WATER & COAST

North Captiva Island Beach

Lee County · Gulf Coast

Four miles long and half a mile wide at the widest, and you can only get there by boat or private plane; a ferry runs from Pine Island. No cars are allowed, so people move around on foot, by bicycle or in an electric golf cart. The sand runs long and empty, and the shelling and the shorebird watching are the reasons most people come. The southern half of the island is a protected nature preserve with trails for hiking or riding a bicycle on the beach. Manatees are seen in the quiet coves and dolphins out in the water offshore. There are vacation rentals, a beach club and a couple of casual restaurants, and nothing else.