Vacation Homes Plus opens up shop in Matlacha
Those looking for a new adventure or a way to entertain guests need look no further than Matlacha as Vacation Homes Plus is sure to filled this niche. Offering half-day and full-day excursions, the list of options are seemingly endless and attainable at reasonable rates. Based on Pine Island, location for the business was of critical importance to the owners and operators.
“We had many people asking us about excursion packages to North Captiva and began looking for a suitable location in the area to open our office,” said Vacation Homes Plus President Bryan Brillhart. “We were looking for a place on Pine Island Road that provided good exposure. This building had been vacant for a very long time, the rent was reasonable and the location was ideal.”
Vacation Homes Plus is now occupying the former Rondell’s Restaurant in Matlacha.
One of the most popular excursions offered by Vacation Homes Plus is the Day Pass to North Captiva Island Club Resort. The day begins when passengers are picked up by a shuttle bus from the parking lot at the Winn-Dixie shopping plaza at 8:45 a.m. and are transported to the docks at the Fisherman’s Co-op on Maria Drive in St. James City. Voyagers then climb aboard a 49-passenger catamaran and head out to North Captiva.
“While on North Captiva, those holding day passes can take advantage of all the amenities the resort has to offer,” said Brillhart. “They can browse the shops, relax by the pool, go kayaking, bike riding or dine at the restaurants. In addition they can visit the beach and do some shelling if they like as well.”
Visitors to North Captiva can select from one of two restaurants, Mango’s Cafe and Grill or The Boat Club. Brillhart described Mango’s as a casual restaurant that specializes in wraps and sandwiches and offers a very extensive children’s menu. The Boat House, he explained, was a little more up-scale, offering entree items such as lobster Savannah and veal a la Dave as well as seafood and steak dishes. The day pass, including transportation, is $38 per person.
Other excursions include half-day trips for dolphin watching and shelling on Captiva or Cayo Costa. Fishing trips also are offered and, for the price of the boat ride, bait and tackle are also provided.
“Our captains and mates are very well equipped to lend a hand to those fishing from our boat,” Brillhart said. “They can do everything from baiting hooks to landing fish and will even assist in cleaning your catch.”
According to Brillhart, it is not unusual for his passengers to catch a variety of species including sheepshead, snapper, redfish and grouper.
On Thursday afternoons, Vacation Homes Plus also offers a package called Island Hopping which combines short trips to the beaches of North Captiva and Captiva Island for shelling and dolphin spotting.
As the water temperatures rise, Brillhart also will begin offering snorkeling trips.
“We discovered a really nice natural reef off of one of the islands which will be a perfect place to snorkel,” Brillhart said. “The boat is equipped with a ladder and platform which makes it easy to enter and exit the water and I think this will become very popular among our passengers.”
Also new to passengers are the Sunset Margarita trips. Passengers can relax and watch dolphins play in the surf while enjoying a complimentary margarita as the sun goes down. This excursion is offered on Friday evenings and is available for a cost of $20 per person.
The boat is handicap accessible and group rates are offered for parties of six or more. In addition, the entire boat can be reserved for private parties including weddings, family reunions, company parties and other special events.
At the end of each excursion, the Vacation Homes Plus catamaran returns to the docks on Pine Island and after leaving the boat, passengers are then shuttled back to their awaiting vehicles at the island center.
Office hours at the Matlacha office are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information about Vacation Homes Plus, call 283-3630 or visit vacationhomesplus.net or northcaptiva.com