Upscale Captiva Island, Florida (5 mi/8 km long and 1 mi/2 km wide), is located across a short causeway from Sanibel Island, north of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The dominant property there, located on the very tip of the island, is South Seas Island Resort, with literally miles/kilometers of beachfront on the Gulf of Mexico. The resort is gated and accessible to guests only.
Even if you're not overnighting, an excursion to Captiva is recommended for a look around. You won't be barred from the beach—state law requires all beaches to be public—but you'll find that the scarcity of public parking creates something of an obstacle to visiting the shore.
To the north of Captiva are a string of islands leading to Boca Grande and Palm Island (though you'll have to make a lengthy trip around Charlotte Harbor if you don't have a boat). Boca Grande is a popular winter retreat for wealthy visitors, whereas quiet Palm Island prohibits cars and is rarely crowded. Both are known as fishing destinations, especially for tarpon in the spring.
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