The Captiva and Sanibel Island beaches rest side by side but have different vibes. Actually, the beach structure influences the shell amount and water clarity.

• Both places are popular for shelling but more shells are found in Sanibel. Sanibel has gradual slope, which allows shell to wash onto beach very easily.

• The slopes of Captiva Island beaches are steeper, so the amount of shells that wash onto the beach is cut down.

• On Sanibel Island, you will find less of sand and more of shells, which makes walking bare feet very uncomfortable.

• Alternatively, Captiva beaches are soft and even waters are clear. Sanibel water is shallow, so the beach gets bigger waves with murky water.

• Sanibel beach is crowded with visitors and locals scouring for shells.

• Captiva is quiet, laid back, and calms offers island-y vibe.

Therefore, if you plan to go shelling then Sanibel stay is the choice but if you desire for clear blue water and soft sandy beach then search for Captiva Island rentals. You will see a long list of vacation rentals available. Fortunately, you can narrow the list to find an ideal rental accommodation.

Use filters to narrow the options

Filter search results on the basis of availability on the specific date, number of bedrooms, type of accommodation [condo, cottage, resort, hotel], beachfront, pool, parking facility, special deals and listing with images. Without using filters, you will get confused to look through the long list of rental options.

Understand the photos

The photos posted on renting sites are very enticing. If a room is listed as ‘Beach View’ and has photos of beach view then it is a warning sign. Technically speaking, majority of rental listings can be considered as ‘beach view’ but this does not mean you will need to stand on the chair of a patio to look at the beach. When the owners capture photos of their rental unit then you get an idea if it is best or worst. Therefore listen to what the photo says before booking.

Read reviews

Guests post their reviews and each one conveys a story. Reviews vary but low rating means the unit is not maintained well. The owners solve the issue, after bad review gets received but on your vacation you don’t wish to deal with a broken AC because of poor maintenance by the owner. Look for unit with consistent good reviews.

Hope, these tips are useful!

Clare Louise