Captiva, a small island just north of Sanibel Island on Florida's Gulf Coast near Ft. Myers, was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in late September 2022. Just 12 miles long and, at most, three miles wide, it's a tourist destination for Floridians and out-of-state travelers alike, including more than a few Great Loop cruisers and others traveling along Florida's Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Or at least it was.

Hurricane Ian destroyed two of the three marinas listed in Waterway Guide on Captiva Island. While neither Jensen's nor the upscale South Seas Island will be hosting boaters anytime soon, 'Tween Waters has been open since November with all its docks and most of its facilities intact. I took the opportunity to visit the island in early February 2023 to get an idea of what other boaters might expect.

Touring by bicycle, I discovered that the northern half of the island, which is part of the South Seas Island Resort & Marina, is completely closed to public access. I couldn't see the extent of the damage. Two shopping centers just south of there were also closed for repairs. Only the U.S. Post Office and a bank were open in that part of the island.

The rest of the island's businesses are a bit farther south on Captiva Drive and Andy Rosse Lane, about a mile from 'Tween Waters. Some are open and some aren't.

I spoke to Marla Conroy of American Reality of Captiva LLC, one of the island's many vacation rental companies. "Every week," she said, "one or two more businesses open."

Jim Mazzotta, co-owner of Jungle Drums Gallery, which offers an eclectic collection of artwork and jewelry, agreed. "Tell people to check out the Instagram account for CapSanGuide," he advised. "They publish weekly listings of what's open on both Captiva and Sanibel Islands." He lamented that business is still slow, however. "Most visitors are day trippers who have come to gawk at the damage, get a bite to eat, and go home. They don't spend time shopping."

Marla highly recommended the Mucky Duck Restaurant, which had opened the previous week for the first time since the storm. Located at the Gulf end of Andy Rosse Lane, it offers standard American and seafood fare in a laid-back atmosphere, with both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the Gulf. It was busy on the Thursday I visited with a 40-minute wait for an outdoor table.

While in the area, I also visited the Gold Parrot boutique and Beach Stuff clothing store. YOLO Watersports offered sales and rentals of kayaks, snorkeling gear and related items. Two shops rented golf carts for exploring Captiva and Sanibel. The Island Store was open to provide a limited selection of provisions, including basic groceries and liquor. Cantina Captiva, a Mexican restaurant, was operating out of a food truck in its parking lot, but Captiva Pizza a few blocks away was open in its normal location.

I also stopped for a chat with Keith at McCarthy's Marina. "Yes, the marina is open," he told me, "But we don't have transient dockage." Instead, the marina caters mostly to local boat owners and is the base of operations for Captiva Cruises, a tour boat that normally runs four different tour boats. Keith said, "With advance notice, we sometimes make our dock available for day trippers who come by boat for lunch and shopping in town." McCarthy's location on the bay end of Andy Rosse Lane is perfect for such a day trip.

Workers were busy throughout the island making repairs and hauling away trash. The storm damage is evident nearly everywhere but does not really detract from the experience of being on one of Florida's mellower Gulf Coast Islands.

This was the case at 'Tween Waters, too. A large resort with over 200 rooms, two pools, three restaurants, and a spa, marina staff told me that most damage was limited to fallen trees and vegetation debris, as well as lots of sand that needed clearing out. The marina has two docks accessible from the resort with all the usual amenities plus access to the resort, loaner bicycles, and even kayaks. Manatees frequently visited the marina while I was there, surfacing with a snort near the boats.

And that Gulf beach! With less visitation because of the hurricane, the miles-long beach is nearly empty every day and, for me, a perfect reason to visit Captiva Island.

About the Author

Maria Langer is a (mostly) solo Great Loop cruiser, traveling with her two tiny dogs in a 2019 Ranger Tug R-29 CB, Do It Now. She's been a freelance writer since 1990 and is blogging about her travels at MyGreatLoopAdventure.com.