Many of our guests have offered to acknowledge questions via an email or by phone. We have lots of references on the island as well -- people who know us and can vouch for our integrity and desire to please our guests. We've been here since 1994- we are one of the locals and live close to the cottage.
This is a only a very small sampling of our guests' comments
WE absolutely loved it! What a gorgeous beach. Perfect for shelling. The house resembles all my childhood memories and more. It is better than I ever imagined. Owners are awesome and attended to our every need. I am already booked for next year. I can't thank you enough for allowing my little Maltese, Sammi Ray, to tag along. He loved the beach and we loved the shower outside to clean him off after a day in the gulf of Mexico. See you again with our teenage college-bound son.
Seagrape Cottage! Sanibel Island! I'm in love with this part of Florida and cannot say enough about what it has to offer.
I found this little gem on The Sanibel/Captiva Chamber of Commerce and completed an excellent transaction within two days.
The owners are from the area and provided the home with everything necessary for me and my partner to make it a once-in-a-lifetime holiday! California's beaches are cold and far from Florida but I will try to come back to Sanibel Island again and hopefully will be able to book Seagrape Cottage on the BEAUTIFUL Gulf of Mexico. (Ashley and Robbie, Santa Monica, CA)
I spent the last few years at this cottage alone. It was a perfect respite for an artist. I was able to paint and draw and relax my "weary bones" for an entire month. It had everything I needed and more. Seagrape Cottage is so close to the beach - I walked on the end of our shell-path in my bathing suit and sandals and all that was provided for me in beach items. I felt perfectly at home and at-one with the natural world of the island. Sometimes I walked across the street to the bay for a delightful sunset. There are hundreds of types of birds and wildlife. I biked through a nature preserve and took in sights which I never knew were part of Florida. It is unlike other locales I've traveled and I've traveled all over the world. I felt like I was in another country because it so different and unique to a guest who is looking for an uncomplicated time. I cooked nearly every meal in the full kitchen and slept with the windows open under the deep sky with perfect ease. This street is in a quiet with only a few tourists. We are all island people here on this Lighthouse side of the island. I heartily recommend this beautiful cottage in a completely marvelous location. I hope this helps the Conrath's get more guests to enjoy their lovely home. They certainly deserve it! (Annalise, Cape Cod, MA, 2017)
Seagrape Cottage became home away from home within minutes of arrival. The location is perfect --- short walk to the Gulf of Mexico beach or the Bay. My dog, Sadie, was welcome and she enjoyed beach walks and bicycle rides. The cottage is located on the east end within walking distance of Lighthouse Cafe, few shops, and ice cream & deli. Most restaurants are within biking distance, best way to get around. The Thriller was a fun boat ride, which I recommend. The island is paradise - - - sun, sand, shells, birds, dolphins, good restaurants, bicycling, and relaxation .
The cottage was comfortable and clean with plenty of bath towels and beach towels. Family and friends joined me throughout the month and the cottage was still comfortable when there were four of us. Kitchen is well equipped. Washer and dryer was a blessing. Beach chairs, lawn chairs and picnic table were provided for enjoying the beach, shelling and relaxing outside. I would definitely come back next March if the cottage was available. (Becky and doggie Sadie, Fort Wayne, IN Our guest for 3 years, returning March 2, 2017 for the fourth year.)
This little cottage was just what we were looking for. We liked it so much we plan to return next year! It is in the east of the island on a quiet street and just a two minute walk from the beautiful beach. There is no public parking on the street so we were lucky to have parking on the premises. And the beach was quiet around our Seagrape Lane area. We took in sunsets and sunrises at the beach and on the bay at the end of the same street almost every day with lots of shelling, swimming and long walks in between. Also, you are within minutes walk to the water on the Causeway side of the island where we liked to sit in the shade or fish during the hot afternoons. Also you are within walking distance of the fishing pier which is very popular for those who like this sport. I think we played Monopoly every night with our kids so it was good family time for us all. Thank you so much for helping our family have a special place this year.- Marie, Westchester, NY (Her family is returning in 2018.)
The cottage had everything we needed for a great beach vacation. There are lots of towels, extra bedding in case of cold nights, beach chairs and umbrellas. We did a lot of our own cooking and the kitchen was very well equipped. The beds are comfortable with new mattresses. There are plenty of books for people with various tastes which was great for two avid readers.
We had a dog traveling with us so the outdoor shower, the lanai and the big yard were very helpful. Dogs are welcome on all beaches on Sanibel as long as they are on a leash. We brought our bikes which is a great way to get around the island. Next year I hope to bring my kayak as well as there are lots of places to paddle.
We are nature lovers and really enjoyed all the bird watching and spotted dolphins. Although you will see plenty of birds on the beach, a visit to Sanibel is not complete for us without a trip to Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Also, don't miss the outdoor market on Sunday mornings and a visit to the various public beaches on Sanibel and Captiva as each one has its own beauty and unique character.
Karen and Richard were very attentive and checked in with us regularly to see if we needed anything or just to share information on events and activities taking place in the area. They are very personable and easy to deal with.
If you are looking for a laid back, cottage style vacation on a beautiful tropical island we would highly recommend Seagrape Cottage. (Alison and Evan, Ontario, CA Guests for the past 2 years, back January, 2017)
Karin and Richard are awesome! They helped make our trip the best ever. Upon entering the foyer, we had a lovely welcome basket with some of our favorite treats and a bottle of wine. They provided a list of places to eat and where the special islander secrets were so that we lived like everyone who resided on Sanibel and Captiva islands. Our kids had a blast. They were in a super safe place and we could let them walk over to the beach all alone (ages 9 and 11) because the kiddos were only 5 minutes away from us.
We went biking everyday because we rented from the local bike shop. They delivered and picked up the bikes we chose when we were ready. We think we will bring our own next year Plus we took advantage of the surrey which was rentable from the same place. The restaurants were unique because the island does not allow any fast food or chains. They want to stay unique and special I believe. The most important restaurant is The Bubble Room on Captiva Island. The kids loved it.
We did not bring our poodle but I saw many dogs on the pet-friendly beach. I will never ever forget that ice cream shop either. Chocolate peanut butter hot fudge was my favorite but my kids ate mint chocolate chip about 5 times during our stay. But maybe next time we'll try other flavors. I hope we can return next year and we will save up our money to do so! (Jodi and Ben, Lauren and Ben Jr, Rochester, NY August, 2016)
We were not sure what to expect from Sanibel Island but we were looking for a beautifully sunny and relaxing place. And Sanibel appeared to be that and much more! We loved it too much.
The cozy house with its perfect location on the island really contributed to make this into a perfect holiday spot for our family. After just a short walk we easily got access to the most perfect beach. Beautiful water and seashells everywhere. The five-year-old was busy for hours every day. The cottage also has a short walk to some smaller shops, a café and a restaurant. Our five-year-old daughter was almost in heaven, playing on the beach and then ending the day with the creamy homemade ice cream at the ice cream bar. The cottage itself had everything we needed and had a cozy atmosphere. It was absolutely perfect for the four of us.
As most people do at Sanibel we rented bikes to go around the island. The island is equipped with perfect bike trails. The bikes also turned out to be the perfect transportation in the evenings when we went to the really, really good restaurant the island offers.
Katryn and Richard put in a lot of effort to make our holiday at Sanibel the best possible. They really made us feel welcome and gave us a lot good hints on what to do and what to see, where to eat and so on. (Andreas, Katrina and family, Germany, 2015)
When we came to the US of A we were not sure to stay anywhere except Orlando FL for our child to see Disney land. Some new American friends told us to come to naples and Sanibel. We were not sure what to do but we learned about it from a travel agency. When we looked on the internet we found seagrape cottage and called the owners. Karen helped our family so much. We felt sure we were in a good place and she and her husband made us feel welcomed to the island. We are from South Korea and know English pretty well so we had no problem with anyone understanding us. There are lots of people from many countrys in the southwest Florida area and especialy in Sanibel Island.
We biked and walked on the paths and we had early morning walks with our 6 years old daughter, Hee Jung. She loved the dolphins and we saw alligators at the nature park called Ding Darling. We saw many birds and took lots of photos and videos of animals of all types. We also saw some alligators at the nature conservation. We love the friendly American people but met so many other peoples from international nationalities. Seagrape Cottage was a real delightful place because it is clean and we had lots of safe feelings everywhere and on the island. Please visit the island and stay at this beautiful house.
Thank you very much. (Huang, Kai and Hee Jung Sun, South Korea, June, 2016)
Recently, my family stayed in the lovely Seagrape Cottage on Sanibel Island. We have two young children aged 5 and 7. The cottage was perfect for our family and was only a short walk to the beach. Not to mention a great value! It's obvious this cottage is well loved and cared for by its owners.
I love to cook and the kitchen was stocked with everything I could imagine using. I did a lot of cooking in that cottage. And we barbequed fish too. We also had a chance to eat out at the amazing restaurants nearby, which we enjoyed very much.
The cottage was extremely clean! The cleanest rental I have stayed in. It had many great book and movie selections! Even some games and puzzles. There was no reason for us to even bring books or rent movies because we streamed on their Roku. And they supplied DVDs too.
We loved the screened porch and it was so nice to be able to do our laundry right in the cottage. Since we had to travel from far away to get to Sanibel It would have been very inconvenient to lug a bunch of stuff with us. We were so happy that the cottage had everything we needed. (Jackie and Jonathon, Dylan and Stephie, Columbus, Oh, Summer 2016)
This was the second time we've vacationed at Seagrape Cottage and we'll definitely be back. The location could not be better and we enjoy the privacy of a backyard, the quiet of a residential street and cozy cottage feel of the house itself. We have stayed in other places on Sanibel, but Seagrape just feels like home. (Anonomyous, Burlington, ON, 2015)
Sefa and I have never been to Sanibel Island FL. We came from Switzerland and found we were only the second couple from our area in the Alps to stay there. Sanibel Island and Captiva is everything we could wish for and more. The natural setting is beautiful and the cleanliness reminded us of our Swiss homeland. We felt immediately comfortable and cared for. The people on this residential street were helpful and welcoming to the two new people from another country. (I must admit, people in Switzerland do not understand the friendly American hospitality so this was a bit overwhelming for us but we learned to enjoy and appreciate it after a few days.)
We ate out nearly every night at wonderful and unusual spots. We especially like Il Cialo, a very upscale Italian bistro near the house. We also liked going on a fishing charter. And we took a captain on a sailing voyage in the sea nearby. We caught grouper and snapper and had the chef at Lazy Flamingo cook it for us as we waited and drank English ale at the Mucky duck on Captiva Island. (But it was chilly cold Guiness and we drink it warm ) We went to the nature centre many times and took many videos and saw a number of dolphins at the fishing pier. Someday in a few years we will return to this island and will stay again at The Seagrape Cottage. Thank you very much for our time in the cottage. (Peter and Sefa, Switzerland. May, 2016)
We came from Istanbul, Turkey to Sanibel Island. Florida. My wife and I always dreamed to come to America. We never knew we would visit Sanibel. We thought it would be Miami. We flew to Miami and stayed a few nights. Then we did not care to much for it. It was so crowded with people and cars.. We think it is to much like our own home of Istanbul. We think we really wished for a calming and quiet place for a romance filled vacation. So someone told us about the Sanibel island. We found a few places to stay and visited them in one day to chose our new place. When we met our hosts, the Conraths family, we knew it was the right place for us because they treated us with such kind regard to our nationality and understand our respectful cultures. These people were helpfull to us and showed us so much care and very much kindness and help.
The home we stayed in is called Seagrape Cottage and it was so clean. It was very close to the beach. We could walk in about five or ten minutes from this home. And it was a beautiful place to walk in the morning. My wife and I saw many dolphins near our beach. We drank chai tea in the morning in the back of the house with a screen and seats and a nice blue table and two chairs for us. There were places to sit outside in the very large backyard to. The back yard is beautiful and had birds and we saw a wooden pecker to. We never saw one so it was a treat for us. And it is a very romantic time to.
I don't know if we can ever return to Sanibel Island but we promised Richard we would stay at this home for sure.
We will always remember our time in Sanbiel island with fond memorys. I know the saying awesome in the US and this holiday was awesome. (Can and Aysa Cerioglu, Istanbul, Turkey, Fall, 2016)