North Captiva Island

North Captiva, also known as Upper Captiva, is a place to forget about the time.  If you bring your watch, you’ll take it off.  If you need to re-charge, this is the place for you!

It’s an unspoiled sub-tropical barrier island that lies one-half mile off Florida’s Gulf coast just north of Sanibel & Captiva Islands and west of Fort Myers.  This is a fantasy island getaway with secluded beaches, no bridges, no cars, and a private airstrip.  The island owes its seclusion to a 1921 hurricane that broke away from Captiva Island creating Red Fish Pass, a 200-foot channel where boaters fish for trophy tarpon, snook and grouper.

Upper Captiva Island is approximately 4 ½ miles long and ½ mile at its widest part, ¾ is a protected state wilderness park with tidal flats and surrounding waters serving as an aquatic preserve for manatees, loggerhead turtles, and over one-hundred species of migratory birds.  Ospreys are a common sight, sitting on rooftops eating their catch of the day.

There is a three-foot alligator swimming in a pond a the Safety Harbor Club.  A gopher tortoise named George lives adjacent to a house with an unmoved lawn, where he frequently indulges in a diet of grass.

The residential section of the Island is divided into seven communities, amid lush tropical vegetation with crushed shell sand roads.  It takes about five minutes to get from one end of the island to another.  Custom golf carts are the craze.

Today, there are just over 300 homes, with about 60 year round residents and a total anticipated buildup of approximately 400 – 450 homes.  The homes are magnificent homes with wooden decks known as crow’s nests.  These lofty perches provide panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico, Pine Island Sound and Captiva Pass.

There are two restaurants, a bar, and a grocery/deli on the island offering a variety of dining experiences.  Barnacle Phil’s is famous for its Grouper as well as its black beans & rice.  There are also two gifts shops on the island.

The major sources of entertainment on the island are beach walks, bird watching, fishing, shelling, dolphin watching, reading a good book, BBQ’s, afternoon naps and stargazing.  Life on North Captiva Island is truly relaxation, “no stress,” and serenity at its finest.