Captiva, kids and beach

Hello - we are thinking of renting a Captiva home on or very near the beach in July of this year. I would appreciate any one%26#39;s advice on houses. I would also like to know opinions on the water/Gulf for kids. Is it clear? Deep? I have heard there was lots of seaweed. True? We%26#39;ve also thought of the keys as our other choice - how would you compare the two?

I would love to hear your experiences and recommendations.

Thank you!

Captiva, kids and beach

We took our kids to Captiva last year for Spring Break and are returning again with them in July of this year. We have rented a home on the bay side near Captiva Village. We always rent through Royal Shell Vacations (www.royalshell.com). They have numerous accommodations of every type. We are renting the house named Bay Jah View because we like the pool and hot tub, the layout for the kids, and the closeness to Captiva%26#39;s Village area.

There are also very nice homes on the beach side, but are a little more costly. The thing about Captiva is that it is 1/2 mile wide at its widest point, so even if you stay on the bay side, you still have a short walk to restaurants and the beach.

We love Captiva - we go at least once a year (sometimes twice when we%26#39;re lucky).

For more information about Sanibel and Captiva, visit the web site www.bestofsanibelcaptiva.com. They have a wonderful message board full of tips and recommendations.

Captiva, kids and beach

Hi Pantherfan, I rented Bayjah view a couple of years ago. It is lovely and an easy walk to everything in town.

Reilly3, the water varies depending on the weather. If the weather is calm, the water is lovely and clear. If the waves kick up, it is less so. It is easy to find very shallow areas/sandbars near the shore. There is not a lot of seaweed, but there are lots of shells and you%26#39;ll want watershoes for the kids so they dont%26#39; cut their toes on the shells. Also, remember to teach them to ';shuffle'; their feet when walking in the water. There are stingrays around, but they honestly won%26#39;t bother you unless you happen to step on one.

Between the keys and Captiva, with kids, I%26#39;d say Captiva if you like the beach. The beach is absolutely lovely on Captiva and the keys doesn%26#39;t really have much beach. The water is warmer at Captiva and there are lots of great houses to rent there.

I love both Captive and the Keys. Tough choice! Captiva has great shelling and the beaches on Sanibel and Captiva are lovely. They used to have crab races at the Tween Waters Inn (great family place to stay) that my kids loved when they were growing up. The Bubble Room and The Mucky Duck are both not to miss restaurants.The Pink Flamingo is also a fun dive for a hamburger or fish sandwhich. Also renting a boat and running over to Cabbage Key for lunch is a fun thing to do. Kids would love the boat ride and you will love the lunch at the famous restaurant there. I think that for young kids Captiva is a better choice. Go to the Keys too sometime though, maybe more fun w/out the kids there! Depending on the ages of your kids, the Thomas Edison Museum is in nearby Fort Myers and very interesting if you like history.

I rent houses on Captiva often. I%26#39;ve rented direct from owners and used agencies. In addition Royal Shell, try Resort Quest and captiva-island.com The last has quite a few houses in the Village area convenient to shops and restaurants and a short stroll to the beach on private lanes.

The water can have seaweed. The beaches are %26#39;shelly%26#39;. Lots of crushed shells making the sand hard on the feet in areas. The water can be sandy as its shallow. At certain times of the year it can get a %26#39;tea%26#39; color - usually down by Sanibel. It comes from the mangroves and on occasion from the water releases from Lake O.

The water is shallow and warn and very good for safe playing and swimming. Shelling is highly addictive and you%26#39;ll find kids can spend hours looking for new and different ones.

The Keys have limited beaches. The nicer ones, say from Marathon south to Key West are quieter. The water is is generally clear and get deep quickly.

I happen to prefer Captiva to the Keys, but that%26#39;s me.