Many of our guests have offered to acknowledge other reviews via an email or by phone. We have lots of references on the island as well -- people who know us and can vouch for our integrity and desire to please our guests. We've been here since 1994 so we know the locals and live close by for your convenience.
A small sampling of our guests' comments:
Last year was our family reunion. We came from BC. The weather was perfect. We had the beach practically all to ourselves. Our family came from California and Rhode Island and spent our month in the cottage with great summer weather.
The cottages comfortably held our seven family members with a crib rented for the grande baby, Abbie. It was a treat to walk to the beach and spend the close time with our family on this unique island. We plan to make this a special time in the future too. Most certainly, we will be back. (Stephen and Margaret, San Francisco, CA)
Seagrape Cottage became home away from home within minutes of arrival. The location is perfect --- short walk to the Gulf beach or the Bay. My dog, Sadie, was welcome and she enjoyed beach walks and bicycle rides. The cottage is located on the east end within walking distance of Lighthouse Cafe, few shops, and ice cream & deli. Most restaurants are within biking distance, best way to get around. The Triller was a fun boat ride, which I recommend. The island is paradise - - - sun, sand, shells, birds, dolphins, good resturants, bicycling, and relaxation . The cottage was comfortable and clean with plenty of bath towels and beach towels. Family and friends joined me throughout the month and the cottage was still comfortable when there were four of us. Kitchen is well equipped. Washer and dryer was a blessing. Beach chairs, lawn chairs and picnic table were provided for enjoying the beach, shelling and relaxing outside. I would definitely come back next March if the cottage was available. (Becky and her sweet dog, Sadie, Fort Wayne, IN Our guest for the past 4 years, returning this season.)
In Germany it is our holiday month. Most people stay in Europe but we wanted to experience Florida, US. We brought our two children. We felt safety on the island because the ratings by our travel agent showed an extremely friendly group of people with excellent behaviour toward tourists. It was everything we hoped for and it was a dream trip. We may try the east coast next time but plan to return to this tropical island to visit our hosts and their puppy the following year. We plan to stay in our dream cottage again. We will dream of our time on the beach and we will always have fond memorys of Sanibel and Captiva island.
(Erika and family, 2017)
This little cottage was just what we were looking for. We liked it so much we plan to return next year! It is in the east end of the island on a quiet street and just a two minute walk from the beautiful beach. There is no public parking on the street so the beach was quiet around the Seagrape Lane area. We took in sunsets and sunrises at the beach almost every day with lots of shelling, swimming and long walks in between. Also, you are within minutes walk to the water on the Causeway side of the island where we liked to sit in the shade or fish during the hot afternoons. In addition, you are within walking distance of the fishing pier which is very popular for those who like this sport. - Mary, Westchester, NY (Her family is returning in 2017)
The cottage had everything we needed for a great beach vacation. There are lots of towels, extra bedding in case of cold nights, beach chairs and umbrellas. We did a lot of our own cooking and the kitchen was very well equipped. The beds are comfortable with new mattresses. There are plenty of books for people with various tastes which was great for two avid readers.
We had a dog traveling with us so the outdoor shower, the lanai and the big yard were very helpful. Dogs are welcome on all beaches on Sanibel as long as they are on a leash. We brought our bikes which is a great way to get around the island. Next year I hope to bring my kayak as well as there are lots of places to paddle.
We are nature lovers and really enjoyed all the bird watching as well as spotting the dolphins. Although you will see plenty of birds on the beach, a visit to Sanibel is not complete for us without a trip to Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Also, don't miss the farmer's market on Sunday mornings and a visit to the various public beaches on Sanibel and Captiva as each one has its own beauty and unique character.
Karyn and Richard were very attentive and checked in with us regularly to see if we needed anything or just to share information on events and activities taking place in the area. They are very personable and easy to deal with.
If you are looking for a laid back, cottage style vacation on a beautiful tropical island we would highly recommend Seagrape Cottage. (Alison and Evan, Ontario, Canada. Guests for the past 3 years,)
Karen and Richard are awesome! They helped make our trip the best ever. They provided a list of places to eat and where the special islander secrets were so that we lived like everyone who resided on Sanibel and Captiva islands. Our kids had a blast. They were in a super safe place and we could let them walk over to the beach all alone (ages 9 and 11) because we were only 5 minutes away from us.
We went biking everyday because we rented from Billy's Bike Shop. They delivered and picked up the bikes we chose when we were ready. Plus we took advantage of the surrey which was rentable from the same place. The restaurants were unique because the island does not allow any fast food or chains. They want to stay unique and special I believe. We did not bring our puppy but I saw many dogs on the pet friendly beach. I will never ever forget that ice cream shop either. Sanibel Sand Dollar was my favorite but my kids ate black cherry about 5 times during our stay. But maybe next time we'll try other flavors. I hope we can return next year and we will save up our money to do so! (Jodi and Ben, Lauren and Ben Jr, Rochester, NY August, 2016)
Spence and I spent most of our time at the beach. We know there were options galore, but we are stay at home most of the time. We are retired people who enjoy reading and quiet time. This was our perfect hide away from a normally busy life.. We grilled locally purchased fish and enjoyed the full kitchen for our evening meals. The lanai made our time at home a treat. There was enough space in the home to provide alone time for each of us too. I believe, since it is in a residential area, the location fulfilled our needs quite well. We never heard a peep from our neighbors. We enjoyed the backyard, replete with various birds and tropical indigenous plants and trees. The locals strolled up and down Seagrape Lane to and from the beach. We rode our bicycles everywhere. Truthfully, we rarely used our car except for evening visits to Captiva Island to the Mucky Duck, a quite wonderful English pub at the end of the island. It was a splendid and relaxing time for us. What a glorious island! In fact, it made us want to move to Sanibel! (Lenore and Spencer, Hartford, CT)
We were not sure what to expect from Sanibel Island but we were looking for a beautiful, sunny and relaxing place. And Sanibel appeared to be that and much more! We loved it too much
The cozy cottage with its perfect location on the island really contributed to make this into a perfect holiday spot for our family. After just a short walk we easily got access to the most perfect beach. Beautiful water and seashells everywhere. The five-year-old was busy for hours every day. The cottage also has a short walk to some smaller shops, a café and a restaurant. Our five year old daughter was almost in heaven, playing on the beach and then ending the day with the amazing homemade ice cream at the ice cream bar. The cottage itself had everything we needed and had a cozy atmosphere. It was absolutely perfect for the four of us.
As most people do at Sanibel we rented bikes to go around the island. The island is equipped with perfect bike trails. The bikes also turned out to be the perfect transportation in the evenings when we went to the really, really good restaurant the island offers.
Katryn and Richard put in a lot of effort to make our holiday at Sanibel the best possible. They really made us feel welcome and gave us a lot good hints on what to do, what to see, where to eat and so on. (Andreas, Katrina and family, Germany, 2015)
Recently, my family stayed in the lovely Seagrape Cottage on Sanibel Island. We have two young children aged 5 and 7. The cottage was perfect for our family and was only a short walk to the beach. Not to mention a great value! It's obvious this cottage is well loved and cared for by it's owners.
I love to cook and the kitchen was stocked with everything I could imagine using. I did a lot of cooking in that cottage. We also had a chance to eat out at the amazing restaurants nearby, which we enjoyed very much.
The cottage was extremely clean! The cleanest rental I have stayed in. It had many great book and movie selections! Even some games and puzzles. There was no reason for us to even bring books or rent movies because we streamed on their Roku. And they supplied DVDs too.
We loved the screened porch and it was so nice to be able to do our laundry right in the cottage. Since we had to travel from far away to get to Sanibel It would have been very inconvenient to lug a bunch of stuff with us. We were so happy that the cottage had everything we needed. (Jackie and Jonathon, Columbus, Oh, Summer 2016)
When we came to the US of A we were not sure to stay anywhere except Orlando FL for our child to see Disney land. Some new American friends told us to come to naples and Sanibel. We were not sure what to do but we learned about it from a travel agency. When we looked on line we found seagrape cottage and called the owners. Karen helped our family so much. We felt sure we were in a good place and she and her husband made us feel welcomed to the island. We are from South Korea and know English pretty well so we had no problem with anyone understanding us. There are lots of people from many countrys in the southwest Florida area and in particular Sanibel Island.
We biked and walked on the paths and we had early morning walks with our 6 years old daughter, Hee Jung. She loved the dolphins and we saw alligators at the nature park called Ding Darling. We saw many birds and took lots of photos and videos of animals of all types. We also saw some alligators at the nature conservation. We love the friendly American people but met so many other people from international sites. Seagrape Cottage was a real delightful place because it is clean and very neat with lots of safe feelings everywhere and on the island. Please visit the island and stay at this beautiful house.
Thank you. (Huang, Kai and Kim Sun, South Korea, June, 2016)
This was the second time we've vacationed at Seagrape Cottage and we'll definitely be back. The location could not be better and we enjoy the privacy of a backyard, the quiet of a residential street and cozy cottage feel of the house itself. We have stayed in other places on Sanibel, but Seagrape just feels like home. (Anonomyous, Burlington, ON, 2015)
Sefa and I have never been to Sanibel Island FL. We came from Switzerland and found we were only the second couple from our area in the Alps. Sanibel Island and Captiva is everything we could wish for and more. The natural setting is beautiful and the cleanliness reminded us of our Swiss homeland. We felt immediately comfortable and cared for. The people on this residential street were helpful and welcoming to the two new people from another country. (I must admit, people in Switzerland do not understand the friendly American hospitality so this was a bit overwhelming for us but we learned to enjoy and appreciate it after a few days.)
We ate out nearly every night at wonderful and unusual spots. We especially like Il Cialo, a very upscale Italian bistro near the house. We also liked going on a fishing charter. We caught grouper and snapper and had the chef at Lazy Flamingo cook it for us as we waited and drank English ale. (But it was cold Guiness and we drink it warm. Too bad.) We went to the nature centre many times and took many videos and saw a number of bull sharks and dolphins at the fishing pier. Someday, in a few years, we will return to this island and will stay again at The Seagrape Cottage. Thank you very much. (Hans and Sefa, SW. May, 2016)
We came from Istanbul, Turkey to Sanibel Island. Florida. My wife and I always dreamed to come to America. We never knew we would visit Sanibel. We thought it would be Miami. We flew to Miami and stayed a few nights. Then we did not care to much for it. It was so crowded with people and cars.. We think it is to much like our own home of Istanbul. We think we really wished for a calming and quiet place for a romance fulled vacation. So someone told us about the Sanibel island. We found a few places to stay and visited them in one day to chose our new place. When we met our hosts the Conrath family, we knew it was the right place for us because they treated us with such kind regard to our nationality and understand our respectful cultures. These people were helpfull to us and showed us so much care and very much kindness.
The home we stayed in was neat and clean. It was very close to the beach. We could walk in about five or ten minutes from the home. And it was a beautiful place to walk in the morning. My wife and I saw many dolphins near our beach. We drank tea in the morning on the back porch with a screen and seats and a nice table. There were places to sit outside in the very large backyard too. The back yard is beautiful and had birds and we saw a wood pecker to. We never saw one so it was a treat for us.
I don't know if we can ever return to Sanibel Island but we promised Richard we would stay with them at this home for sure.
We will always remember our time in Sanbiel island with fondness and love. I know the saying awesome in the US and this holiday was awesome. (Can and Aysa Cerioglu, Istanbul, Turkey, Fall, 2016)
A small sampling of our guests' comments:
Last year was our family reunion. We came from BC. The weather was perfect. We had the beach practically all to ourselves. Our family came from California and Rhode Island and spent our month in the cottage with great summer weather.
The cottages comfortably held our seven family members with a crib rented for the grande baby, Abbie. It was a treat to walk to the beach and spend the close time with our family on this unique island. We plan to make this a special time in the future too. Most certainly, we will be back. (Stephen and Margaret, San Francisco, CA)
Seagrape Cottage became home away from home within minutes of arrival. The location is perfect --- short walk to the Gulf beach or the Bay. My dog, Sadie, was welcome and she enjoyed beach walks and bicycle rides. The cottage is located on the east end within walking distance of Lighthouse Cafe, few shops, and ice cream & deli. Most restaurants are within biking distance, best way to get around. The Triller was a fun boat ride, which I recommend. The island is paradise - - - sun, sand, shells, birds, dolphins, good resturants, bicycling, and relaxation . The cottage was comfortable and clean with plenty of bath towels and beach towels. Family and friends joined me throughout the month and the cottage was still comfortable when there were four of us. Kitchen is well equipped. Washer and dryer was a blessing. Beach chairs, lawn chairs and picnic table were provided for enjoying the beach, shelling and relaxing outside. I would definitely come back next March if the cottage was available. (Becky and her sweet dog, Sadie, Fort Wayne, IN Our guest for the past 4 years, returning this season.)
In Germany it is our holiday month. Most people stay in Europe but we wanted to experience Florida, US. We brought our two children. We felt safety on the island because the ratings by our travel agent showed an extremely friendly group of people with excellent behaviour toward tourists. It was everything we hoped for and it was a dream trip. We may try the east coast next time but plan to return to this tropical island to visit our hosts and their puppy the following year. We plan to stay in our dream cottage again. We will dream of our time on the beach and we will always have fond memorys of Sanibel and Captiva island.
(Erika and family, 2017)
This little cottage was just what we were looking for. We liked it so much we plan to return next year! It is in the east end of the island on a quiet street and just a two minute walk from the beautiful beach. There is no public parking on the street so the beach was quiet around the Seagrape Lane area. We took in sunsets and sunrises at the beach almost every day with lots of shelling, swimming and long walks in between. Also, you are within minutes walk to the water on the Causeway side of the island where we liked to sit in the shade or fish during the hot afternoons. In addition, you are within walking distance of the fishing pier which is very popular for those who like this sport. - Mary, Westchester, NY (Her family is returning in 2017)
The cottage had everything we needed for a great beach vacation. There are lots of towels, extra bedding in case of cold nights, beach chairs and umbrellas. We did a lot of our own cooking and the kitchen was very well equipped. The beds are comfortable with new mattresses. There are plenty of books for people with various tastes which was great for two avid readers.
We had a dog traveling with us so the outdoor shower, the lanai and the big yard were very helpful. Dogs are welcome on all beaches on Sanibel as long as they are on a leash. We brought our bikes which is a great way to get around the island. Next year I hope to bring my kayak as well as there are lots of places to paddle.
We are nature lovers and really enjoyed all the bird watching as well as spotting the dolphins. Although you will see plenty of birds on the beach, a visit to Sanibel is not complete for us without a trip to Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Also, don't miss the farmer's market on Sunday mornings and a visit to the various public beaches on Sanibel and Captiva as each one has its own beauty and unique character.
Karyn and Richard were very attentive and checked in with us regularly to see if we needed anything or just to share information on events and activities taking place in the area. They are very personable and easy to deal with.
If you are looking for a laid back, cottage style vacation on a beautiful tropical island we would highly recommend Seagrape Cottage. (Alison and Evan, Ontario, Canada. Guests for the past 3 years,)
Karen and Richard are awesome! They helped make our trip the best ever. They provided a list of places to eat and where the special islander secrets were so that we lived like everyone who resided on Sanibel and Captiva islands. Our kids had a blast. They were in a super safe place and we could let them walk over to the beach all alone (ages 9 and 11) because we were only 5 minutes away from us.
We went biking everyday because we rented from Billy's Bike Shop. They delivered and picked up the bikes we chose when we were ready. Plus we took advantage of the surrey which was rentable from the same place. The restaurants were unique because the island does not allow any fast food or chains. They want to stay unique and special I believe. We did not bring our puppy but I saw many dogs on the pet friendly beach. I will never ever forget that ice cream shop either. Sanibel Sand Dollar was my favorite but my kids ate black cherry about 5 times during our stay. But maybe next time we'll try other flavors. I hope we can return next year and we will save up our money to do so! (Jodi and Ben, Lauren and Ben Jr, Rochester, NY August, 2016)
Spence and I spent most of our time at the beach. We know there were options galore, but we are stay at home most of the time. We are retired people who enjoy reading and quiet time. This was our perfect hide away from a normally busy life.. We grilled locally purchased fish and enjoyed the full kitchen for our evening meals. The lanai made our time at home a treat. There was enough space in the home to provide alone time for each of us too. I believe, since it is in a residential area, the location fulfilled our needs quite well. We never heard a peep from our neighbors. We enjoyed the backyard, replete with various birds and tropical indigenous plants and trees. The locals strolled up and down Seagrape Lane to and from the beach. We rode our bicycles everywhere. Truthfully, we rarely used our car except for evening visits to Captiva Island to the Mucky Duck, a quite wonderful English pub at the end of the island. It was a splendid and relaxing time for us. What a glorious island! In fact, it made us want to move to Sanibel! (Lenore and Spencer, Hartford, CT)
We were not sure what to expect from Sanibel Island but we were looking for a beautiful, sunny and relaxing place. And Sanibel appeared to be that and much more! We loved it too much
The cozy cottage with its perfect location on the island really contributed to make this into a perfect holiday spot for our family. After just a short walk we easily got access to the most perfect beach. Beautiful water and seashells everywhere. The five-year-old was busy for hours every day. The cottage also has a short walk to some smaller shops, a café and a restaurant. Our five year old daughter was almost in heaven, playing on the beach and then ending the day with the amazing homemade ice cream at the ice cream bar. The cottage itself had everything we needed and had a cozy atmosphere. It was absolutely perfect for the four of us.
As most people do at Sanibel we rented bikes to go around the island. The island is equipped with perfect bike trails. The bikes also turned out to be the perfect transportation in the evenings when we went to the really, really good restaurant the island offers.
Katryn and Richard put in a lot of effort to make our holiday at Sanibel the best possible. They really made us feel welcome and gave us a lot good hints on what to do, what to see, where to eat and so on. (Andreas, Katrina and family, Germany, 2015)
Recently, my family stayed in the lovely Seagrape Cottage on Sanibel Island. We have two young children aged 5 and 7. The cottage was perfect for our family and was only a short walk to the beach. Not to mention a great value! It's obvious this cottage is well loved and cared for by it's owners.
I love to cook and the kitchen was stocked with everything I could imagine using. I did a lot of cooking in that cottage. We also had a chance to eat out at the amazing restaurants nearby, which we enjoyed very much.
The cottage was extremely clean! The cleanest rental I have stayed in. It had many great book and movie selections! Even some games and puzzles. There was no reason for us to even bring books or rent movies because we streamed on their Roku. And they supplied DVDs too.
We loved the screened porch and it was so nice to be able to do our laundry right in the cottage. Since we had to travel from far away to get to Sanibel It would have been very inconvenient to lug a bunch of stuff with us. We were so happy that the cottage had everything we needed. (Jackie and Jonathon, Columbus, Oh, Summer 2016)
When we came to the US of A we were not sure to stay anywhere except Orlando FL for our child to see Disney land. Some new American friends told us to come to naples and Sanibel. We were not sure what to do but we learned about it from a travel agency. When we looked on line we found seagrape cottage and called the owners. Karen helped our family so much. We felt sure we were in a good place and she and her husband made us feel welcomed to the island. We are from South Korea and know English pretty well so we had no problem with anyone understanding us. There are lots of people from many countrys in the southwest Florida area and in particular Sanibel Island.
We biked and walked on the paths and we had early morning walks with our 6 years old daughter, Hee Jung. She loved the dolphins and we saw alligators at the nature park called Ding Darling. We saw many birds and took lots of photos and videos of animals of all types. We also saw some alligators at the nature conservation. We love the friendly American people but met so many other people from international sites. Seagrape Cottage was a real delightful place because it is clean and very neat with lots of safe feelings everywhere and on the island. Please visit the island and stay at this beautiful house.
Thank you. (Huang, Kai and Kim Sun, South Korea, June, 2016)
This was the second time we've vacationed at Seagrape Cottage and we'll definitely be back. The location could not be better and we enjoy the privacy of a backyard, the quiet of a residential street and cozy cottage feel of the house itself. We have stayed in other places on Sanibel, but Seagrape just feels like home. (Anonomyous, Burlington, ON, 2015)
Sefa and I have never been to Sanibel Island FL. We came from Switzerland and found we were only the second couple from our area in the Alps. Sanibel Island and Captiva is everything we could wish for and more. The natural setting is beautiful and the cleanliness reminded us of our Swiss homeland. We felt immediately comfortable and cared for. The people on this residential street were helpful and welcoming to the two new people from another country. (I must admit, people in Switzerland do not understand the friendly American hospitality so this was a bit overwhelming for us but we learned to enjoy and appreciate it after a few days.)
We ate out nearly every night at wonderful and unusual spots. We especially like Il Cialo, a very upscale Italian bistro near the house. We also liked going on a fishing charter. We caught grouper and snapper and had the chef at Lazy Flamingo cook it for us as we waited and drank English ale. (But it was cold Guiness and we drink it warm. Too bad.) We went to the nature centre many times and took many videos and saw a number of bull sharks and dolphins at the fishing pier. Someday, in a few years, we will return to this island and will stay again at The Seagrape Cottage. Thank you very much. (Hans and Sefa, SW. May, 2016)
We came from Istanbul, Turkey to Sanibel Island. Florida. My wife and I always dreamed to come to America. We never knew we would visit Sanibel. We thought it would be Miami. We flew to Miami and stayed a few nights. Then we did not care to much for it. It was so crowded with people and cars.. We think it is to much like our own home of Istanbul. We think we really wished for a calming and quiet place for a romance fulled vacation. So someone told us about the Sanibel island. We found a few places to stay and visited them in one day to chose our new place. When we met our hosts the Conrath family, we knew it was the right place for us because they treated us with such kind regard to our nationality and understand our respectful cultures. These people were helpfull to us and showed us so much care and very much kindness.
The home we stayed in was neat and clean. It was very close to the beach. We could walk in about five or ten minutes from the home. And it was a beautiful place to walk in the morning. My wife and I saw many dolphins near our beach. We drank tea in the morning on the back porch with a screen and seats and a nice table. There were places to sit outside in the very large backyard too. The back yard is beautiful and had birds and we saw a wood pecker to. We never saw one so it was a treat for us.
I don't know if we can ever return to Sanibel Island but we promised Richard we would stay with them at this home for sure.
We will always remember our time in Sanbiel island with fondness and love. I know the saying awesome in the US and this holiday was awesome. (Can and Aysa Cerioglu, Istanbul, Turkey, Fall, 2016)
