beachtown: a location near a beach where sun, sand, sea and fun can be found!
Captiva Island
West Coast
Florida
USA
A flock of Royal Terns in flight above the western beach of Upper Captiva Island
Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally part of neighboring Sanibel Island to the southeast, it was likely severed when a hurricane's storm surge washed away a new channel, called Blind Pass, which has now been filled in with sand. Like Sanibel, Captiva is a barrier island to Pine Island (to the east of Captiva and north of Sanibel), however it is much narrower. The only automobile access to Captiva is via the Sanibel Causeway and Sanibel-Captiva Road. Captiva's many large estates, condominiums, and businesses have recovered from the serious damage due to 2004's Hurricane Charley. Captiva is accessed by a small bridge that crosses Blind Pass from Sanibel Island. There is a toll to use the causeway from Ft. Myers that goes first to Sanibel Island then north to Captiva. Travel, tourism and hospitality rank as the number one industry on Captiva Island (and its sister island immediately to the south, Sanibel). Noted world-famous guests to Captiva include Teddy Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh (who regularly landed his plane on the beach in front of 'Tween Waters Inn), Anne Morrow Lindbergh and J.N. "Ding" Darling. Both the Old Captiva House restaurant and a number of guest cottages have been designated historically-significant sites by Lee County, Florida. Travelocity has called Captiva's sunsets "the most romantic in all America." Captiva Village, located mid-island, offers specialty shops and gourmet and casual restaurants along Andy Rosse Lane. In addition Captiva Village contains a public library, community center,and historic beach front nondenominational Chapel By The Sea. There is limited parking for day travelers, but Public beach access, parking, and portable restrooms are available at the Alison Hagerup Beach Access, a fee area maintained by Lee County.
General Location: Located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast. Much of the land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
