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Cape Coral Waterfront explained
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The waterfront canal system through Cape Coral is rather complicated! The following guide should help simplify it,. You may also wish to call me at 239-603-6100 to request a free, detailed map be mailed to you. Just ask!
On the following map below you can see that Cape Coral is not quite oceanfront, as the islands to the West provide a narrow barrier. Actually around here we don’t use the term “oceanfront” instead we refer to it as “Gulf” front, since it’s the Gulf of Mexico and not actually an ocean. However, even though it isn’t direct Gulf frontage, it’s very close and much, much more affordable because of it. In fact, Cape Coral has some of the lowest priced waterfront property in all of Florida (and much shorter boating runs to the open Gulf waters than Punta Gorda & Port Charlotte to the North).
For the same reasons above, we don’t refer to the boating access as “ocean access” here either. Instead we call it “Gulf access”. You will see this term used numerous times throughout this site
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Second, take note that Cape Coral includes both saltwater and freshwater canals. ‘Saltwater canals’ refers to those with Gulf access. Freshwater canals do not have any such open water access. Note that this in no way is actually referring to the true salinity of the canals-- many if tested, would technically be a brackish mix of water, though abundant aquatic life can be found throughout both type of waterways. It’s just a quick, slang way to say which offer the access to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Portions of the freshwater canal system have a network of small lakes and basins for freshwater fishing. However, we will be focusing on saltwater canals as the freshwater ones are not of interest to most true boaters.
Next, take note that Cape Coral includes sailboat access canals, direct access canals, and partially restricted access canals. A common misconception is that “direct access” means no bridges are along the path: this is not necessarily true! Direct access means that there are no locks or lifts interrupting the flow of water. Multiple bridges still technically qualifies as direct access (and bridge heights can vary). If it’s completely uninterrupted canals you want, then you are looking for unrestricted, sailboat access canals. It should come as no surprise that these are the most sought after and typically the most expensive too. And if you don’t need the additional clearance, you may not want to pay for it! Lastly are restricted/partially restricted access canals. These simply are behind a manned boat lock. Don’t automatically strike these areas out though! Because some of the last areas to develop are behind a lock, many of the prettiest areas in Cape Coral are actually in this category.
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Most of Cape Corals access to the Gulf is via the Caloosahatchee River. There is an exception to this is in one area in the Northwest corner, called “Matlacha Pass” (pronounced mat-luh-shay). The map below shows all the major access points. Take note of the Southwest access point too. This point serves all of the Southwest Cape. It is referred to as the Spreader waterway. A little further East is the Bimini Canal which seves as a major access point too. Next (to the East) is the Cape Coral Yacht Club. It has numerous sailboat access canals which we will discuss later in greater depth. Further up river are the neighborhoods of Everest Pkwy, Cornwallis, Palaco Grande, Savona, and Beach Pkwy. These too will be described in more detail below. Last is Chantrey Canal (Vizcaya Parkway area). This neighborhood has the longest run to the Gulf (for direct sailboat access canals), but prices are lower because of it. And it’s also worth pointing out that at least it’s quick to the open river.
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Should you wish to zoom in one (or more) of the areas referenced above in better detail please use the interactive map link below. It includes active listings too, but they are not limited just to waterfront homes. You’ll have plenty of opportunities later to break away and do specific searches anyway!
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Sailboat Access Neighborhoods
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Let’s now discuss specific neighborhoods in Cape Coral which offer unrestricted sailboat access, starting with the best (and most expensive):
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Refer to the map above and note the South Cape portion. Now note that highlighted section furthest to the SW Corner. This is Southwest Cape Coral’s most premium, unrestricted sailboat access boating location, Unit # 67. Please note that sections of Cape Coral don’t always have names associated with them, instead some areas go by simply their ‘unit’ numbers, in this case Unit 67. We are also temporarily excluding mention of some really nice properties immediately to the west of this section in Cape Harbour because they fall behind a boat lock (and therefore aren’t unrestricted access, though they can accommodate sailboats).
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The sailboat access portion of Unit 67 is quite simply the best of the best, but prices will show that owners are very aware of it! [See current pricing here]. If you were looking at a larger map of the area you’d see this SW location has Cape Coral’s shortest boating run to the open Gulf waters. Combine that with unrestricted sailboat access, some wider and very deep canals and you’ve got a premium combination. Hint: rather than trying to remember the unit number to this location, simply refer to it as the Sailboat access property around “Cape Harbour” and “Tarpon Point Marina.” The canal splits these two sections (see image to the right). Those on the Western (left) side are directly across the street from one of the two nicest developments in Cape Coral, called Cape Harbour. It offers restaurants, a marina with wet & dry slips, live music, boat rentals, a few shops, and more.
For those who aren’t familiar with the area and are planning a visit, I recommend that you check this area out, even if not for the real estate searching aspects! Perhaps for dinner, drinks, or maybe to rent a boat and to see the city from the canal vantage point too. You can also view bird’s eye views of Cape Coral Unit 67 at this link. (Opens in pop-up window so you don’t lose your place on this page). Also be sure to click on the various compass directions (ex: North, East) to rotate the angle of the view and you can zoom in a little bit more too using the + and - tools. Another great resource is Google’s street view images, taken from a drive-by perspective. View Google Street view for Cape Coral Unit 67 at this link.
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Cape Harbour: Directly across the street from the Western half of Unit 67.
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And as far as the portion of Unit 67 on the East side of the dividing canal (the portion on the right in that photo above): This area is equally impressive and valuable, it’s just that there’s only a handful of existing single family homes on this side of the canal. Most of the options here will be in Tarpon Point Marina’s development, including it’s very desirable high-rise towers with commanding views. The whole Tarpon Point Marina area is another highly recommended area for visitors to the area to check out for reasons other than the actual real estate search. There’s a nice waterfront restaurant on site (Marker 92), a pavilion/bar overlooking the marina (Nauti Mermaid), and a very nice, newer Westin that would be my first recommendation as for a place to stay while visiting Cape Coral. Here’s a link to their site.
Both this and Cape Harbour’s marinas are the quickest to the Gulf, should you opt to keep a boat in a marina instead of directly behind a home. Which brings me to another point: a very desirable characteristic to Cape Coral is that in almost every single case, the boat is in fact directly behind your residence. With so many canals, that can be accomplished cheaper in Cape Coral than most any other location in Florida. Do realize though that homes are built on similar sized, regular lots scattered throughout the town, and typically aren’t in gated or golf communities, though there are indeed golf courses, etc in the city. Communities like Tarpon Point are more the exception than the norm here. In this case if one were in the high-rise towers, the boat would be kept in a marina and you’d pay the HOA fees for the condo plus the slip rental fee. The same is true in Cape Harbour. So if the idea of a marina instead of right behind the residence is not right for you, don’t worry- in almost all other condos (and single family homes) throughout Cape Coral, the boat is literally right in your backyard. It’s just that given the shortest boating run and desirability, this area goes with marinas and is built at a higher density than the rest of the very suburban-like town. Here’s a few links you can view to better explore Unit 67:
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Note that canal depths in Cape Coral’s Units 64 and 67 are quite decent- Buyers will find this to be sufficient for most any boating needs and there are 35’+ boats, sailboats, etc routinely found in these areas. You can reference the map I’ve created to the left for more specific canal depths.
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Note to other agents:
I realize many other agents utilize my site to better understand the Cape Coral waterways. That’s great as it gives everyone a better understanding of the complex system. That said, please note the depth chart and all other portions of this website are copyrighted and were time intensive for me to develop. No portions may be copied or reproduced without my express written permission. However, you CAN link or point to pages of my site. Just contact me if doing so. Thanks.
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