North Captiva Island
Things to Do

North Captiva Island Things to Do - Sun and fun, beach, boating, fishing, dining, shell hunting, swimming, tennis, and bombing around on the golf cart!

My family rented a huge home on N. Captiva for vacation one year for the week after Christmas.

The fun started when we caught the Island Girl ferry from Pineland Marina for the ride over.

After unloading our luggage, we checked in at the rentals reception area at the marina of the N. Captiva Club Resort.

We received our golf carts and then the "fights" began about who was going to drive them! No problem, there would be plenty of time to explore the island and we all got plenty of turns ............ which is the first thing you'll want to do once you get unpacked!

To see more about getting to the island, rentals, and real estate, go to my North Captiva and North Captiva Rentals pages.

North Captiva Island Activities

If you arrive to the island by ferry to the N. Captiva Island Club Resort Marina, you'll see an area with pools, tennis courts, poolside bar, boat and kayak rentals, The Boathouse restaurant, and Mangos Store and Restaurant.

From the marina, if you turn left and head south, you'll see vacation homes ..... but most of this half of the island is part of a Florida State Park where you can enjoy nature.

Keep your eyes open for wildlife! Look for gopher tortoises, bobcats, and even wild pigs.

And ............. watch out for "boyatees"!

If you turn right from the marina and head north, most of the vacation homes are at this end along with an airstrip, and Barnacles Resort and Restaurant which features beach volleyball and cornhole, more kayak and boat rentals, fishing charters, kayak fishing, boat taxi, grocery service, and an ice cream store and gift shop.

Take the kids fishing, either at the beach or on a pier, and cook up your catch for dinner!

Some of the best fishing in the world is in this part of SW Florida .......... redfish, tarpon, snook, grouper, cobia, trout, shark, snapper, and more.

Go paddleboarding or take a boat ride ........... you can charter eco and sunset tours, and moon paddles.

Look for dolphins, manatees, stingrays and birds such as bald eagles, osprey, and many kinds of shorebirds.

Of course, the main attraction of North Captiva Island Florida are the beautiful beaches!

And last but not least ............ dining and shopping:

North Captiva Restaurants

The Boathouse is the place to go for special occasions. They are located above the reception area at the marina. Along with views of the harbor, they serve appetizers, salads, steak, chicken, and seafood dishes.

Mangos Store is on the other side of the marina. They serve casual fare for lunch and dinner as well as basic grocery items.

Mangos Pool Bar is next to the marina. Food and beverages are supplied by Mangos Store.

Barnacles Restaurant plus Barnacles Ice Cream Parlor, Coffee Shop, and Gift Bazaar is at the northern end of Safety Harbor and was formerly called Barnacle Phil's. The restaurant serves appetizers, salads, seafood, burgers, tacos, chicken, and their famous black beans and rice, all made with local ingredients.