Whether you're into beaches, boating, fishing, golf, shopping, fine dining, spring training baseball, thrill rides or just hanging out and enjoying the great weather, Pine Island is a great place to start. It's southwest Florida location s close to just about any activity or attraction you can think of.

Please select from some of the many choices under "Things To Do" for more specific information.

Pine Island doesn’t have any. But it’s minutes away (by water) from one of the most spectacular beaches in Southwest Florida; the Gulf Coast beach of the Cayo Costa state park. That beach is eight miles of pure white sand washed by the Gulf of Mexico and on it’s busiest day it might have 50 people on it. That works out about seven people a mile. It’s hard to find a Gulf beach in Florida that doesn’t have seven hundred people on every mile.

Unless you have your own boat, Getting to the Cayo Costa beach means going to the Pineland Marina near the centre of the Island and taking the Tropic Star water taxi to the park. Tropic Star run a regular service, dropping off in the morning (early and late) and picking up in the afternoon (early and late). It’s roughly a fifteen minute boat-ride across Pine Island sound (which in itself would be reason to go). The boat leaves you at the dock in the State Park on the northern tip of Cayo Costa.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the Park has a collection of small camping huts with barbecues and nearby toilet facilities, so you could spend the evening watching the sun set over the gulf (and waiting for the elusive green flash) before grilling dinner and turning in to listen to the waves break on the beach. They also offer bike rentals and numerous trails to explore.

Both Tropic Star and Island Girl Charters run a Water-Taxi service to many of the other out-islands. So if you haven’t brought or rented a boat and you want to get lunch on Cabbage Key or go Shelling on North Captiva, give them a call in advance and they’ll take you.

Within driving distance are many other beautiful beaches on Sanibel Island, Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach.

Pine Island is spoiled for choice with restaurants and several of them are in the St. James City area minutes from the door. Local restaurants within three miles include: Woody’s Waterside, The Low Key Tiki, The Ragged Ass Saloon and The Waterfront (known locally as JD’s after the owner) all offer waterside dining and have docks available if you go by boat. There is also Froggy's Bar for late-night entertainment.

If you feel like travelling further afield (which on Pine Island never means more than twelve miles) there’s The Lazy Flamingo, Miceli's Italian Restaurant, Saltwater Smokehouse, Blue Dog Bar & Grill, Sandy Hook Fish & Rib House and Bert's Bar & Grill and The Hurricane Hideout. For fine dining, there’s TheTarpon Lodge and for something quick there’s a Subway, A Dairy Queen and numerous other choices for sandwiches,pizza, etc. The choices are too numerous to mention here.

Pine Island has a Winn Dixie supermarket close to the centre of the Island and a General Store just around the corner from the property. Gas is available at the Circle K station at the centre of the island, where you’ll also find an ACE hardware. For fishing supplies, the Old Pine Island Marina and the Monroe Canal Marina are about a mile from the house and have everything from bait and fishing shirts to rods, reels and tackle.

There’s also a Publix supermarket just off-island, about ten miles from the house.

Pine island has bars and restaurants that are full of life until just after the sun sets. The Ragged Ass Saloon and Woody’s are both a big draw for day trippers and their car parks are regularly full of shiny Harleys, Indians and classic cars driven out for a day of sun and live music. Once the sun sets, you can head to Froggy’s in St James, The Hurricane Hideout or Bert’s Bar and Grill in Matlacha.

If you want nightclubs, dance clubs or sports bars, you’re going to have to leave the island and head for Cape Coral, Fort Myers or Fort Myers Beach. Pine Island is fun, but it is never going to be a party capital. Which is a big part of why so many people like it.

If art is your thing, then the community of Matlacha is for you. Located along the main road leading to Pine Island, Matlacha is a colorful community dotted with art galleries, restaurants, bars and home to "The world's most fishingest bridge". There are also a number of other galleries catering to local artists in the St. James City (south) and Bokeelia (north) areas of Pine Island.

The Edison Mall (one of the largest malls in southwest Florida ) is about thirty minutes from the house. Anchor stores are Dillards, Macy's, JC Penney and Sears and the mall has over 180 other stores.

The Bell Tower Shops is a pleasant outdoor shopping mall a little farther south of the Edison Mall. It’s anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Bed Bath & Beyond. Other stores include Williams-Sonoma, Talbot's, Banana Republic and Brookstone. The Bell Tower Complex also has Regal Cinemas movie theaters and several fine restaurants as well. If craft beer is your thing, there is a "World of Beer" located here where you can try hundred of different beers from around the world.

Miromar outlets mall is twenty minutes further south. It has more than 140 stores and is regularly voted southwest Florida ’s best shopping center by News-Press readers.

The Sanibel Outlets on the way to Sanibel Island offers discount shopping from stores including Coach, Calvin Klein, Nike, Reebok, LOFT, Polo, GAP and more.

If your tastes are a bit more expensive, then there is The Waterside Shops or Fifth Avenue in Naples, a little over an hours drive south, where you can shop at places like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Nordstrom, Cartier, and many more.

The locality is also close to the Coralwood mall (380,000 sq feet), the Coconut Point Mall, Fishermen’s Village, Flamingo Island , Page Field Commons , Port Charlotte Mall, Royal Palm Square and the Gulf Coast Town Center Mall.

And anything you can’t find in the Mall, you’ll find in the stores along US 41 and its cross streets; Best Buy, West Marine, Target, Barnes and Noble, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart and many more, all less than three quarters of an hour from home.

From the property’s dock, it takes about five minutes to reach San Carlos Bay and some of the best boating and fishing in the world. From there it’s half an hour to the beaches on North Captiva, forty minutes to the famous Cabbage Key, from which you’re just around the corner to the white sand beaches of the Cayo Costa Island state park. Also on the way north are: Jensen's Marina and Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island. If you head in the other direction you’re ten minutes from the Sanibel Marina, half an hour from Fort Myers Beach and forty minutes from Matlacha.

For fishermen, San Carlos Bay/Pine Island Sound has some of the best flats fishing in the US; snook, trout, redfish, shark, ladyfish, spanish makerel, sheepshead and it leaves you about half an hour from deep-water passes between the barrier islands that are famous for holding big grouper, jacks and tarpon.

If you want to fish, but don’t feel like leaving the dock, the canal adjoining the property regularly holds sheepshead, snapper, trout and juvenile grouper, all easily caught on a shrimp or an artificial lure.

Most residents and visitors must purchase licenses for fishing in salt or fresh water. You can purchase a license at most marinas or bait and tackle shops (or even online). Rules and regulations on size and bag limits plus open and closed seasons change. Most bait stores distribute free lists published by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. You do not need a license if you are: under 16; over age 65 and a Florida resident or fishing from a boat covered by a Vessel Saltwater Fishing License. The Tax Collector's office and bait shops list criteria for residency.

The Monroe Canal Marina boat ramp is only a mile from the house and the driveway provides more than enough space to park a trailer big enough to carry a thirty-foot boat.

If you haven’t brought your own boat but you still want to fish you have a choice, rent a boat (see boat rental) or charter with a fishing guide. Monroe Canal Marina in St. James City, Four Winds Marina in Bokeelia have a number of fishing, shelling and boat-tour guides working out of their marina who will take you out and get you hooked up. They also do boat rentals if you want to find your own fish.

Gas is available at the Monroe Canal Marina in Saint James, at the Sanibel Marina on Sanibel (near the causeway), and at Jensen’s Marina on Captiva. If you talk nice to the guys at Jensen’s they might let you tie up there to go get lunch on Captiva (just make sure you get a lot of gas). Jensen’s is also the spot for fishing licenses.

Boat Rental

You have a choice when it comes to boat rental; you can rent by the day, or have a boat sitting at the dock for your entire trip. If you want to do a daily rental, Monroe Canal Marina in St. James City and Four Winds Marina in Bokeelia are your best bet. They have a selection of different boats for half-day and full-day hire.

If you want the boat sitting waiting at the dock every day then Cape Coral Boat Rentals are worth a call. They supply boats for a week, a fortnight or longer. They have a good selection and will deliver straight to the dock and also show you around the boat and give you lessons if you’re new to boating. If you are new to boating, stay in the channels. Pine Island sound varies from twenty feet deep in the intercoastal to four inches deep on the flats, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, the first time you’ll discover the difference is when you’re high and dry wondering how to get home. Cape Coral Boat Rentals offer Tow-BoatUS cover, which is probably worth the expense.

Kayaking

If you are looking for something a little quieter on the water, looking to get some excersize or want to get explore the back country, perhaps kayaking in the sheltered waters of Matlacha Pass or the Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve is more to your liking. Monroe Canal Marina in St. James City, Gulf Coast Kayak in Matlacha and Tropic Star offer kayak rentals.

Pine Island has a golf course called Alden Pines, fifteen minutes from the house. It’s a par 71, semi-private course. The City of Fort Myers runs the Fort Myers Country Club, a newly renovated Donald Ross designed course first opened in 1917. For avid golfers, Pine Island is the perfect base to explore Southwest Florida ’s unique supply of fine Golf courses. Southwest Florida has more than 207 Golf courses and Pine Island is less than thirty miles from some of the best of them.

Pine Island is roughly the same distance from all of Florida ’s major theme parks. That includes DisneyWorld, Busch Gardens, Sea World, Everglades National Park, Lion Country Safari and Miami They’re all between two and three hours by car from the island, so it makes a good jumping-off point for a weekend visit.

If you want to visit Key West for a day or longer, the Key West Express runs a high speed catamaran from Fort Myers Beach each day (weather permitting).

Other nearby attractions include: The Naples Zoo, The Shell Factory, Captiva Cruises (nature tours), Fort Myers Beach and many more.

(Use this map to explore the local area for places of interest)

-The House