We only go in the winter months - end of October to the end of April is our limit. I agree with what people here have said, the shorter days are a small price to pay for the less humid days and the quieter pace of life.
We would however never rent a villa that wasn't south facing :-)
Do you know Cape Coral? We have friends there and looked at it last year as a potential place to buy. Would be interested in what you think of it.
We have stayed there three times before, always in the past after a week or several days at least in Orlando.
As I'm sure many people have said before, the gulf coast is a nice contrast to Orlando .... the pace of life is not quite as frantic and the restaurants on the coast are a nice contrast to those in Orlando. Saying that, however, there is an Olive Garden in Cape Coral and a Longhorn steakhouse in Fort Myers that we try to get to at least once.
We have also stayed several times further up the coast around Englewood. One benefit to us of Cape Coral is that many of the villas are on the canals and we can do a bit of fishing off the dock behind the house. Driving north, Busch Gardens is doable in a day and going south, Naple's malls can be visited to get those last minute purchases forgotten about in Orlando.
Cape Coral villas are often good value to rent, being more akin to Orlando prices, whereas around Naples/marco island they tend to be more expensive (unless on one of the Naples communities). There are also plenty to choose from and they often have the extras such as TVs in bedrooms that you tend to expect in Orlando but do not often find on the coast. I guess one slight downside with Cape Coral is that the beach is not on your doorstep, although the beaches at Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva are pretty good and not too far away by car.
Some people may consider Cape Coral a bit of a sprawl and it is probably true that there are more picturesque places to rent on the coast, but on the plus side, wherever you rent you are never far from the supermarkets and places to eat.
Having said there are plenty to choose from, we are struggling a bit to find a suitable villa for the first couple of weeks of November (after UK half-term). I would have thought that at that time of year there would be plenty of choice but it seems not, especially if we want one with south or west facing lanai. Just proves Cape Coral's (and Florida's) continuing popularity I guess.
Last edited by lorveney; 02-09-2011 at 13:57.
We have a north facing deck, but we are single storey and we have an extension beyond our pool so you can almost always find some sunshine there. We have been in January and the sun shines on us under the lanai first thing in the morning - then as the day progresses we move out beyond the pool and then in the evening we watch the sun set. In June when we were out there this same thing happened - I did some photos of each time of the day. What we did have- which was important in that heat -was some areas of shade in the hottest part of the day but areas for the sunworshippers. Amazingly our deck stayed sunny in the evening when the so called south facing pools were in shade. We also had sun longer than the east facing pools and got the benefit of the sun earlier than the west facing pools. I did not really believe it myself until we had a gathering of owners who had homes with homes that faced all sorts of ways. Our home was the prefect place to have that get together and the myth of south facing was blown away. One important aspect - we have a large deck area that is shaded in the heat of the sun - and if you have small children think of them even in the winter as they can get terribly burnt. My nephew got sunstroke on Feb 20th one year.
'Cape Coral villas are often good value to rent, being more akin to Orlando prices, whereas around Naples/marco island they tend to be more expensive (unless on one of the Naples communities). There are also plenty to choose from and they often have the extras such as TVs in bedrooms that you tend to expect in Orlando but do not often find on the coast. I guess one slight downside with Cape Coral is that the beach is not on your doorstep, although the beaches at Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva are pretty good and not too far away by car.'
You hit the nail on the head for me with the comment about the beaches. We were surprised to find that there was nothing that could really be called 'local'. We are renting in Bradenton in November and again at a different property for the months of February and March. For us the area gives the best combination of facilties with the beaches/towns of Anna Maria Island as a major bonus!
I've found it depends just when in November you're planning to visit.
I used to go regularly in late November/early December but stopped a couple of years ago because it was often quite chilly before about 11.00 am and after 6.00pm so we were only getting sitting out weather for a few hours a day. I now go late October/early November and have found it much warmer then with a bit more daylight as well.
I'd definitely recommend finding accommodation which has a south facing aspect because, out of the sun, it's not that warm to be sitting outside for much of the day.
I've always considered Cape Coral as a place you might choose to live in rather than spend a holiday on. As you say, there are no beaches within easy reach and it has the look of a massive urban development rather than a resort.Originally Posted by No Shoes
I'd estimate that Sanibel and Captiva are a good 40 minute drive away when you take into account the need to cross the 2 toll bridges. Possibly a little less to Fort Myers beach.
Last edited by Katys Grandad; 03-09-2011 at 05:44.
We always go in Nov and love it. Little or no rain and warm sunshine, sure the days are shorter but we get sun on our east facing deck until about 4 pm[msncool]
Liz
Actually nothing - just trying to be helpful with a question and responses already raised within the thread.
As in all the best conversations, the subject always twists and turns a little. Thats what makes it interesting [msnsmile2]
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