It’s been a long time coming, but earlier today Dustin and I were finally able to put our eyes on the first finished product for Marina Villas at Cape Harbour.  I looked back through my notes and he and I first visited the newly opened sales center for Marina Villas back in May of 2020 when even Phase 1 was still just a sheet of paper.  That was almost 4 years ago!  Since then while showing Funky Fish Houses or condo units we have seen it go through every stage of construction from clearing, to horizontal, to vertical.  As you might imagine, a project of this magnitude takes a lot of planning, design, and permitting before any dirt ever gets moved.  I would also assume that Hurricane Ian slowed things down a bit after it came through. 

Today’s brokers open was put on by the staff at Marina Villas to give local brokers a first look at the three story townhome style units that they built right there on the South side of the development.  This is one of three property types included in phase 1 in addition to the villas and two story townhomes.  The unit we saw today is privately owned but is being leased back for the next couple of years by the developer for use as a model.  

The fully furnished and decorated model is stunning.  The views are what strike you first as you walk up the stairs to each level.  The property looks out over the South Spreader waterway and preserve and comes with its own deeded dock.  The layout is also ultra functional with general living space on the first two levels and the bedrooms on the third.  All of the glass on the back of the unit, the light color palette, and the Southern rear exposure keep the space light and bright. The style has a modern beach feel with hints of farmhouse mixed in.  A lot of time and money went into the trim and wall details including multiple areas utilizing board and batton.  I could definitely see myself vacationing there or with the 2 car garage even calling it home.  Unfortunately, the four units in this building are already spoken for.  

The rest of phase 1 is still under construction with a few of the units still available for sale. From the looks of things today it sure appears that they are nearing completion with this phase.  The horizontal construction for Phase II there on the Northwest side of the marina is also underway.  If you are interested in Marina Villas at Cape Harbour or Cape Harbor in general, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or to allow us to show you what you might be missing.  We’d love to help you find your piece of paradise.   

The new Rumrunners at Cape Harbour is now open.  The original Rumrunners opened in November of 2003 and was owned by the same three partners until recently.  As many have likely heard, the restaurant is now under new management.  The landlord/property owner decided not to renew the previous owners lease and it expired in December of 2021.  The property owner is now involved in the ownership and management of the restaurant.

There were rumors that the name of the restaurant would change along with the ownership change.  These turned out to be false.  The restaurant reopened in early January as Rumrunners with a new décor and an updated menu.  Since then I have been asked by multiple clients and acquaintances how the “new” Rumrunners compares to the “old” Rumrunners.  So to find out, I had lunch there recently on a sunny February afternoon.  Below is my review of the “new” Rumrunners at Cape Harbour based on that experience.

My Review 

My business partner Dustin and I met at Cape Harbour near midday during the week to have lunch and discuss a few new deals that we had in the works.  We walked around the back and entered the building on the dock side of the restaurant.  Given that it was pretty close to peak season, both Cape Harbour and the restaurant were very busy.  While walking up we noticed some new seating options down by the water that we didn’t remember seeing before.  Mainly three quartz style bar tops with chairs that sit pretty much right on the water.  These would be premium seats for watching a sunset.

Upon walking inside up the back stairs we were greeted by a friendly hostess and shown directly to a nice table in the main dining room.  After taking a short look at the new Rumrunners menu we noticed that sushi was now an option.  We ordered the Harbour Sunset Roll as an appetizer and continued browsing the menu.

The sushi roll was very good, probably as good as any that I have had anywhere in Cape Coral.  It was very fresh and well crafted.

While eating our appetizer and trying to decide what to order for the main course we looked around and tried to compare our previous visits to Rumrunners to this one.  While the tables and chairs seemed to be new, the layout of the restaurant hadn’t changed.  We also noticed that there may have been a few new decorations on the walls, but nothing that really stood out to make it feel any different than the Rumrunners we remembered.

When our attentive waiter arrived to take our order I asked him if he worked here before the management change and if he had noticed much of a difference.  He replied that he was an employee prior to the change and that it has pretty much just been business as usual.  Some new menu items and decor changes but not much else. He also mentioned that things were a bit hectic trying to get reopened with the least amount of down time during the busy winter season.

Our food arrived after allowing just enough time for some discussion about ongoing business.  I had the seafood pot pie while Dustin had the Cuban sandwich.  Both were very good and exceeded our expectations.  Pictured below is the seafood pot pie.  It was savory and chock full of seafood.

So for those wondering how the “new” Rumrunners compares to the “old” Rumrunners, I would say that it is just as good or better.  The service was excellent and the food was top notch.  Next time I will definitely be trying some of the other sushi rolls.  This was the highlight of the meal and a nice addition to the menu in my opinion.

If you are ready to give the new Rumrunners at Cape Harbour a try, you can call 239-790-5786.  I would definitely recommend a reservation for dinner during the winter season.  They are open from 11:00-Close seven days a week.  There is even live music on Sunday afternoons. For more information check out their website here.  For information on other restaurants in Cape Harbour check out our restaurants page.

Amore Italian Market & Bakery in Southwest Cape Coral is a gem!  I had lunch there today after walking inside to check it out a few weeks ago when I was done with breakfast next door.  As a Southwest Cape resident I was surprised that I didn’t know about it.  It’s been open since 2018 and I have been going to this shopping plaza for a decade.  While it isn’t technically at Cape Harbour, I figured a post on it makes sense due to it only being a few blocks up the road.  You could easily walk or ride your bike there.  Its just North of Cape Coral Parkway between the lobster lady shopping center and Chiquita Blvd.

My Review

If you are reading this, you are probably wondering what qualifies me to review a restaurant?  Am I a chef or a food critic?  Absolutely not!  I am just someone who likes to eat.  Italian food is my absolute favorite.  Now that I know where this place is I’m going to have to keep myself from overindulging.

When I walked into Amore at about 11:30 AM on a Monday there were a handful of people shopping the market and ordering from the deli. There appeared to be 4-5 on staff behind the counter with everyone who wasn’t busy with customer service being busy cooking or baking.  The first thing you see though are the cookie and pastry cases that greet you as soon as you walk through the doors.  A huge array of colorful cookies, cakes, and Cannolis that look like something out of a commercial(see below).

On the right side of these cases is the market.  It is full of imported ingredients and favorites.  Think olive oils, vinegar’s, pastas, and wines.

As you move to  the left side past the desert cases you come to the fresh salads, the deli, and the entrees.  The selection is amazing and it all looked very authentic.  I’ll be back to pick up some of the pasta dishes and likely the chicken parm for dinner on another day.

 

Being that I was coming in for lunch, I had something else on my mind.  An Italian sandwich.  I’ve had the Publix version, the Jimmy Johns version, and many others over the years.  I fancy myself as a bit of a connoisseur.  Based on the look of this place, I thought this might be the Italian sandwich to measure all of the rest of them by, and I WAS RIGHT!  This was bar none the best Italian sandwich I have ever eaten.  The sub roll was out of this world.  Soft on the inside with a little bit of crisp on the outside.  It was loaded with Italian meats, cheese, fresh veggies, and an awesome oil & vinegar mixture that just tied it all together.  Look at this thing, it was absolutely huge.

I ate it outside on the patio given the nice fall weather.  Couldn’t have had a better experience.  If you are looking for an authentic Italian eatery and bakery, Amore is a gem!  Check it out.

For more information on things to do while at Cape Harbour, check out our events calendar.

Cape Harbour’s location and amenities make it a great spot for bicyclists.  There is bicycle parking throughout the community and there are miles and miles of dedicated bike paths that go throughout Cape Coral.  The chamber of commerce loop runs right by Cape Harbour on both sides and is approximately 17 miles long.

With 90 miles of interconnected bike routes available, there are routes and distances for pretty much any rider.  Click on the link below to view the color coded interactive bike routes map.

Cape Coral interactive bicycle routes map 

In addition to being on the bike route, Cape Harbour also has a great bike shop.   Cape Coral Cycling offers repairs and tune ups as well as daily and weekly bicycle rentals for all ages.  It is located on the back side of the dry dock boat storage building on the South side of the property about middle ways down in suite 202.  I have personally had my bicycle tuned up there and had a great experience.

Lastly, there is a fantastic bicycle event held every year that starts and ends right here at Cape Harbour.  It is called the Tour De Cape and is held in late January every year.  This event has been going strong for over 30 years and attracts novice to race competitive bicyclists from the surrounding area.  It is an all weekend event with registrations on Friday, a 3 mile family ride on Saturday, 15, 30, 62, & 100 mile bike tours on Sunday.  The event is well staffed and incorporates Cape Coral Police on the route for additional safety.  I personally rode in the event last year and had a blast.

So whether bicycling is just something you do for exercise or a full blown sport/hobby, Cape Harbour or the surrounding area might be the spot for you.

Pets ARE allowed at Cape Harbour.  SWFL loves its furry friends.  You see them everywhere these days.  At the park, at the beach, in the stores, and being walked along our streets.  There are countless doggy daycare’s, pet stores, pet friendly restaurants, pet events, and more.  While Cape Coral in general is pretty dog/cat friendly, a lot of the HOA’s and condo associations aren’t quite as accepting.  Many of them do not allow pets at all.

Cape Harbour, however, is about as pet friendly as they come.  Everywhere you can live in Cape Harbour allows pets in some capacity.  In the single family homes there are no restrictions.  Within the condo associations they are limited to no dangerous breeds and up to 2 pets per unit.  In the towers of Marina South pets must be under a combined weight of 30 lbs while in Marina View and in the Coach homes the combined weight limit is 75 lbs.

Pet ownership is not just allowed at Cape Harbour, but welcomed.  Most mornings when we go there for breakfast at The French Press there are dogs sitting with their owners on the patio enjoying the nice weather.  They even have water bowls and treats for the dogs.  If you walk around on a nice day you would be hard pressed not to see several dogs out on a walk.  There are several dog waste stations located along the many walking paths through and around Cape Harbour.  They offer you bags and a convenient place to get rid of dog waste.

For any questions on pet rules and regulations at Cape Harbour or within any specific condo associations or HOA’s, please reach out.  We are experts on Cape Harbour and can answer any of your questions!  For more information on active real estate listings within the community, click here.

Cape Harbor Cape Coral.  Harbor and Harbour are two different spellings for the same word that mean; an area near a coast where ships can be kept away from the water of the sea. Harbor is the United States spelling of the word while Harbour is the UK or British spelling of the word. A lot of people online are using the spelling Cape Harbor to describe this beautiful community in SW Cape Coral and when searching for restaurants or property. The community uses the British spelling of Cape Harbour rather than Cape Harbor. The reason why the developers chose Cape Harbour instead of Cape Harbor is a mystery, but maybe it was to appeal to Europeans or just to be different. Either way, this great community does stand up to the meaning of the word as it is a fantastic place to keep your vessel away from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  You have many options when it comes to boat storage.  You can moor at the marina or behind your house, have it kept out of the water in dry storage on site or on a lift behind your property, or keep it off site and trailer it in for a launch at the boat ramp.

For additional information Cape Harbor Marina’s location and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, see our Map.