Cape Coral

Good evening,

I was wondering if any V-Flyers have visited Cape Coral and before and what you thought of the area..?

I'm getting very tempted to rent a villa (with private dock) & boat for the week at the beginning of May.

If you have any advice of the area / surrounding areas that we great.

I'm going to fly into MCO and then get a SW flight down to RSW.

Many thanks

Mike

Not been to Cape Coral but Fort Myers and surrounding areas are great. Plenty to see and do. The SW MCO to RSW is a breeze.

Fort Myers Beach (as opposed to Fort Myers) is very nice, but also very expensive.
I have only ever driven through CC xbut I have to tell you over here it gets a bad rep. there is more crime/low cost housing/bad areas so honestly i would give serious thought and do some proper research.

FM is a big town and again there can be some good and bad bits but i have to say I like it

if you really wnat peace and quiet i would suggest look a bit further north but as thats where we live I am going to be biased

I was there visiting friends in February for a weekend and wasn't impressed.

Be careful where you rent a villa as Cape Coral has been badly hit by the recession and in many places looks like it too....lots of empty/neglected plots. It wouldn't be my first choice of places to stay on the Gulf Coast unless it is an amazing deal

Susnhine 8D

Thanks for the red flags all - back to the drawing board I go!

Mike, what are your requirements...if its peace and quiet, close to a beach and to be able to rent a boat then Rotonda would fit to a tee.

I feel I have to say something in Cape Coral's defence ! I have stayed there for the past 13 years and have had such peaceful, recharging the batteries holidays. I am horrified to read that it is considered a bad area - we have always felt so safe ! I am booked for this September again and can't believe it will have changed that much in a year. The area we stay is right at the south along the banks of the Caloosahatchie river. Every morning I sit in the quiet sunshine sipping my coffee and watching dolphin swim by. Yes the canals are artificial but where we stay the plots are large and you are not looking across at someone's pool area - just a wide expanse of river. Boating is great. It is just a short trip to Sanibel Island. There is also Pine Island and Captiva and Boca Grande as well as Fort Myers Beach. I love Venice and the Englewood areas too but Cape Coral has never yet disappointed me. Perhaps I am very lucky in the position of the villas I have stayed in.
We all have different tastes....but I just wanted to say there is one person out here who enjoys Cape Coral !

Sorry Hiljil.....

I think you have been lucky and have found a peaceful location because not all of Cape Coral is like that which is why us locals were just giving a word of warning |:) My friends live in a nice area too but you drive by some interesting parts to get to them........

I agree the surrounding area is fab with lovely places and beaches to visit

Sunshine 8D

Stayed in Cape Coral a few years ago and have nothing adverse to say about it, except that it took a while to get on and off it, maybe 15 to 20 minutes.

Thanks for all the advice guys! Flights are booked and now just finding a suitable place to stay... Flabound, thanks for the Rotonda recommendation.

mike, no problem. if you want a potential house given a once over let me know

mike, no problem. if you want a potential house given a once over let me know

Cape Coral is not crime ridden as suggested (look at the stats) and is a great place to base your holiday. Cape Coral is not about what sort of a city it is but what it gives you access to through boating. Stay at the Southern end where there are nice marinas and dining and choose a villa as close as possible to the river for convenience of being on open water reasonably quickly. A boaters paradise with easy access to Sanibel and Captiva (quiet) islands, Fort Myers beach (lively)Lovers Key (State Park) and Cabbage Key (cheeseburger in paradise - Jimmy Buffett!) and so much more. I live in the UK and have visited Cape Coral for the past 12 years, never felt threatened and always enjoyed it. One recommendation I can make unhesitatingly is Osprey Villas http://www.ospreyvillas.com who also have a UK office - always nice properties, well located and always with a boat. I have no connection with Osprey. Go for it, you wont regret it.

I have a little experience of Cape Coral as I have visited a couple of times en route to other places based at our holiday home in Sarasota. For my time and money, Sarasota ticks all the boxes better for things to do, nice places to shop and eat and there are many boat rental places around as well. Not sure if I am allowed to put a personal plug in here but we rent our 3 bed house when we are not using it ourselves so if interested email me on [email protected] but we don't have a boat dock on a canal.