Captiva Island Travel: My Favorite Places to Visit

Captiva Island is a beautiful place. I blogged earlier this week about a cake and cocktail adventure at The Bubble Room on Captiva Island, but that wasn’t all that we did. No, we enjoyed the beautiful September weather beachside.

What to Expect When You Visit Captiva Island

I feel like Captiva Island is a special treat. While it is close enough to visit if you are in southwest Florida, parking can sometimes be a disaster. Traffic out to the island during the busy season is rough, so I have only gone a handful of times. It’s hard to explain unless you have visited, but there are no parking lots. There is nowhere to park to enjoy the beach unless you are staying at a vacation rental or are parked at a restaurant (which, of course, is frowned upon since those spots are for residents). There is a small lot at Mucky Duck that I try to park in for lunch and to enjoy the beach view.

I knew exactly where to go to take my friend who was visiting from out of town. We drove all the way to The Mucky Duck which is a restaurant that sits right on the sand. As previously mentioned, Captiva Island is basically closed from 3pm-5pm and we arrived right at 3 pm. Lucky for us, the bar remains open. And, added bonus, no one else was really there.

As tourists, we needed a good souvenir. A rhinestone koozie seemed appropriate.

We sat in comfy chairs in the sand and enjoyed a few drinks. I have been to The Mucky Duck before, but I have never eaten here. It is just a fun place to stop in for cocktails on the beach. It’s also a beautiful place to watch a sunset.

We did explore the beach for a little bit. The water is still warm, of course, and it was HOT. We don’t get autumn for many more weeks–if ever!

If you are ever planning a Florida vacation, look into Sanibel & Captiva Islands. They feel so remote but are still close to other activities. The sand is beautiful, and the water is quite nice. It’s not as murky as other beaches I’ve been to lately.

Have you ever visited?