Usually, when you head to the beach on Captiva Island during the busy season, you’ll see people scattered across the beach. Even on the quietest of days. By a strange twist of fate, last year we found ourselves alone on the beach on a perfect February day. We had long wondered what is the best beach day on Captiva Island, and by accident, we found out.
Why Saturday Is The Best Beach Day On Captiva Island
Typically, Captiva Island vacation home rentals are Saturday to Saturday. This means that well before lunch, the mass exodus from the island is underway and the next wave of island goers won’t arrive until mid-afternoon.
This makes Saturday our favorite beach day. While the island won’t be empty on Saturday, there are noticeably fewer people on the beach, especially near the village. (Resorts have greater date flexibility so resort beaches may be busy as usual)
If you’ve ever had an earlier flight out of RSW on Saturdays, you know the drill. Wake up early, pack up the car, take in one last glance of the beach and head back to Ft. Myers.
How To Make It Work:
There are a few ways to make the most from this insider tip:
Saturday-Saturday
If you are doing the standard Saturday to Saturday stay, this can be a bit tough, but you can make it work, depending on your flight time.
Take an early flight into RSW so you can enjoy the beach on Saturday before check-in. Grab your rental car and head straight for the beach; you can be there in an hour. When you get to Captiva Island, be sure to head directly to the public parking lot at the end of Captiva Drive; straight ahead after passing the South Seas entrance.
Hint: pack your swimsuit in a convenient location, or wear beach-friendly clothes on your flight.
If you can snag a late flight out of RSW going home, head to the public Captiva beach parking lot after checking out of your rental. The earlier the better, to be sure you get a parking spot. If you are staying at a resort, you might be able to keep your car in the resort parking lot until you leave the island.
Flexible Stay
If you have greater flexibility with your dates, taking advantage of the best beach day gets a lot easier. South Seas, Tween Waters, Twin Palms, Jensen’s On The Gulf, and the Captiva Island Inn all offer date flexibility, compared to the traditional vacation home rentals.
You could add a day or two to your trip (or more) and stay at one of these resorts after checking out of your rental on a Saturday. We did this in February 2020, staying at the South Seas bayside condos. It was seamless!
Bottom Line
Face it. At the end of your vacation, you’ll never regret squeezing out one last perfect day on the beach.
