Captiva is so beautiful and we have been staying in the Vacation Home for years now. Margarethe is very responsive to your needs as a guest, the house is very clean and the property is in an excellent location! Shelling right across the street in beautiful gulf waters and fishing there as well as off the dock was great as usual. Thank you for allowing us to visit. see you again in October! Pat and Wolgang

My family and I had the pleasure of vacationing at this dream oasis. House was everything we could have asked for and more. Great hosts and very responsive with any question, they made sure my family and I were well taken care of during our stay. Highly recommend this property for your vacation destination.

My family has been coming to the Sanibel/Captiva since the 50's and my grandparents used to live on Sanibel. We have been renting for the past 10 years on Sanibel. This year we chose this Captiva gem. It was perfect for our mixed group of my mom in her 70's, a group of friends in their 40's and a number of kids all over two as well as two dogs who loved the fenced in area around the pool. Margarethe and her husband live in the house in between the rental and the bay. They are very friendly, accommodating and we were able to use the dock comfortably. We enjoyed the beach and found some shells here but went to the Sanibel beaches public parking when we were looking for anther experience. I highly recommend this vacation rental. Except when I want to rent it!

Perfect location for family fun! Beach access just across the street, short walk. Dock in backyard for fishing or kayak launch. And a wonderful pool ! Lovely owners that want things to be just right for you .

Very clean, comfortable, pleasant beach house with plenty of room for eating, socializing and just hanging out. Steps to a dock on Blind Pass for bird watching and sunning during the day or to watch hungry fish snap up prey under the lights at night. Directly across the street from the beach with a beach cart, cooler, sun shade and all the chairs, boogie boards and shell scoopers you need. Screened in front porch was very pleasant for mornings.

This vacation rental is lovely. Super convenient and pleasant location. I very much enjoyed the dock and watching the dolphins and aquatic birds. Communication with the owner was great. I highly recommend this vacation rental!

We spent two wonderful weeks in this home and were impressed by all of the features included. The walk to the beach was easy and it was so nice and secluded. The walk to the dock was quick and it was amazing to see the fish that gathered here at night. The guys had a blast fishing. We also had a delicious fish dinner one night. I loved the heated pool. Also very secluded, warm and sheltered from winds. On days that it was mid 60s, I still floated and enjoyed the water. The living spaces were nicely set up, with comfortable furniture and beds. Plenty of space to spread out. The kitchen had everything needed to cook, if desired. I also admired the artwork that hangs in this house. One small glitch, we could not figure out how to make tv in smaller bedroom work, and we were locked out of certain programs on living room tv because of parental locks I think? All quite minor. Thank you for hosting us in this beautiful Captiva setting. We loved it so much we are coming back for three weeks.

The location was great and the owners were awesome!

December 2023 Rain. Wind. Chilly. Riptides. No sun. It was a fabulous vacation. We loved every moment. Thank you for being amazing hosts!!

We have been visiting Sanibel annually for years!! With the condition of most condos on Sanibel, we needed another location for our annual trip. Our accommodations were perfect for 4 adults. Everyone had their own area, for work related calls and solitude. The hosts were wonderful!! A walk to the beach or out to the dock provided us many opportunities to enjoy the wildlife and environment.

Everything was what one hopes in a new property! The owners were attentive, friendly and made sure all was well with us. The house was clean and had everything one would want or need. Definitely a top notch place to enjoy the Islands 👏❣️🤗

A wonderful well appointed guest house just steps from the beach and wonderful fishing on the dock on wulfert channel just down from blind pass. The hosts were very friendly and accessible and answered all of our questions. It was a pleasure to spend a week back on Captiva and Sanibel. This is a fabulous spot and we will definitely be back again!!

Delighted to see the property in great shape after Hurricane Ian last year. We came to Captiva for the special beach and can say the house is a huge plus:comfortable and spotlessly clean. Margsrithe is an especially kind and gracious host: such a pleasure to see her.

Very relaxing and southern hospitality.

Loved our stay. The pool was awesome and the beach beautiful. Loved the back dock with the fish and also a shark one morning.

Property is ideally located on the Roosevelt Channel with the gulf beaches across the street. Have been coming here for 20 years. Unfortunately, it rained every day, which you would think the shelling would have been good but it was poor but, the fish don't care about the rain and couldn't be better!! Fished off the channel-snook, redfish and snapper PLUS at times up to 5 bull sharks! All, catch and release. Nice to be back and see the islands gradually coming back after Hurricane Ian.

Amazing home away from home! Thank you for treating us like your own!

Warm hosts, magnificent house,abundant fishing and unbeatable beach and pool, we are very grateful.

Everything was wonderful- the house, the location, the owners. We had a fabulous stay and are so grateful to have stayed at this property!

We just spent a wonderful week at the seaside retreat. The house was beautiful, clean, and well appointed with every appliance and kitchen tool needed to cook family dinners. The beds were comfortable and our family of 5 had plenty of room to spread out. Next is the amazing in ground pool between the rental and the owners house. It was surrounded by native plants that were so interesting and beautiful. Margarethe and Rene live on the property and we’re very helpful and responsive with questions but we never felt intruded upon. The fishing dock in the back of the property was a highlight of the trip. My husband and sons fished all night long for snook and other native fish The beach access is right across from their driveway and is so easy to get to. They also provide chairs, toys, and a little buggy to bring to the beach. We watched the sunset every night. All in all, I would say this house is outstanding for a family vacation. We hope to return some time soon. Thank you again for sharing your house and hospitality with us!

We had a lovely stay in captiva. The house was clean and comfortable. The hosts live in the other house on the property and while they provided us our privacy they were beyond friendly and social when we ran into them in the yard and were happy to share recommendations and answer the kids questions. We traveled with a 9,6.5 and 4.5 year old that loved the pool and the beach is so close with a quick walk across the street. Lots in the area still being worked on since the hurricane but we found plenty to do on the water with fishing charters and kayak trips and fishing on the property dock and beach. Limited restaurant choices but all good!!

Great stay at Captiva Island. We went in July so it was hot. Bug spray is a must!!! Fishing was great at the dock and by the bridge. We also enjoyed the beach that was just a few steps away. Great property!

This was a perfect fit for our family with many options of things to do. Stay on the beach, swim in the pool, fish off the dock and the list goes on. This was a very quiet peaceful vacation. Could not ask for a better location and the owners were a delight to talk to. Already planning our next trip to this property.

Our family of five had a fantastic week at the Seaside Retreat. The house is less than a five minute walk to the beach, which was virtually private the entire week. Plenty of beach gear is provided and easy to transport. In the afternoons (and a few evenings) we enjoyed the pool. The house itself is a great beach house with plenty of room to spread out. We enjoyed the art work and our five year old son enjoyed building a huge train track through the living room. Many shops and restaurants remain closed on Sanibel and Captiva but more are reopening all the time. Overall, a wonderful and memorable trip for our family that we didn’t want to end. Thanks for a great time Margarethe!

Lovely house, property and location. Owners made stay easy and relaxing. Remember there is some rebuilding work going on on the islands after hurricane Ian so expect it; however it was low level and did not affect our enjoyment in any way.

Loved our stay! The property location was perfect and so comfortable - from morning coffee on the screened lanai, to beach walks and shelling, to proximity to restaurants and shopping on Captiva. Margarethe and Rene have thought of everything - we enjoyed the beach wagon, chairs, sun shade, boogie boards, and cooler, and had we had children with us, there were beach toys available for them as well. The pool area was nice as well, but we spent most of our time at the beach because it's so close and you don't have to worry about beach parking! The hosts were friendly but unobtrusive, and very responsive to any questions we had about the island and the property. We are definitely looking forward to returning next year!

We have stayed in Sanibel for 10 years now. We knew it would be tricky to find a place after the hurricane but we’re luckily able to find this place. We have never stayed on Captiva but I was happy that the location of this home is right upon entering Captiva. The home is situated on a property with the owners home, whom we rarely saw, but are the nicest people! Had we seen them more, and each time we did, we really enjoyed talking with them because they have been residents there for so long. The property is undergoing major changes due to the hurricane, but this couple cares about the environment and their property, and so it was a beautiful thing to witness. Sanibel and Captiva are very much under construction and will be for many years, if you are familiar with the islands, it is nothing like you remember. But we were not disappointed in our vacation at all, because we kind of knew what to expect. The house was clean and has many rooms and bathrooms. There was a huge couch and tons of space for us. The kids were happy because we normally rent a much smaller cottage. There is a nice pool and the beach is so very close! My boys ages almost 15 and 11 were able to fish off the beach, the bridge, off kayaks, and took a charter from Captiva as well. If you choose to go to Sanibel or Captiva to be entertained on a daily basis, then you should reset your expectations and just go to relax. This is a perfect house to do it at!

This is our first time back after the hurricane, having stayed at Margarethe and Rene's Captiva houses several times now over the years. They were very gracious to welcome us at a time of re-building (we had booked a year in advance, and we checked with them before coming). For the short version, please skip to the last paragraph. Yes, the islands unquestionably sustained damage, and the repairs are on-going throughout. The house itself was actually improved from prior stays in that there are now 3 bathrooms (2 en suite), all with showers. The master is spacious and unchanged (love the sitting nook), and the other BRs have queen beds. The property is actively getting more foliage to supplement what was left...Palm trees and flowers are still beautiful, and no shortage of birds/wildlife. The pool was fantastic after our long days at the beach, and we didn't make it to the bay side of the property but understand that the dock will be re-built. The beach itself was fantastic. Hardly anyone on it but us! We brought water shoes at the advice of a friend worried about debris, but we never put them on or felt we needed them. The water was warm and seashells still plentiful. Although we were watching the red tide report for 2 weeks before, we saw only about 4 dead fish, as all seemed to have cleared before we came. This was probably our 6th spring break on Captiva and only time that we remember it. Unsurprisingly, the sunset views are outstanding. The no-see-ums were on par with past years - mostly early morning on the beach with no wind. Wearing longer clothes or using spray would have helped (we were lazy). While some of our favorites were closed or gone, we found plenty of new places to eat (you hook/we cook was fantastic at Sanibel Grill, Rosalita's was really the dark horse, and how did we miss trying The Shack until now!?!). Some local shop owners were selling under tents in front of the Rachel Pierce Art Gallery (roughly 10-3 weekdays, I think) with lots of great jewelry and souvenirs. They all spoke volumes about her generosity in lending space. All in all, the house was pure laid-back Florida perfect, and the grounds were better than we had expected. The hosts were amazing and welcoming, as always. Beach was pristine! Outside of the property, the islands are rebuilding. Businesses appear happy to welcome this smaller amount of tourists. You can find online what's open. We continue to pray for their recovery!

The location was absolutely perfect! It was honestly like having our own private beach. We saw manatee, an iguana and lots of wildlife on the dock. We had an age group of 22-74 yrs old and a wonderful time was had by all. We will definitely return! Thank you.

We very much enjoyed our 12-day stay with our family of four, grandparents, and two dogs! The beach was a short walk down the beautifully landscaped driveway, across the road, and down a short palm-lined lane. It did not feel like a long walk at all and given there are only houses in the area, the beach was so uncrowded and spacious! There were many times on morning walks when we were the only ones out on the beach! While we were there, we had access to a beach cart, wagon, tent and umbrellas, pool loungers, and plenty of sand toys and boogie boards. The shelling was great!! We also appreciated the many drying racks available for all of our swim suits and beach towels (also provided) on the covered/screened-in front porch, which was a great staging area for our gear. The private, mostly shady pool was a terrific bonus for us! After 12 days of access to a private pool, my four and six-year olds went from struggling swimmers to able to swim most of the length of pool! Definitely relaxing and a great hang-out for us after the beach each day! My father-in-law, an avid fisherman, was enthralled with the dock. He would pop out many times during the day to see if he could catch anything, but found 6 am to the be best, most active time for catching snook. He rented fishing gear from a nearby shop to use while visiting. The home was great and the bedroom/bathroom situation worked out fine for the six of us. We appreciated all open the storage areas in the kitchen for putting away our groceries. We did not eat out at all during our 12 days (newly diagnosed celiac disease) and found the kitchen adequate in preparing all of our meals, however, I did purchase some additional cheap baking sheets, knives, cutting board, and colander before we arrived, not knowing exactly what would be provided, to aid in our cooking and prevent cross-contamination. I also brought some disposable food containers to use to pack our seashells to come home, but was glad we had them ahead of time to store our leftovers. Also, for future reference, there is both a Keurig and standard coffee maker available to use. This was our fourth time visiting Sanibel Island and first time staying in Captiva. We had a lovely time! We will most definitely be back to the island and hope we are able to rent this lovely home again!

Our family has been visiting Captiva for 12+ years. We loved our experience during our stay at this home. The property is beautiful and comes with everything you need to enjoy your time on the island. Everything in the description is 100% accurate. We enjoyed this house so much that we booked our 2023 vacation as soon as we checked out. Oh, and the fishing on the dock was INCREDIBLE! 🎣

Clean property with lots of beach amenities provided! Well stocked kitchen and comfortable beds for our family of 5. The only small negative was we read lots of glowing reviews about the owners/host engagement especially with regard to property, fishing tips, equipment etc. Other than a couple of brief text exchanges about checkout and a package that was delivered we didn’t have any contact with the hosts and the fishing gear available wasn’t really useable. But, clearly our experience is the exception and not the rule.