Notes from the host
Absentminded
Welcome to our luxury vacation home, Absentminded. Our beautiful well-appointed home is located in the center of the Village of Captiva with the beach or the bay just a short block away! You will appreciate staying in the Village in that we are walking distance to everything...beach, restaurants, marinas, shopping etc.
IAN status.... our house had very minimal damage and the house is now perfect with only the Pool Cage/Lanai scheduled for replacement May 2024. The Village is slowly returning. The Bailey's General Store, Mucky Duck, Green Flash, Sunshine Seafood, Starbucks, RC Otters, The Bubble Room (coffee/ice cream shop only), The Cantina, Pizza Shop and the three Tween Water's restaurants are NOW open in Captiva. Key Lime is scheduled for this fall. Sanibel also has over 20 restaurants open so there are options while on the island. We recently upgraded our outside kitchen so grill away!
This spacious 3,211 square feet home four bedroom/4.5 bath private home comfortably sleeps 10 (easily handles multiple couples or your extended crew) and is designer finished in island style. The house features four private suites (each with a private bathroom) .... our guests' love our large, heated pool with spa and many great amenities including a built-in gas grill (new upgrade in 2023) on the pool level, a new Ian ping pong table, Jenga, plus many toys and games for children young and old!
We are truly in the middle of the island and just steps to...
the beach for shelling, sunbathing and swimming... the Bay for watching the sunrise, fishing, boating, and manatee watching... fun restaurants like the famous Bubble Room (in one direction), or to the fabulous Mucky Duck (at the beach) for romantic sunsets. And, if you can't wait for that first cup of coffee ...Starbucks is a short one block walk away. Captiva Island is only about 600 yards (two blocks) at its widest point, so you are literally steps away from the beach/bay no matter where you are. Once you arrive and park your car, you might not leave the island for the rest of your vacation.
Welcome to the Sunshine!!! Welcome to the Islands!
Our ground floor entrance is inviting and functional to store all your beach supplies (or those nasty winter coats) while you enjoy the Captiva sunshine. The beach towels are here so quickly grab one and head to the beach which is just a short stroll across the street and down sandy Laika Lane for our amazing world-famous beach, playful dolphins and truly wonderful sunsets. The two-car garage has plenty of beach chairs, beach umbrellas, beach toys and beach carts for your short walk to the beach, shopping or our many restaurants. The garage features elevator access (for our guests requiring accessibility), and an extra refrigerator. The ground floor lower level has a half-bath powder room convenient to the entertainment/pool area with a built-in BBQ grill, outdoor dinner table, teak bar, and multiple lounge chairs for lazing around the pool and spa. The large pool deck is a great area to keep the little ones busy or to have and having fun playing in the pool or with board games while adults will find a relaxing peaceful spot to take a mid-afternoon nap before heading to the Mucky Duck for another beautiful sunset. And if the weather turns inclement (reminder we are in the islands!), don't worry there is plenty of the pool deck under cover to entertain your guests! The pool deck also features an outdoor shower and a changing room. This pool deck is an amazing outdoor room...you may never want to leave the house! Our repeat guests have reported the pool area was a key difference maker...good weather or bad.
Walking onto the main floor of the house, you're greeted by the Florida sunshine as it streams through plantation shutters into a very open floor plan AND Shelly the Turtle prominently displayed on the main wall of the cozy Great Room. There is plenty of seating for all of our guests, a 65-inch flat screen LCD TV, DVD player (with plenty of DVDs), XBOX One (so bring your favorite games), cathedral ceilings with a ceiling fan, and a wall of windows with French doors leading out to the pool area with a spiral staircase to the pool deck below. The well-equipped and large kitchen with breakfast nook is inviting for the cook and the take-out crowd alike---did we mention that there are seven restaurants within roughly a block or two? The adjacent dining room has seating for ten guests and double French doors out to yet another screened deck overlooking the pool. The main floor king-size bedroom suite has a full bathroom with step-in shower. The office/den includes a desk (for those extended guests that must conduct some work), a printer, bookcases and extra sleeping space for two with a daybed and trundle. The main level is also equipped with a washer and dryer in its own laundry so pack light!! And yes, the house has Wi-Fi.
We know you value your privacy, so we have THREE upper-level bedroom suites!! Walk up a few stairs to this third level and find the first suite, the Black and White Room, with a king-sized bed with a large full bathroom with step-in shower. The second suite features king-sized bed with an attached bathroom with a full-size tub for bathing the little ones. The master suite has a king-size bed, En-suite large bathroom with double vanity sinks, Jacuzzi tub to pamper yourself, a separate shower, and a dressing table with a dressing chair. The master suite guests will lounge on the private deck in their "cuddle chairs" overlooking the pool area below. Look to your left to glimpse a view and the beauty of Pine Island Sound!!
Sanibel and Captiva were named by Frommer in 2016 as the Number One Destination in the world (yes, even over Paris, Tahiti etc.). In 2019, our Captiva sunset was ranked Number One Sunset. Our beaches are consistently voted as one of the top Florida beaches and is Number One for shelling. WOW! It's likely you won't want to leave the Village, but if you do jump in your car, please enjoy the world famous 7,000-acre Ding Darling Nature Preserve or the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, terrific shopping areas and dozens of other fabulous restaurants on Sanibel. Sanibel has over 20 miles of walking/cycling paths. I know I have mentioned our fabulous sunsets and beaches, but our favorite Captiva memories are heading to the bay early in the morning with our daughters to view the sunrise and enjoy the manatees!
This is an amazing house, built in 2002, professionally designed and completely updated in 2016...with new floors in 2020, new kitchen in 2023 and an updated pool area in 2024. It is the perfect spot for a large family or several couples looking to enjoy everything Captiva Island has to offer. Don't believe us; please see the independent 5* reviews below! Our busy seasons fill quickly so please have alternate dates available to experience Absentminded and Captiva. Your family and friends will make memories at Absentminded that will last a lifetime and, like so many of our regulars, peaceful romantic Captiva and Absentminded will draw you back year after year!
Bottom line please review our previous guests' "reviews" .... they will tell you an unbiased story...very few homes in Captiva Village have 40-50 reviews at the 5* level (in fact our home is ranked #1 in Captiva with VRBO for 5* ratings!!) .... our location is perfect, the house is immaculate, and we work hard to give you the perfect island experience!
Our house is located in the Village (a must since the Village has very limited outside visitor parking) and easy to find. Watch out during your trip over from the mainland for the speed limit is strictly enforced for the three-mile ride to Sanibel Island but you won’t hurry. Your first view of the ocean will slow you down!
One last thing to put a smile on your face .... please go the following URL that showcases Captiva Island. This short video will sell you that Captiva Island is truly a unique vacation spot that you won't find on the mainland. Enjoy!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-GXv0mvmRQ
http://www.purewow.com/travel/beach-vacation-bucket-list?utm_medium=email&utm...;
Restaurant Choices:
All of the restaurants in the Captiva village area are within walking distance of the house. Parking around the island is pretty limited so that is a big plus.
Just a few doors from us to the south is Captiva Cantina. If you keep heading toward Andy Rosse on Captiva Drive (so back towards Sanibel), at the corner of Captiva Drive and Andy Rosse is the famous Bubble Room. The food is good, and the desserts are even better. We often grab a piece of cake for an evening snack even if we have had dinner at another spot. On Andy Rosse (turning toward the ocean), you will see Key Lime Bistro and RC Otter. They are great restaurants with outdoor seating and have live entertainment in the afternoons and evenings. Next door to RC Otter's is Sunshine Seafood. The Mucky Duck is at the end of Andy Rosse on the beach (Captiva's only beach front restaurant). They have a nice outdoor patio, and you can have lunch outside with food service from the bar. They also have more formal dining inside and it is THE location to watch the sunset which is a MUST event in Captiva. Another option is the Green Flash which is a little past Andy Rosse on Captiva Drive. Starbucks is north of us...just down the street. If you want to get in the car, three other options are at Tween Waters, including probably the "nicest" restaurant on Captiva/Santiva (The Old Captiva House). And yes, we have pizza in the Village. And in November /April visit the Farmer's Market which is located in the South Seas parking lot. It is worth the visit.