This unit must be infested with no see um bugs, each member in my family has over sixty bites on our entire bodies. we went to the everglades and didn't get bite once. Now we are home with bite marks all over our legs, arms, etc...

Also on the kitchen counter near the microwave you cannot place food down and leave the room for a minute, bugs will be on it when you return.

I'm thinking a good exterminator would help.

We've been travelling around Florida for 3 weeks and this has been an amazing stay. We found this apartment (number 5) on Owners Direct. We'd tried various places but they were either booked or ridiculously expensive.

I thought we might have got a dodgy place but how wrong? Sea Shells doesnt look much from the outside but it is steps from the beach, has a tennis court, shuttle board, pool, bike rentals. Our unit #5 was beautifully decorated and well equipped with everything we could need.

I can't speak for the other places but here's the owners details so you can find out availability and pricing. jbfalvey@aol.com

If you do visit, go to Captiva and try the Captiva Cruise - we went this evening and saw manatees (mother and baby) in the marina and then had a family of dolphins swim alongside the boat. AMAZING!!

Also get sun cream with insect repellent as I've been bitten by mosquitoes and these noseeums (day and night).

We stayed here for 4 nights in April 2012. The condo had plenty of space but the whole layout was dated and tired. The carpet (advertised as new in 1999!) was shag pile and the colour (to be very kind) was 'brown'. In the bathroom the worn towels once removed from their rack brought the whole rack down with them leaving gaping holes in the stud wall where they were once fixed. The patio doors were so ancient that it required real physical effort to slide them open. When trying to lock them at night when you fixed one end the other burst open and vice versa. The communial pool was also dated and with insufficient shade and horrible plastic slatted sun loungers. This facility is overpriced and we would not stay here again although we love Sanibel and plan to return.

My family of 4 stayed here for a week during spring break. The complex is on the inland side of West Gulf Dr, which is a quieter residential section of Sanibel. If you must be gulf-front you won't be happy here, but if you don't mind walking 5 minutes to the beach you can save $1,000 a week or more by staying here. Each unit is individually owned and decorated, so you'll want to check out the pictures of individual units if the decor matters to you. We rented directly through the owner on VRBO and had plenty of pictures to view. As others have noted, unit 1 is right off West Gulf and thus, closest walk to beach access. Our unit 43 is in the very last building. The walk through the complex is actually longer than the walk down the street to the access. It's not too far, and each unit seemed to come with a beach cart for hauling gear. The complex was nice and quiet, with a mix of retirees that lived there and families staying for a short while. There is a small pool (very clean) with umbrella tables, lounge chairs, and pool noodles, small clubhouse with books, magazines, laundry room, and baths next to the pool. there is also a patio with brand-new grills, shuffleboard, and more tables and chairs behind the pool area. The pool is located mid-way in the complex. Tennis courts are at the far end. Racquets and tennis balls are provided in the clubhouse. The staff we saw is there during day hours and was very pleasant. Each unit has a small screened balcony overlooking the parking lot. Both sides of the complex are surrounded by green space, trees, and tropical plants. It was a nice change of pace from the big condo resorts I've stayed at before, and much cheaper. We'll be back again next year.