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Sanibel & Captiva Beaches

Here is a list of the wonderful beaches the islands of Sanibel and Captiva have to offer. You won't find a lot of development here, often just the bare minimum. You will find peace and tranquility in the natural beauty that abounds, unspoiled by man, and protected by city ordinance. Relax, and unwind, take in a sunset, pick up some of the beautiful shells which are all around.

Causeway Beaches. Terrific for swimming, fishing and windsurfing. Also handy for picnicking. Pull your vehicle right to the water's edge, free of charge. Located along both sides of Causeway Road. (Access may be limited during the new causeway construction)

Lighthouse Beach.  Site of a functioning historic lighthouse, it lies at the eastern tip of Sanibel, wrapping around Gulf to bay. A T-dock on the bay accommodates fisher folk; a boardwalk nature trail offers glimpses of beach and wetland habitat. Located at the east end of Periwinkle Way.

Gulfside City Park.  Picnic tables and a loop interpretive nature trail. Parking fee applies to all vehicles, including those with resident stickers. Located on Algiers Lane off Casa Ybel Rd.

Tarpon Bay Beach.  Popular and easily accessible. RV parking. The parking lot is a short bike ride to the beach; travel lightly or drop off gear and passengers at the entrance before parking. Located at the south end of Tarpon Bay Rd at West Gulf Drive; parking on Tarpon Bay Rd.

Bowman's Beach.  County-owned and known for it's wildlife and seclusion. Many consider it the island's best shelling spot. To reach it, hike through a wooded area and over an estuary bridge. Located off Sanibel-Captiva Rd on Bowman's Beach Rd.

Resident Accesses.  Signs along the Gulf Drives on Sanibel mark small parking lots  and beach accesses reserved for residents with permit stickers.

Turner Beach.  Straddles the pass between Sanibel and Captiva islands; popular with shellers and fishermen. When the pass is open, swift tides discourage swimmers. Currently, the pass is closed. Perfect for watching sunsets. Located off Sanibel-Captiva Rd at Blind Pass.

Captiva Beach.  Popular for sunset-gazing. No facilities but water sports rentals are located near the Mucky Duck restaurant. The parking lot is located at the end of Captiva Drive.

Average island prices drop but sales pick up pointing to good season

The average price of property sold on Sanibel between January 1st and September 30th has dropped 19% so far this year making a 25 percent decrease on average prices of sold property on Sanibel over two years.

The most expensive properties showed the biggest drop with a 27 percent drop in beachfront property prices and a 23 percent drop in bay front property. The only property type that gained was inland property which increased 13 percent in the first three quarters of this year.

Captiva fared no better with property prices overall dropping 30 percent over the year and 26 percent over two years. All categories dropped with near beach properties dropping as much as 55 percent.

Take a longer view and the picture is better. Captiva does better than Sanibel. Over five years, the average price of Captiva property has gained 57 percent. (But bear in mind that Captiva was still recovering from Hurricane Charlie five years ago and prices were depressed.) Average prices on Sanibel dropped just  9 percent over five years.

 

Take a still longer view and all categories fared, if not brilliantly, at least adequately.  Sanibel prices have increased 50 percent in the last ten years  and Captiva prices have gone up 42 percent with Captiva beachfront and Captiva near beach homes starring with 86 percent and 94 percent increases respectively. For a spreadsheet of island prices over ten years and more, e-mail Wendy at Wendy@SanibelProperty.com

And now for even better news……  Following a dismal start, a lackluster spring and a mediocre summer, sales have already started picking up for the fall with 17 homes and 14 condos either pending or contingent. This is highly unusual: October is generally our slowest month.