March winds power this sailboat northward along Captiva Island's shoreline. This barrier island, lying just off the coast from Cape Coral, Florida, was separated from Sanibel Island during an early 1920s hurricane. The 14 foot storm surge wiped out the island's agricultural industry, paving the way for tourism.
Today, visitors enjoy the natural beauty, white sand beaches and the Gulf of Mexico's picturesque waters. Captiva is like no other island. The streets are lined with vacation homes, but this tropical paradise has no hotels to spoil its 20th century charm.