Captiva is considerably smaller than Sanibel. When you leave the far end of Sanibel and cross the small Bind Pass Bridge you are on Captiva. At one point in time Captiva and Sanibel were connected. A huge storm in the 1920’s split the islands apart; not by much, but enough that required a bridge. Captiva is only six miles long and about one third of a mile wide.

It is more exclusive than Sanibel and has a slightly different atmosphere due to its size and location. Almost one fifth of the island, the far north end, is taken up by the South Seas Resort, a four star luxury destination that is known world wide.

Captiva is a secluded and natural island getaway that is known for its romantic beaches and beautiful sunsets. The island faces west, so the sunsets are vivid and filed with glorious color. It is common to see vacationers and residents sitting on the beaches at night watching the sun set over the horizon. Just like Sanibel, some of the beaches of captive have large varieties of sea shells. Another favorite feature of Captiva is getting married on the beach. There are often late afternoon weddings, where the attendees get to witness a marriage and a beautiful sunset. Captiva is also a honeymoon destination for hundreds of couples each year. It’s quiet, lush, beautiful and romantic.

Real Estate on Captiva is a little more expensive than Sanibel. Unlike the incorporated island of Sanibel, Captiva is governed by Lee County, so the building and planning restrictions are a little different. As you cross the Blind Pass Bridge and drive along Captiva Drive, you will pass many long driveways. You can’t see the homes these driveways lead to due to lush foliage and beautiful flowers. On the side of Captiva Drive, these driveways lead to Gulf front estates on one to two acre lots. Many of these homes are in the $10 million to $20 million price range. They are large, private and architecturally significant. These estates are built just off the beach. The names of some of the owners are recognizable. On the right side of Captiva Drive, these long driveways lead to Bayfront homes or mansions with boat docks in their back yards. These homes look our over Roosevelt Channel, which is filled with great scenes of wildlife and passing boats.

The village of Captiva is small and inviting. There is a general store, good restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and easy access to the water. You will see both residents and tourists driving the streets in golf carts. The county is currently widening the main road to make it easier for biking.

Almost all of the homes and condos on Captiva can be rented when the owners are not in residence. It is a great place for a rental investment and the market is all year long. There are a half dozen rental management companies that have superb web sites for visitors to find the right home or condo to rent.

Homes and condos can easily be purchased in Captiva. Dozens of buyers do this every year. Buyers create an emotional attraction to this small and beautiful island. Many of them want to come back every year. The buying market is international in scope.

The average price of a home on Captiva is close to $2 million. There average price of a condo is around $900,000. There are of course exceptions to every average. Inside the South Seas resort there are a number of condos on the market right now from $325,000 to $900,000. The majority of the condos on the market are inside the resort. The majority of homes on the market are outside of the resort. The resort also has tome shares for sale.

Our agency has two offices in Captiva and we sell both inside and outside of South Seas Resort. This is a wonderful island and a perfect place for a vacation home or condo. You will see Captiva condos and homes in other sections of this web site. You may also do a property search using our MLS to find ideas about good investments on Captiva. We are island experts and would be pleased to share our advice and counsel with you no matter what listing you may see.

ISLAND HISTORY AND LEGEND

Just like Sanibel the history of Captiva goes back thousands of years. Different groups of Paleo-Indians visited or inhabited the island on a regular basis – some as far back as 12,000 years ago. Even back then, this narrow ribbon on sand and trees between two bodies of water was inviting and beautiful.

The modern day legend of Captiva is one of romance and intrigue dating as far back as the 1500’s. The island was established when a sandbar formed after a storm and nature added the many plants and animals, creating a small island oasis.

In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the island and was met by the fearsome Calusa Indian army. After various battles he retreated from the island and decided to colonize other parts of Florida. Eight years later in 1521, Ponce de Leon came back for a second try. Once again the Indians defeated their Spanish visitors. For another 200 years the Calusa resisted all attempts by outside forces to capture them and their island. Not long after that, a larger and better equipped army of invaders coupled with European diseases led to the defeat and disappearance of the Indians from Captiva.

In 1782, a young Spanish navy admiral by the name of Jose Gaspar made alife altering decision and stole $30 million worth of crown jewels from Spanish nobility. With a bounty on his head and powerful people hunting him down, Gaspar fled from Spain leaving his wife and son behind. He sailed across the ocean and made his headquarters on Gasparilla Island, just north of Captiva. During his pirating and plundering, Gaspar enriched himself with money and women. He used another barrier island as a compound to house all the women he captured – hence the name Captiva.

Captiva remained uninhabited until 1888 when William Herbert Binder became the first resident. In 1898, George Washington Carter and his family moved to the island and homesteaded 60 acres on the northern end of Captiva. They tried to grow citrus fruit and palm trees. After serious storms flooded the crops, the residents concentrated on fishing.

In 1923, Clarence Chadwick and his wife Rosamond, visited Captiva and became enchanted. Chadwick began purchasing homesteads, including the land owned by George Carter. By 1924 he owned 400 acres on the northern tip of Captiva. He used his large parcel of land to grow key limes. He turned other existing homes into quarters for his workers. His plantation soon became the largest key lime producer in the world. In 1930 Chadwick grew tired of the plantation and tried to sell the land. When he failed at selling the property he decided to rent the worker’s cottages to vacationers. With the help of Rosamond and her brother, the Chadwicks created a viable working resort destination.