The view of the upper islands from the Gulf reveals extraordinary stretches of beach. The depths gradually slope for the first 40 miles or so. Offshore fishing creates a great opportunity for wrestling with grouper, tripletail and mackerel. Several artificial reefs enhance the chances for a great day on the water.
For most, exploring the estuary of Pine Island Sound is a favorite activity. The sound is full of unnamed mangrove islands and oyster bars as well as some with curious names such as Demere and Panther Keys, Josslyn and Part Islands, Point Blanco, Captiva Rocks and Pejuan Cove. These places are marked on few maps and little known to most islanders.
Take a close look at a nautical chart to see just how numerous the tiny islands of the sound are. Bird, Cat Coon and Terrapin Keys tell us of wildlife that once lived there. Pumpkin, Cork and Hemp tell us the crops once harvested there. Punta Blanca, La Costa and Boca Grande tell us the origin of the first fishermen and homesteaders to chart this area. Beyond the end of the road at the northern point of Captiva lies an island once a part of the larger whole and now simply called North or Upper Captiva Island.
Its tie with Captiva ended with a storm in 1921, which created Redfish Pass. At North Captiva’s southern end, about a dozen private homes function without being connected to the main electrical grid. Instead, they use gas-powered generators and solar charging systems.
Beyond these homes stretch almost four miles of land under the management of the State of Florida as part of the Barrier Islands State Park that encompass parts of North Captiva, Cayo Costa and across Boca Grande Pass to Gasparilla Island. The parklands are for public recreation, with limited facilities.
The northern end of North Captiva has almost 300 homes, many of which are part of rental programs. Access is simply by boat or by small airplane, as no bridge exists. Once on the island, residents and visitors either walk, bicycle or move about via golf carts. The roads are sandy road-like easements with no real public access. However, two restaurants cater to islanders, anglers and boaters. Barnacle Phil’s is the older of the two establishments, famous for its black beans and rice. Mango’s is located in Hidden Cove, not readily visible from the entrance of Safety Harbor.
Boaters also delight in a stop at Cabbage Key, where dollar bills hang from the ceiling, walls and just about anything else that will hold six inches of paper and some tape. Most are signed, dated and some are even marked with point of origin. Hanging dollars, it is said, is a tradition started by fishermen who found themselves with money in their pockets some days and empty pockets on other days. To assure themselves of a cool drink on empty pocket days, they would tack an extra dollar or two to the wall on payday. It is customary for visitors to leave their own mark in this place said to have inspired Jimmy Buffet to write “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”
Across the intercoastal waterway from Cabbage Key is the gentrified, private island of Useppa. A small historical museum there chronicles the island’s role as home to Calusa Indians, seasonal residence for Barron Collier, a training ground for the Bay of Pigs invasion and host to the crew of the Queen Elizabeth II. The easiest way to access Useppa is via one of Captiva Cruises dining trips.
To the north and west is the largest of the unbridged barrier islands in this chain, La Costa. Here, as part of the Geo Park previously mentioned, is the least visited of the state parks in Florida and one of the most untouched.
Camping is permitted at the north end with fire areas, picnic tables and cold running water in the bathrooms. A few lean-to-type cabins are also available for rent. Ninety percent of La Costa is managed by the state park. Eight-and-a-half miles of sandy beach follow the gulf’s shore of this sleeping giant. To its north lies the mighty Boca Grande, “big mouth.” Boca Grande is the passageway between the vast Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. The pass, particularly in May, June and July, is an exciting place where anglers come from around the world for tournaments where prizes total over a million dollars.
Pine Island Sound is a safe haven sheltering underwater meadows of grass and stilling the waters so mangrove forests thrive. In this estuary, salt mixes with fresh water. It is home to sea horses, sea turtles, sea trout, sea stars and more. So go ahead, get into or onto Sanibel and Captiva’s “backyard.” Go island hopping. There’s nothing like a day on the water. |
