Ocean.  Bay flats. Relatively calm waters and hovering mangrove trees where fish love to hide.

What more could you ask for?

Fishing off of Captiva and Pine Islands has to be an angler’s dream come true.  You will have your pick of some of the largest snook, tarpon, trout, grouper, flounder and snapper that you have ever seen.

Heck, you may even snag a shark (a small shark!).

The point is that it is too cliche to say that “the fishing is good on these islands”, so let me just tell you that the fishing is too good to be true on these islands!

If you are a fisherman and are planning to move to Sanibel or Captiva Island to live, I applaud you for choosing to enjoy doing something every day that brings you so much pleasure!

Here I have included a couple of very useful links to get you started on the right path when fishing in these waters.  I trust all of these sites, so please let me know if they don’t hold up their end of the bargain, ok?

• Captiva Island Fishing
• Snook Blaster
• Visit Florida Fishing

Until next week, have a great one!

Robert and Sandy

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!

The truth is “yes” pets are allowed on Sanibel and Captiva public beaches (Sanibel and Captiva tout being super “pet friendly”) - please see UPDATE below -, but there are some pretty strict rules for your pooch if he or she wants to start digging and God forbid, do there “business” without you noticing and cleaning it up immediately!

Animals are great, everyone has pets on Sanibel, we love animals.  We are, after all, surrounded by them everywhere on the island.  But most of us realize that our domesticated animals don’t mix very well with the ecosystems of the fragile natural surroundings of the wild animals and therefore, we choose to keep our pets indoors or safely within the confines of our own backyard.

It’s tough not to let Rex go romping all over the beach, but with turtle nesting season in full swing and tourism continuing to be a reckoning force, it is imperative that island dwellers be particularly conscious of where their little darling pets are and exactly what they are doing.

This isn’t a lecture on why pets shouldn’t be allowed out of the house, but rather a reminder that Sanibel Island, and especially the beaches themselves, needs to be foremost in our thoughts when it comes to potential threats and dangers to their cleanliness and survival.

Here are a couple of link resources to help you:

• Florida Pets
• Bring Fido
• Dog Friendly

Hope to see you and Spot soon!

Have a great week…

Sandy and Robert

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!

UPDATE: Ok, we were just seeing if you were on your toes and if any locals were actually reading!  As a very kind reader named “KB” has pointed out in his/her comment, “Captiva Beaches DO NOT allow pets!” and this is absolutely true, we apologize for the oversight… The reason being is that unlike Sanibel Island, which is its own incorporated municipality with its own set of rules, Captiva Island is not and therefore, must follow the Lee County beach rules, which means no pets allowed!  The good news is that Sanibel is just a hop and a jump from Captiva and welcomes your pets with open arms… So, thanks for keepin’ us honest KB and thanks especially for reading along! 

Ok this photo isn’t exactly ON Sanibel Island, but rather in nearby Naples where Rob and I ran the Half-Marathon for the Naples Daily News this year.

We had so much fun, as you can see, and it just shows you how easy it is to get involved and stay fit when you live in this area.

There are so many races in Southern Florida to get involved with and really get yourself into great shape, whether you walk, jog or run, it’s all excellent for your health!

So, get out there and get movin’…

Here is a link to the RunWalkJog folks which details all of the races in Florida for 2008.  It provides details, phone numbers, email addresses and a website (if they have one).  It’s quite complete and I hope it helps you plan out your “attack”.

This is one habit that will become very addicting and super fun, whether you do it alone or with a buddy, like we do.

See ya’ on the streets (or on the beach!)…

Have a great weekend!

Robert and Sandy

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!

Sun, relaxation and a nice dip in the pool… do you see that in your future when you move down to Sanibel or Captiva Island?

Well, you are not alone, however, several seniors moving here also see another side to the story and that is a renewed vigor for life and an energy that they haven’t felt in years.  So, an active lifestyle is almost a given if you live on Sanibel, I hope you’re ready!

You have group activities available to you each and every day of the week, including long power walks on the different beaches, some tai chi in the sand or a thoroughly relaxing and flexibility-building yoga class.  Lots of links if walking the golf course is your thing, or you can enjoy a fun game of tennis, a healthy workout in water aerobics or even a casual stroll through the channels paddling in a kayak.

The point is that there are endless options to keeping yourself age-appropriately “fit” and have a lot of fun meeting new friends in the process.

So, put on your tennis shoes and head out the door, we are waiting just for you!

Also, here’s an article, Find a workout-Senior fitness which lists numerous different options located on Sanibel and Captiva for your fitness pleasure… Good luck!

Until next post, have a great week!

Sandy and Robert

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!