Local Treasures

>>The islands of Sanibel and Captiva have long entranced visitors with their natural beauty, but a combination of events coincided that tarnished their shine for many people. In some ways, the islands still struggle to regain their magic.

Nearly four-and-a-half years ago, Hurricane Charley ripped across Captiva and Sanibel on its way to Punta Gorda. Shortly after Charley, work began to rebuild the causeway that connects the islands to the mainland. The construction deterred many would-be visitors, and the toll subsequently jumped from $3 to $6, where it stands today.

Through it all, the islands survived and even thrived, their magic continuing to have an impact despite the odds.

In 2005 and 2006, Ohio-based R.L.R. Investments bought most of the islands’ shopping centers—more than $26 million in commercial property—and renovated them, attracting new tenants. Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce president Ric Base believes this has been good for the islands. "It is anybody’s guess how this might translate into business in the future," he adds, "but they are looking extremely good."

When the economic turmoil of 2008 struck, monthly tourism numbers fluctuated like the ebb and flow of the tides, but Base says the islands came out strong on the whole in tourism, which is big business for the islands.

"Our visitor numbers for 2008 will be a record rate since 1999," he says. As of October, the islands had seen more than 180,000 visitors come through its visitors center for 2008, compared with 142,000 who visited in all of 2007. Base expected the number to reach 185,000 by the end of 2008 and attributes the growth in part to a statewide promotion conducted by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau. "We have 8 million people living around us," he says. "That’s a lot of people, and the VCB did a better job of getting the word out about our proximity."