First of all, the owners, Mark and Kathy made us feel like old friends with their hospitality, but were never intrusive. They were always ready to help point us in the right direction, but respected our privacy which allowed us this much needed and relaxing getaway. The reasonable rates were what initally led us to Periwinkle, but the pleasant phone conversations with Kathy sealed the deal. Also, Mark (who is also the retired Captiva postmaster and an incredible watercolor artist) was very knowledgeable and accommodating and had many fun stories to tell.

Our cottage was attractive, comfortable and very clean. Everything we could need was provided... and a little more than we expected. The palm tree salt and pepper shakers and the ice cream scoop were cute little extras that made us feel as though the owners were truly interested in making us feel at home....not just supplying obligatory items. ( Not sure why another reviewer would think the fridge would be stocked with food (??) There was ample cookware, bakeware, utensils, and dinnerware for the 6 of us. The Welcome Book in our cottage was really helpful with with restaurant recommendations and lots of island information.

Most evenings we prepared our meals inside or out on the large grill provided and sometimes even ate on the screened porch under the ceiling fan.

One of the best times we had was when we were having drinks one evening with our friends who were staying in another cottage. We were sitting with them in their gazebo by the pond and in this one evening alone we saw a family of hawks, a little green heron, an otter, turtles and even a bald eagle! It was an amazing experience.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous private beach with its easy access. Everyday we used the bicycles, beach towels, and beach chairs (Tommy Bahama's no less) that were provided to us at no extra charge! (In other vacation inquiries, most times these items had rental fees)...so along with the free Wi-Fi at the cottage we experienced great savings that allowed us to do some other things that we might not have been able to do.

So...with the great value of the rental, the quality of the accommodations, and the delightful personalities of the owners, we have this to say: If you want a generic condo atmosphere...this is not it. If you need to be entertained...better keep looking. If you want to relax, move at your own pace, and enjoy Sanibel Island as it is meant to be enjoyed...then these cottages are PERFECT! We will definitely be back.

My daughter and I really enjoyed our stay at Periwinkle. The unit was clean and well maintained. The walk to the beach was short and enjoyable. There were beach towels, beach chairs and bicycles that I enjoyed. The ride to the refuge was short and also enjoyable. We also had everything that we needed in the kitchen. It was also very quiet and a much needed break from the hectic everyday life. It was an all around enjoyable visit.

Sanibel is fabulous and we loved every minute of our vacation there.

I was not quite sure what to expect with the Periwinkle Cottages but overall it was a positive experience. The owners and I e-mailed several times and we spoke once on the phone and making the reservation was easy enough. We felt prepared and thought it would be a nice vacation. The cottages are in a secluded but convenient location, on the western end of the island, near Ding Darling and a private beach which is beautiful.

When we arrived, similar to other reviewers, there was no one to greet us which we just found odd, especially since the owner asked for our arrival time in advance. The cottage was unlocked and there was a binder of rules on the dining room table so we read through everything and unpacked. The rules are mostly the things you would expect when staying in someone's home such as emergency contact numbers, where to empty the garbage, etc. It also offered restaurant recommendations and sightseeing information. We did have some other questions and would have liked more clarification but we did not feel like making phone calls to try to get that information.

The cottage was very similar to what was described on the website and in my e-mail exchanges and the photos were accurate. It is furnished in a typical, Floridian style and reminded me of a scene from the Golden Girls tv show circa 1988. Everything was comfortable including the bed and living room furniture.

Some of the descriptions are subject to interpretation however...I would not call it a fully equipped kitchen for example. There was a big skillet, a small skillet, and a saucepan, exactly 4 forks, 4 spoons, 4 plates, 4 glasses, 2 mugs, and nothing in the fridge or cabinets except an old salt & pepper shaker. There were a few kitchen towels, a small bottle of dish-washing liquid and dish detergent, a new sponge, one old cutting board that I had to disinfect, and a paper towel roll. There is an old and tiny microwave but it worked, a dishwasher, and a drip coffeemaker. The wi-fi signal was very weak and the cable stations are limited.

We wanted to stay at a cottage so we could cook our own meals but it may have been easier to eat dinner out because we had to buy the basics as well as the food and all of the pans were stainless so they were incredibly difficult to clean each night. I washed everything before we used them because I did not think they had been suitably cleaned before our arrival. We were also expecting a gas grill but it is a charcoal grill and you have to buy the charcoal!

There were some minor issues such as the smoke detector's dying battery that would not stop beeping - we finally took it off the ceiling - a missing light bulb, and a few broken kitchen utensils but everything else was fine.

There are bikes for everyone to share and the extensive and well-kept bike path is just across the street. It is easy to ride the bikes to other beaches and different parts of the island so you can leave your car parked.

We had the cottage with the "pond" that some reviewers have called a swamp. The reality is in between the two. If you are a nature person, you could appreciate its serenity, but it is very buggy and one morning it had a small alligator in it! We kept our distance but watched him in amusement. We were also awakened each morning by a lonely but social bird that kept trying to break into the sliding glass door of the bedroom. After the initial shock of its impact on the glass, we grew to look forward to him waking us up everyday.

We did see one of the owners on-site about halfway through our trip. He was very pleasant and sociable and we had a nice conversation. I mentioned the broken items but they were not fixed during our stay.

The closing up the cottage rules were less clear than the welcome rules so we had to improvise. For example, there were no instructions about what to do with the used linens and the instructions said to lock the doors upon leaving but leave the keys on the dining room table for the next person. This made no sense and we do not know how the next renters would get in since the keys were locked inside the cottage but we did as instructed.

I would stay here again for the right price and overall we loved our time in Sanibel. We are a well-traveled and easy-going couple so we found the cottage to be a bit quirky but relaxing and highly enjoyable.

Wow, We arrived on a Wednesday and stayed till the following Wednesday. We barely saw any of our neighbors. It was great to have a Large Beach towels provided along with chairs and an Umbrella. W made great use of all of these things.
It was also nice to have everything needed for the kitchen. We ate breakfast in almost everyday and most days lunch too.
There was bikes provided, but we never used these.
We were able to use the laundry facilities which were clean and nice.
This was great for us. My son loved the little cottage, but was a tad confused with the dials for the shower. ( had never seen this set up)
The beach was a little far for my mom (turning 70 this year) to walk to, but that was ok. We went to either Tarpoon Bay or the Lighthouse beach everyday. Thanks for the handicapped spots.
We did enjoy our stay very much, it was great value.
We cannot wait to visit Sanibel again.