questions. In case I have my head in the middle of a piece of medical equipment, my wife's phone is also listed below. The real estate company should be able to handle any unforeseeable issues, which of course do arise from time to time. That's who I'm going to call to help.
A quick note about how you booked your property. If you booked through VRBO (Expedia) or another website, please be aware that they don't have anybody on the islands to help out if a situation should arise. They are located in Boston or something. The real estate company that you picked up your welcome package from is going to be the fastest to provide any kind of help regarding the property. The real estate company earns a commission from me for their 24/7 on call maintenance services, so don't hesitate to call them if something should come up. VRBO/HomeAway (Expedia) charge a hefty (12-14%) service charge to the guests and annual subscription fees ($400) for me to be able to advertise on their website, but all they are is an advertising agency. They don't have any way of providing any assistance. Next time, you can save by booking directly through an owner or renting through the real estate company. But if you don't mind paying more, by all means keep using the websites. Houfy is a website that looks promising which is why I signed up with them.
We hope you have a Captivating stay!
Mike Callahan; cell 404-483-1207, Sheila Callahan; cell 678-468-4636