Cape Coral & Pine Island vacation rentals

Cape Coral was laid out around water. The city has more than 400 miles of canals, more than any other city in the world, and a large share of its homes back onto one. A typical rental here is a single-family house with a screened pool and a dock out back. The question to ask is whether the canal has Gulf access: sailboat-access canals reach open water with no fixed bridges in the way, while freshwater canals are for kayaks and fishing only.

West across Matlacha Pass, Pine Island is one of the largest islands in Florida, and it feels like old Florida. Matlacha is a tiny fishing village of brightly painted shops and galleries on the road in, St. James City sits at the south tip, and Bokeelia looks out over Charlotte Harbor. Pine Island has no sand beaches, just mangrove shoreline, fishing spots and tropical fruit groves, so rentals here suit anglers, boaters and anyone who wants quiet.

Things to do near your rental

• Matlacha's galleries and the fishing bridge over Matlacha Pass
• Boat runs from Pine Island to Cabbage Key, Useppa and Cayo Costa
• Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve kayak trails in Cape Coral
• Tarpon and snook fishing in Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass