How To Get To North Captiva Island

Hi everyone! North Captiva is an amazingly beautiful island located in the Gulf of Mexico. Maggie and I have been visiting the island with our family for about ten years now, and it is the ideal relaxing, island vacation destination. In this post, we will be sharing all of our best tips and advice for visiting North Captiva Island, Florida!

The island was originally part of Captiva Island, but a hurricane in 1921 separated the two – creating North Captiva! North Captiva is now the more rural, quiet and relaxing island of the two.

We love that there are no cars on North Captiva – golf carts only! Since you can only access the island by boat (or small, private plane) it is extremely low-key and relaxing. There are no hotels on the island. Instead, visitors rent (or own) homes for their stay. There is tons of nature on the island, and it is so much fun to walk on the beach and explore the undeveloped nature preserve.

North Captiva is truly the perfect destination for families – it is super safe + tons of fun!

Information about Island Clubs

There are two "clubs" on the island that most home owners belong to – North Captiva Island Club and Safety Harbor Club. These clubs have "club houses" with bars and swimming pools for renters to use. When renting, I recommending booking through North Captiva Island Club, it's more family friendly and the vibes are much more fun and relaxed. Safety Harbor is targeted towards an older population, and I recommend booking these properties if you're looking for a more quiet and relaxed experience, or if you're not traveling with kids.

Click here to browse and book rental properties with North Captiva Island Club, and click here to book with Safety Harbor on VRBO. This all being said, if your rental property has a pool you likely won't be spending too much time at the clubs, besides for the bars and restaurants. Therefore, I recommend choosing the house that you think is most suitable for your family – regardless of which club it belongs to. Below is all of the information you will need to plan + book your stay on the island!

Rental Homes + Packing

All rental properties have beach access

When booking a rental property you will see that there are many that are beach front, and of course, these will be more expensive. Don't worry if the property you book is not right on the beach, you will still have beach access and it will be a maximum of a five minute golf-cart ride from your home. The beach is public, and although there are private access points, there are also public access points for homes that are in the interior of the island.

Many of the homes also have pools, but some do not, so be sure to check the rental listing carefully. Having a pool is a really nice addition, as you will be able to spend more time at your rental house with your family and less time at the communal club pool.

Pack light

North Captiva is a super casual island – and when vacationing there all you'll need is comfy clothes and shoes. Additionally, all rental properties come with washers and dryers, so it's super easy to wash and re-wear clothes.

That being said, I always forget sweaters! If you're coming in the fall/winter it will likely be super nice during the day (70s-80s) but it gets a little cooler at night (60s), so be sure to bring a couple sweatshirts and pairs of long pants if you get cold easily.

For more information on packing, check out my North Captiva Packing Guide here!

Transportation to the Island

Check out Punta Gorda Airport

The most convenient airports to get to North Captiva are Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Fort Myers offers the most flights from all major airlines and it is relatively convenient (about an hour drive) to get to the ferries. I have always flown into Fort Myers, and it's usually easy. However, Allegiant Air flies into Punta Gorda which is also about an hour drive from the island. From both Punta Gorda Airport and Fort Myers, you can pick up the Pine Island Taxi to the ferry (explained below), for around $75. Punta Gorda is a small airport, that services many other small airports across the country, and often the flights are quite cheap!

Take Pine Island Taxi

You can book airport pick-ups/drop offs through Pine Island Taxi. Pine Island Taxi has always been great. They meet you at the airport and drive you to the North Captiva Island ferry dock – and also back to the airport for your return trip. A Pine Island Taxi car from RSW (Fort Myers Airport) to the dock is $75 – and the car can fit up to four people, depending on the amount of luggage. If you preorder groceries, the taxi driver will also stop at Publix for you to pick them up. Pine Island Taxi will drop you off at either ferry dock – NCIC Ferry or Island Girl. The trip, without stops, is around one hour. Click here to learn more and to book.

Book your ferries in advance

Ferries go to and from North Captiva quite regularly with North Captiva Island Club Ferry and Island Girl Ferry.

The first North Captiva Island Club Ferry to the island leaves at 8am and the last boat off is at 7:15pm. There are also boats later in the evening, but there will be a surcharge. The price for a one way ferry ticket is $24 for adults and $21.50 for children ages 2-12. Children under 2 ride free. Click here for the ferry schedule and to book!

There is also parking at the NCIC ferry dock for $10 a day – this is great if you're coming in a car/rental car.

Island Girl ferries leave from the Pineland Marina. Click here for their ferry schedule – the high season and low season have different hours. Island Girl will also arrange off-hour ferries for fees beginning at $150 one-way.

Food and Drinks

Bring lots of food + drinks

Before coming over to the island, you'll need to go grocery shop for everything you will need during your stay.

Many grocery stores, like Publix, allow you to order online and they will "boat-pack" all of your groceries in coolers and paper bags to be easily transported to the island. On your way to the dock you'll just stop, either in a taxi or your rental car, and pick up your groceries that will be all packed and ready to go.

If you want to pick out your own groceries, that's fine too. However, you'll most likely need to rent a car in order to shop so that your taxi/Uber driver isn't waiting for hours in the parking lot.

Finally, you can download the Instacart app and order groceries for pick up from a bunch of stores near the ferry dock – just put in the zip code for North Captiva (33924) and the stores nearby will pop up. Double check to make sure that the store you pick isn't out of the way.

You can order groceries to be delivered to your rental house

Another option for grocery delivery, if you don't want the hassle of stopping at the grocery store, is to order your groceries through Publix and the North Captiva Island Club will pick up all of your groceries and put them away in your house for you! This way, when you arrive, your house will be stocked full of groceries.

The charge for this service is 25% of of the total grocery bill. Although this does seem high, it is extremely convenient and will save you lots of time and organizing upon arrival on the island. Click here to learn more about the service.

There is only one tiny store on the island

Be sure to bring enough food. There are a few restaurants on the island that serve great food, but there is only one grocery store with extremely limited options (beer, pasta, eggs, etc.) Don't rely on the on-island grocery store. It's good for essentials if you're in a pinch, but you cannot buy groceries to feed a family for a lengthy amount of time.

Check out the four restaurants!

There are four restaurants on the island + one ice cream shop! I've eaten at all of these restaurants many times and they all have super yummy food! Although some of the restaurants are within island clubs, you do not need to be a member of the club to eat at the restaurants.

Mangos

At North Captiva Island Club there is the pool bar, Mangos, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with all outdoor seating. I highly recommend the fish tacos – they are so good!!

The Boathouse

Also within North Captiva Island Club you'll the Boathouse. The Boathouse is only open for dinner, and is a little "fancier" (by North Captiva standards). They also require reservations. Be sure to try their key lime pie, it is amazing!!

Over the Water

In Safety Harbor Club be sure to try Over the Water, an adorable restaurant with great views of the ocean. They are open for lunch and dinner and their menu is delicious. We highly recommend that you try the shrimp scampi and the brownie sundaes, they are both so good! There is limited seating so be sure to make a reservation by calling (239) 472-4762.

Mainstay (Barnacles) + Ice Cream

Finally, check out Mainstay North Captiva (also called Barnacles). Barnacles has indoor seating and also outdoor seating under tiki huts, and is the perfect location to enjoy lunch or dinner. They also have a bar where you can relax and enjoy drinks while looking out at the water.

Above Barnacles there is also an ice cream shop, which is great for an afternoon or post lunch treat!

Activities on North Captiva Island

Kayaks, Bikes and Beach Chairs are Free to Use

If you're renting through NCIC, you have complementary access to kayaks, beach chairs and bikes! This is great, as it is so much fun to bike and kayak around the island! You can get all of these items from Mangos (store and pool bar.)

Rent Jet Skis, Paddle Boards and Boats

Through Boats and Fun, located near Mangos, you can rent paddle boards and different types of boats.

The staff at Boats and Fun are super helpful, and you're sure to have a great time no matter which activity you choose. Click here for more information about the different rentals and activities, as well as for rental and charter rates.

Boats and Fun is also a gift shop – and they have tons of items that you can use while on the island, or buy as fun souvenirs to remember your vacation.

Take Day Trips + Fishing Trips

Through Boats and Fun you can also book day trips to go dolphin/manatee watching, fishing, do water sports, and even visit nearby islands! On our last trip, we hired a boat to bring a large group of us to Cabbage Key (30 minutes from North Captiva) for lunch. Click here for rates.

You can walk the entire length of the island

North Captiva is only about 4 miles long, and half a mile wide at its widest point. Because of its small size, it's super easy (+fun!) to walk the entire length of the island – either along the beach at low tide or through the nature preserve. The entire southern portion of the island is a nature preserve/Florida State Park, and at this point there are no longer any homes or construction, just beautiful paths through a tropical forest. The southern portion of the island has amazing shelling, and it is a great place to bring a picnic and watch the dolphins jump.

Take Golf Cart Rides

This is one of the most popular activities on the island, and you're bound to see tons of families driving around on golf carts and admiring the beautiful island. Most rental homes come with a golf cart (or 2), but if not, they are available to rent through NCIC. Everyone on the island is super friendly, and you'll see vacationers and home owners driving around waving to all the guests they pass.

What to Bring

Besides your personal items, most of the rental properties will have everything you need! However, there are a few items we recommend you bring in order to make your stay as fun and eco-friendly as possible. For more information, check out our post all about what to bring to North Captiva Island by clicking here!

Reusable straws

In my opinion, way too many straws are used by the bars and restaurants – bring your own to avoid extra waste, especially being so close to the ocean. Click here and here for some cute options – the big size is perfect for frozen drinks!

Reusable Zip-Lock Bags

These are perfect for packing a picnic or taking snacks to the beach! You can also use them for toiletries when going through airport security! Click here for a 10 pack.

Books

You can't buy any on the island so be sure to stock up! Some homes have books that other travelers left behind, but I recommend bringing your own. I've been obsessed with Liane Moriarty books recently – check out Nine Perfect Strangers for a fun read! You can also bring a Kindle or iPad for easy book downloads!

Games

Again, many rental houses will have board games available for use, but there's no guarantee. I recommend bringing a few of your favorites, or at least a deck of cards, for family game nights! Since the island is so low key there isn't a ton to do at night, so your board games will get a lot of use! My favorite games are Taboo and Sequence.

Recycling Note

Finally, I find it important, and unfortunate, that at this point there is no recycling on the island through NCIC. This is a huge downfall, and after talking to the island club owners I learned that the lack of recycling facilities is related to a lack of funding from the county. Currently, NCIC island staff are working on implementing a recycling system, and I believe Safety Harbor already has one in place! I'm looking forward to recycling coming to the island soon, and for more eco-friendly programs – like no plastic straws at the bars!

I hope our tips and advice for visiting North Captiva Island will help you have an amazing vacation!

North Captiva is such a wonderful place that you'll want to return to time and time again. If you have any questions, please reach out or let us know in the comments below!

Lastly, we always appreciate you sharing our posts with others♡.

♡Kate

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