Harbourview Villas at South Seas Island Resort

Harbourview Villas at South Seas Island Resort is located on Captiva Island, FL. This is my 4^th resort on the West Coast of Florida on a single amazing trip. If you have not followed my adventure at the other resorts, I will link them here for you as well.

Video by Caribbean Castaways

Day One Arrival at Harbourview Villas at South Seas Island Resort

The real treat of this vacation has been just moving from one resort to another, versus traveling all the way down from my home in Virginia. I understand that this is a rare opportunity. Most could not take the time away from work, nor afford to book such a long trip.

Since part of my trip is working and writing, and I can keep up with other aspects of my business as I travel, I really am making the best of both Worlds my vacation and my home business. It is a blessing that I do not ignore being able to work from anywhere with an internet connection. These days resorts offer internet and even high speed at almost every major resort.

At this resort, I have a 2-bedroom unit booked. They also offer 3 bedroom units as well. The 2-bedroom/2-bathroom Captiva Island suite with a screened balcony features a primary bedroom with a king-size bed and standard bathroom. The second bedroom is furnished with two queen-size beds and includes a separate bathroom. The suite also offers a comfortable living room with a queen-size sleeper sofa, plus a fully equipped kitchen and washer/dryer.

Even though I tend to eat out at local restaurants when I travel, I do like having a kitchen for snacks, or small meals. If I travel with others I often enjoy making breakfast for the group.

Before check-in time I wanted to find a local joint for a drink and some lunch. I ended up going to Doc Fords Rum Bar and Grill which is much better than the name might suggest to your subconscious.

I enjoyed some of that same namesake rum and a nice lunch to boot. I had an Entrée more from the dinner menu than lunch with the Dry Rubbed Ribeye but it was a nice medium when it hit the table and I was a happy man indeed.

Reviews of this resort

We loved the South Seas resort! Extremely safe area and has lots to do on the property. The pools and beach were both wonderful. Would highly recommend it and definitely plan to return.

Beautiful resort! Everything is within walking distance. The staff was amazing as well as the food. The beach was clean, beautiful, and private. Someone is always available with beach towels and umbrellas if needed. The sunset each night was fantastic!

It was a fantastic property with great beach access and very close to the pools, chairs, and umbrella service included. The staff was very nice and offered great service. The pools were great, kids loved the water slides, and adults loved poolside dining and drinks. The only two drawbacks were the shower could have been cleaner and there were a lot of mosquitoes in the afternoon/evening so make sure you bring plenty of sprays. Overall we had a very relaxing and enjoyable stay!

The ultimate vacation spot! Enjoy access to the abundance of resort amenities on this property: from great pools and tennis courts to poolside chairs and towels provided at no extra charge! This property, which boasts a genuine old Florida feel, is surrounded by a 330-acre wildlife preserve, where dolphins and manatees are regular guests. Here you’ll find everything you need to live that dreamy island life. Fill your days with kayaking, sailing, boating, bicycling, golf, and tennis. Enjoy epic fishing, and world-famous shelling, or just stroll along the spectacular 2.5-mile stretch of private pristine beach.

My Experience

My 2 bedroom villa was giant. At 1290sq ft I would have been comfortable with a family of 6 for sure. Let the kids stay in the living room area and the adults take over the bedrooms.

For me, the 2 bedroom was overkill and I regretted not inviting a friend down on this trip due to the wasted space. But sometimes when you have to travel at a moment’s notice even good friends or family can not pack and go with you.

Villa Amenities

Resort Amenities

I only had about 4 days to get myself ready for the trip because 2 of the resorts I am visiting on this trip have some last-minute openings, and I was able to book the other two to match up a full 2-week trip. For me, I say it is a nice problem to have.

They made check-in easy which is always nice when that happens, and the villa was very clean and ready when I stepped in. When it is just me on one of these trips I do not lose my mind if something is not right, I just give the resort the opportunity to address it. On occasion when I have had a guest I may have expressed my concerns louder. But on this trip, the villa was in perfect condition. Even the showers not only appeared clean they felt clean to the touch. That is a nice plus when you come back from the beach with a sunburn. The last thing you want is to find sand on a shower seat or something worse on sunburned skin.

Day Two Starting with Sunrise

Today I set the simple vacation goal of being on the beach for both Sunrise and Sunset. Here on this small island, you can see both well and I hear the sunset area impressive on the beach.

The best thing about Florida beaches is that there are so many beaches, and they are rarely crowded. In Florida, you get that sense of being one with nature. This is especially true when the sun sets and the Sun rises.

What is really neat about this trip for me is being on the beaches on the islands on the west coast of Florida. Here the water seemed a little clear and calmer than they do on the East Coast. And if anything the water seems a little Bluer, a little richer in color, and clear where you can see a little deeper down below the surface.

The Sunrise was nice and a good start to the morning. The next thing on my mind was finding somewhere to eat. I looked on my phone and found the Keylime Bistro which was the highest-rated breakfast place on the island. They did not open until 8 AM but it was worth the little delay. It also gave me time to go back and shower and prepare for the day on the whole, since I just jumped out of bed in time to walk fast to the beach for sunrise.

After a nice breakfast that was fast and fresh, I headed back to the beach. I did not intend to spend the entire, but I did want to spend a few hours before the peak heat of the day.

There are few vacation things that you do that ever seem quite as comfortable and relaxing as spending time on a beach. just watching the waves roll in and hearing the sounds of the ocean has always been something that’s been very relaxing to me. even as a child when I would go out to conquer the waves because I used to imagine I was charging into the crashing waves and competing in a wrestling match against the waves in the ocean. I would still be very relaxed when I came back and sat with my family on a towel at the beach, catching my breath from hours of play.

To this day, time on the beach looking at the ocean and listening to the waves still transports me back in time to two younger ages to a simpler life, one that was full of dreams and aspirations but no conclusions and no certainty.

I spent the early morning into the afternoon on the beach, but then returned to the resort to my villa to relax and I actually ended up taking a bit of a cat nap. Once I woke up, I again showered and refreshed, then headed back to the beach, this time for the sunset before heading out to dinner.

How do you describe a sunset on an island close to the equator in Florida? That is a bit of a tough question because it depends on the day the weight of the clouds looks the way that the water looks as the sun goes down and disappears below its wriggling surface.

Today’s sunset wasn’t particularly remarkable, but only by a standard set by someone who has seen thousands of Florida sunsets now. If I was at home, I would have been flabbergasted and completely impressed by the quality of this sunset. The colors in the sky seem to go from a bright burnt orange of the clouds down in phases to a more bright yellow or orange until they slowly faded as the Sun fell down behind the waves in the distance.

If you haven’t spent any time on the west coast of Florida, this is a great resort to start that journey. Captiva Island, Florida, offers great beachfront access and views of the ocean there, truly unparalleled in the region. The resort is so well maintained and the beach access is so ready at hand that it is hard to imagine a better location for your next trip.

Day Three Taking a Cruise

Taking a cruise with Captiva Cruises. Okay, I will admit it. One of the things that I miss most during the pandemic has been cruising. It does not matter if it’s a 3 or  7-day cruise or even a day cruise, I just enjoy being on a boat in the water moving doing things, and having fun. To end this feeling of regret and loss, I decided to take a day cruise while I was on Captiva Island.

I chose the cabbage key Cruise which is a day cruise that starts at 10 a.m. in the morning and ends at about 3 in the afternoon so about a good solid half-day Cruiser is better. The cabbage key is thought to be the inspiration for the song The Cheeseburger in Paradise. So all you parrot heads out there with cool Jimmy Buffett songs may want to check this cruise out and cabbage key for yourself. The restaurant on the island still serves cheeseburgers as well as steaks and other great menu items. This all added to the feeling of the restaurant. The walls are papered with signed dollar bills and other denominations. It reminds me of a pub that I went to in Grand Cayman Island. with the exception that the restaurant in Grand Cayman uses jerseys from sports groups and teams and business shirts from business owners from around the world to line the walls and ceilings instead of the dollar bills.

The cruise itself was only $45 and the captain and crew did a great job of not only transporting you but talking to you about the local area and really making the cruise an enjoyable experience.

I had a great day trip and an amazing meal at that neat location. If you can pull yourself away from the beach for the day this is a nice option.

If you want this same type of amazing vacation for yourself, make sure you book through Tzort.