White cap cottages

Question

Did White cap cottages survive hurricane Ian we love that place.

Answer

Great question. I found some credible reports that suggest White Cap Cottages on Sanibel Island did not fully survive Hurricane Ian in their original form.

Here’s what the available information shows:

A post on TripAdvisor from September 2025 states: “No, they were demolished by Ian. They are replacing the cottages with modular structures/homes that will sit on pilings.”
According to a lodging-inventory report, many small cottages and inn-style accommodations on Sanibel suffered severe damage.
News coverage and aerial imagery following Ian documented that many beachfront cottages on Sanibel were wiped out by the storm surge.

So in summary: the beloved White Cap Cottages, as they were, were demolished by the hurricane. However, there are active efforts to rebuild — in this case, replacing them with new modular homes built on pilings.

If you loved White Cap Cottages, this means the “same place” you remember may return in a different form, but not as the original cottages. Rebuilt units may preserve some of the charm, but they will likely be more modern and structurally different to better withstand future storms.