Beach: The 2½-mile-long boulevard of sand bordering one side of the property is one of the world’s foremost shelling beaches.
Golf Courses: The resort has a par 27, 9-hole course of its own but can also arrange for guests to play at the 18-hole Dunes course on neighboring Sanibel Island.
Spa & Fitness Center: Located in a Chadwick’s Square just across from the entrance the resort, the Kay Casperson Lifestyle Spa offers massages, facials, body treatments, and salon services. The fitness center, which was near the courts when I visited, is moving to the north end of the island near the hotel, where it will have views of the marina.
Other diversions, both organized and not, abound. The Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School runs a variety of sailing courses ranging from two-hour lessons to multi-day Performance Sailing, Cruising and Racing camps. There is also a Sea School to learn about this natural habitat, a Nature Center, nature tours, kayak tours, fishing, shelling, biking, and jogging.
Children's programs: South Seas has a national reputation for the quality of its children’s programs. Headquartered in four purpose-built locations—Activities Galley, Skully’s Arcade, ScoutAbout Headquarters and Little Matey’s Discovery Center—these venues provide diversions for toddlers, kids, tweens, teens and families and take full advantage of the diversity recreation and activity within the resort. Also available is the Sanibel Sea School, a non profit dedicated to fostering a love of the ocean in children. Campers ages 6-13 spend two-thirds of the time in the field learning by taking part.
Dining: There are four restaurants within the resort and variously open for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, among them Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille,which is notable for its Mojitos, Caribbean fare, and relaxed atmosphere. There’s also an ice cream and pizza parlor, a Starbucks, and a small grocery store called Captiva Provisions. If you leave the resort, you’ll find more than a dozen additional on Captiva Island, including such local favorites as the Mucky Duck.
