Toes in the Sand

JENSEN'S CAPTIVA ISLAND BEACH & MARINA RESORTS TURNING THE TIDE

Written by: Ava Grace

Picture this—pink-and-blue morning skies above with gentle waves splashing below. A pod of dolphins softly dipping up and down. A sailboat swaying on the horizon. Squawking seabirds wading on the shoreline. Shells of various shapes and sizes waiting for discovery, and soft, sugary sand making its way between your toes.

Everything is just steps away from the white wooden cottages that have sat snuggled by the bay since being built between 1948 and 1954, with the very first one built in 1926. The cozy cottages, 15 in all, hold many memories for visitors who have made their way to Jensen's Captiva Island Beach & Marina Resorts over the years— visitors who include the likes of John F. Kennedy Jr., Ted Turner, Danny DeVito and Kevin Costner.

Of course the cottages on Captiva Island, in Florida’s Lee County, also hold decades of fond memories for the Jensen family. Red Jensen purchased the acre property in 1977 from the Doane family. “The first place I stayed in after our parents took ownership was apartment No. 12. It’s an upstairs unit with a balcony, and even today it always brings back good memories,” John Jensen explains.

John now owns the resort with his younger brother Jimmy, older brother Dave, and their families. Their sister, Pat, who resides in Seattle, is also a part-owner and continues to help out with the business.

The Jensen family moved to Captiva from Detroit when the children were in their 20s. John adds, “We all came down to this island paradise to help run the resort. I thought I died and went to heaven!”

Along with the cottages, there are also beach suites and garden suites at the nearby Jensen's "On the Gulf" Beach Resort. Examples include the Penthouse and the Honeymoon Suite, which both offer fabulous views of the Gulf of Mexico, all while being surrounded by lush and colorful vegetation. Families—and anglers—return again and again to enjoy the feeling of getting away from it all while not really being too far away from it all. Indeed, a trove of restaurants such as the Bubble Room, Mucky Duck, Key Lime Bistro, Green Flash and Doc Ford's are close by, as is beautiful Sanibel Island with its wealth of attractions.

What’s also close by is the world-renowned fishing that the Gulf of Mexico offers. “The best nearby catch is snook, redfish, trout and tarpon,” notes John. This time of year, snook, redfish, trout, mangrove snapper and sheepshead are biting.

Thanks to the resort’s marina, with boat rentals available, deeper water fishing is accessible for all. There is also fishing off the resort’s private dock, where—on a good day— sheepshead, snook, redfish and snapper can be reeled in.

Another point of interest on the property is a museum with artifacts dating back as far as 40 years. There are photos of past guests (some famous), and items donated by a family friend and Vietnam War veteran that include his helmet, boots, patches and photos. John says, “We also have personal items from Ted Williams, who used to fish in the area, and who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Fishing Hall of Fame and also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his service during World War II.”

ANOTHER POINT OF INTEREST ON THE PROPERTY IS A MUSEUM WITH ARTIFACTS DATING BACK AS FAR AS 40 YEARS. THERE ARE PHOTOS OF PAST GUESTS (SOME FAMOUS), AND ITEMS DONATED BY A FAMILY FRIEND AND VIETNAM WAR VETERAN, AND ALSO PERSONAL ITEMS FROM TED WILLIAMS.

Many years have gone by. Now it’s now time for the Jensens to pass the property along to another person or family that would enjoy meeting guests from around the world, hearing great fishing stories and reading the many guests’ vast amounts of positive comments on TripAdvisor. Yes, Jensen's Captiva Island Beach & Marina Resorts is up for sale.

Although when the property sells, John says he isn’t going too far: “My plan is to stay in the area and do more boating, and spend more time with my wife, Gina, and our son, Johnny.” Dave and his wife, Vanessa, moved to Italy last year; Jimmy and his wife, Elizabeth, plan to do a little traveling and spend time with family.

After the property changes hands, John says he will miss making more memories. He will miss meeting all the different people who visit the resort, seeing the beautiful sunrises when he goes to work in the morning and feeling the sugary sand beneath his toes when he wanders down to the beach. FCM

JENSEN’S TWIN PALM MARINA RESORT AND COTTAGES

"Twin Palm" Cottages & Marina

15107 Captiva Drive, Captiva, Florida 239-472-5800, gocaptiva.com

JENSEN'S "ON THE GULF" BEACH RESORT

15300 Captiva Drive, Captiva, Florida 239-472-4684, gocaptiva.com

The Jensen family moved from Detroit when they purchased the property in 1977. John says, "We all came down to this island paradise to help run the resort. I thought I died and went to heaven!" Now up for sale, the family says it's time for new owners to enjoy meeting guests from around the world.