Captiva Island, Florida Vacation Rentals Houses and Condos.

Captiva Island, Florida vacation rentals by owner beach houses, condos, and cottages are the perfect choice for your vacation whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a family trip or a nature vacation.

Captiva is in the heart of Southwest Florida with over 15 miles of beautiful Florida shelling beaches. Explore the Captiva Island, Florida vacation rentals by owner accommodations for your vacation or learn more about the many attractions on the islands including the Florida wildlife, seashells, Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and many outdoor activities – biking, fishing, bird watching, boating, golfing, and snorkeling just to name a few. Captiva Island, Florida vacation rentals by owner beach houses, condos, and cottage also features a broad range of cultural offerings in the area of the Arts, Theater, and Music.

Captiva Islands features a history rich in intrigue and adventure.  From native Indians, to Spanish explorers, infamous pirates and brave pioneers, the island has many a fascinating tale to tell.  This is fun and exciting to explore from your Captiva Island, Florida vacation rentals by owner beach houses, condos, and cottages.

Historians believe that Sanibel and Captiva were formed as one island about six thousand years ago, as sediment that rose from the sea after being shaped by centuries of storm activity. 

Dating as far back as 2,500 years, the native Calusa Indians were the first-known residents of the island.  The Calusa skillfully transformed the waterways around the island into abundant riches of food and tools.  Whelks, conchs, clams, oysters, and other seafood were used for food, and their empty shells were crafted into tools.  The Calusa proved to be skilled builders and craftsmen, perching their huts high atop shell mounds to provide protection from storm tides.  Some of their shell mounds, which were also used for ceremonial, ritual and burial sites, remain intact today. 

Famous explorer Juan Ponce de Leon is believed to have discovered Sanibel Island – which he named “Santa Isybella” after Queen Isabella -- in 1513 while searching for his “Fountain of Youth.”  He and his Spanish seamen battled the hostile Calusas for years, and Ponce de Leon eventually suffered a fatal arrow attack at their hands in 1523, at which time he retreated to Cuba and died.     

The Spanish were unsuccessful in establishing any kind of permanent settlement.  However, their infiltration introduced European disease and slavery to Sanibel, and overcome by yellow fever, tuberculosis, and measles, the Calusa population all but became extinct by the late 1700s.

Legend has it that the barrier islands soon became a haven for infamous pirates.  “The Buccaneer Coast” attracted the notorious Jose Gaspar to the region in the early 1800s, where it was rumored that he buried his stolen treasure on Sanibel, and then built a prison on “Isle de los Captivas,” or Captiva Island, where he kept his female prisoners “captive” for ransom.  Gaspar himself was captured in 1821 by the U.S. Navy, but wrapped himself in chains and jumped overboard off his ship, rather then face imprisonment.

Indian raids from the Seminole Wars kept settlers and fisherman at bay and discouraged any permanent settlements on Sanibel for several decades.  Although Florida was admitted into the Union in 1845 as the 27th state, it was only after the country’s Civil War that increased military activity was able to secure the area and deem the island safe for settlers. 

Agriculture took a hard hit with the hurricanes of 1921 and 1926; the first of which split the island in two, the latter which featured a 14-foot storm surge that completely flooded all low-lying areas.  Island agriculture never recovered, but in its place, a new source of revenue emerged: hospitality. 

Explore this history or simply kick back and enjoy all this enchancing place has to offer from your Captiva Island, Florida vacation rentals by owner beach houses, condos, and cottages.