C.J. Braden • 7 Minute Read
Updated: 8/3/23
Originally posted: 11/19/2021
IMPORTANT NOTE: On September 28th, 2022, Hurricane Ian hit Sanibel Island (my current hometown) and it will be a very long road to recovery. Be sure to do your research as to when your favorite Sanibel destination will be available for travel again.
Sanibel and Captiva Travel Guide By a Resident
A guide written by a resident of Sanibel Island!
After simply one vacation to Sanibel Island, Florida in 2010, l knew I’d live there at some point in my life. Like so many others train of thought, I figured it’d be when I was much older, had much more money and was retired. Little did I know, life had another plan for me.
After spending 12 years renovating a major fixer-upper, and getting full-time remote careers going, my husband and I decided it was time for us to move on from our home state of Kentucky to our favorite little island of Sanibel. Neither of us really thought it was possible, until it happened. One thing lead to another, making this one bucket list item to be able to be checked off our list.
The best travel tips for Sanibel and Captiva Islands
Now that we’ve officially been residents for a while (we were very fortunate that our house was still livable after Hurricane Ian hit it in September 2022), I thought it was time to write up some of our insider’s tips and tricks for anyone interested in living on Sanibel or wanting to vacation there. Both Sanibel and Captiva (located in Lee County, closest to Fort Myers, Florida) are islands for anyone to visit at any time in their life.
Read on to get our free best insiders travel guide for Sanibel Island. I’ve thrown in some Captiva Island travel tips and tricks and ways to save money too!
This is a guide I will keep updated as new fun ideas on things to do and places to visit here expand. If you try any of my ideas, or have new ones, leave me a comment at the end of the post!
Try Paddleboarding on Sanibel Island
1- Paddleboarding on Sanibel
A great way to see some marine life, work on your balance skills and be guided into peace and harmony is to try your hand at paddleboarding. If you have your own paddleboard, you can launch from any beach when the waves are more calm.
We like to paddleboard in Tarpon Bay. It’s always a very calm body of water. Right now, you can show up during their open hours and rent a paddleboard (if you don’t own one) and paddle out into the waters of the bay on your own. The bay only is around 4 foot deep, so if you fall off, it’s very easy to get back on your board.
My mom loves Paddleboarding on Sanibel too!
As of 2021, a beginner board (a yak) is $25 an hour, then $10 an hour after the first hour. The intermediate board is $35 an hour, then $10 an hour after the first hour. Tarpon Bay offers guided paddleboard tours for those that want help their first time out. Click here for their most recent paddleboard information OR call their office at 239-472-8900.
See lots of jumping fish and marine life in Ding Darling
2- Driving or Biking Through Ding Darling on Sanibel
Ding Darling is a nature preserve that is home to many birds, reptiles and marine life. We bought a year pass for around $12 due to taking our many visitors there. If you are planning on going more than once during your time on the island, buy a pass because each time you drive through it, it’s currently $10 per car.
We also like biking through it. The annual pass covers the fee, or you can pay $1 per pedestrian or $1 per biker. We’ve seen manatees swimming in the calm waters within Ding Darling, numerous birds (like pink spoonbills), crabs and more. Take a pair of binoculars with you if you have them. It’s very peaceful and makes for a beautiful drive.
There are places to fish (you must have a valid fishing license) and launch a kayak. There are plenty of places to park along the road and walk around.
There are some Calusa Indian shell mounds (which are quite tall) towards the end of the preserve in which you can park and walk around them, learning more about the tribe and their life on Sanibel. The hours Ding Darling is open shifts with the seasons. Click here to get the most current hours, days it is open, and admission information.
You can walk or bike to the Sanibel Cemetery
3- Cemeteries on Sanibel and Captiva
My husband and I only learned about the cemetery on Sanibel after living on the island! It’s very small, at only around 30 graves or so. It’s located at 355 Cowry Ct, Sanibel, FL 33957 and is only reachable by either walking or biking (there is no parking around the cemetery). Learn more about it by clicking this link.
There is another cemetery on Captiva Island that is part of the Captiva Chapel by the Sea church land. You can park at the church and walk around the cemetery to respectfully check it out.
The Chicken Piccata at Cielo is delicious!
4- Eating on Sanibel and Captiva
Cheeburger and the Bubble Room (want some flaming cheese and GIANT cake slices, anyone?) are the two most well-visited restaurants by tourists (as of late 2023, they are both currently closed due to Hurricane Ian damage, but Boops by the Bubble Room is open for lunch and for cake), but after living here for a year, we have literally eaten our way around the islands. Here are some of our favorites:
If you are looking for food to fill your rental, visit Jerry’s or Bailey’s. (As of late 2023, Bailey’s has been torn down due to Hurricane Ian, but it will rebuilt)
Cip’s Place is always packed and is truly delicious. (As of late 2023, Cip’s is still closed due to Hurricane Ian)
If you like old-school live music, dinner and dancing, try Traditions on the Beach. This place gets crowded during the in-season, so make reservations. You can eat there even if you don’t stay there. Many of the local restaurants have live music on certain nights, so just do an online search for “Sanibel Live Music” or call the restaurant to see what nights they feature live music. (As of late 2023, Tradition’s was torn down due to Hurricane Ian, and we do not know if they will rebuild the restaurant)
For special occasions, we love Cielo. It’s super fancy and really quite spectacular. Check out their beautiful smelling salt scrubs in their bathrooms!
The Bees Knees drink at Cielo
For delicious and healthy breakfast and lunch with many organic, non-GMO and diet/health-targeted food choices, we love Sanibel Fresh and The Sanibel Sprout (Both are closed due to Hurricane Ian, Sanibel Fresh will not reopen and we are unsure about The Sanibel Sprout)
In the mood for some authentic Mexican fare and homemade margaritas? Bike or drive to Rosalita’s on Rabbit Road.
Want some diner-style food that everyone in the family will love AND is incredibly affordable? Try the cafe inside Jerry’s, Jerry’s Cafe. They also have a coffee bar inside Jerry’s.
There aren’t too many places we haven’t enjoyed the food, so try what you like and see what becomes your favorite. If you have a very large party, always call the restaurant and see if they can either reserve a space for your group or ask them what time would be best for you all to come. We’ve seen very large families show up at 6:00 to the Bubble Room during the busy season and be told there was a 2 hour wait.
*Hot Tip*: There are very few restaurants that stay open past 9:00. Yes, 9:00 PM! Sanibel is not know for having a big “night life”. If you are a night owl and typically eat late, check the hours and days of operation of restaurants BEFORE you show up. It’s a good idea to call as not all restaurants keep their online hours of operation information updated.
If you love this article, we think you’ll love this one too: Sanibel Island Bungalow Porch Makeover
Fresh sorbet at Traditions on the Beach
5- Ice Cream on Sanibel and Captiva
I think Sanibel has more ice cream shops than any other city I’ve ever known! If you are in the mood for a sweet frozen treat, you’ll find plenty of ice cream shops around. They are everywhere on the island.
If you are looking for a frozen treat AND delicious cake, try Boops By the Bubble Room, located in the main Bubble Room parking lot on Captiva. It’s the place to go if you don’t want to get in the crowd of the Bubble Room, but want one of their delicious and massive cake slices or ice cream (or both!).
Most only currently offer traditional dairy ice cream, gelato and sorbet. We like the custard by The Shack. So far, though, no one offers dairy free options.
This is us, posing with our bikes on the beach
6- Biking on Sanibel and Captiva
There is a bike trail that goes from one end of the Sanibel Island to the other. If you aren’t able to score a rental car (2020 and 2021 have proven to be very difficult or very expensive for Sanibel and Captiva travelers to attain), biking is a great option for getting around the island.
The bike path is actually a shared use path, so you’ll not only be able to use it for biking, but also walking and rollerblading. You cannot use this path for golf carts or motorized vehicles though. One time, we were walking our dogs and some tourists came at us full speed ahead in their large, street-legal golf cart on this path. We flagged them down and politely told them they needed to use the road. You must drive your street-legal golf carts on the road. Try Sanibel Carts for street-legal golf cart rentals.
We love biking along the path behind Bowman’s Beach. If you bike to Bowman’s, then take a right after going over the bridge, there is a long path that branches out to the beach at various intervals. Many of the beach paths along this trail also have picnic tables to enjoy a beach side meal. Watch out for the many roots along this trail though!
There is not a bike trail (or any kind of shared-use path) on Captiva, so be careful when walking and biking there. There is also no bike trail on the Sanibel Causeway. You can bike on both, of course, just use road biking precautions. Click here for the Florida Bicycle Laws, which apply to all of Florida, including Sanibel and Captiva.
Many hotels have bikes you can use while staying on their properties. If they don’t, you can rent bikes from places like Billy’s or Finnimore’s or even Tarpon Bay. Most bike rental places will drop off the bikes and pick them up for you. Ask each place what their procedures are before renting. Bike riding on the beach is not encouraged. The SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) cautions riding on the beach due to the wildlife and the sea turtle nests.
We will sometimes walk our bikes out to the beach with us after a long trail to keep them nearby, but there are places to lock your bikes all over the island. Sanibel is quite safe, but we moved here from a larger city and always encourage people to lock their homes, doors and bikes for obvious reasons.
Here’s an example video we made for our YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden” of what biking is like on Sanibel:
Our two mini American Eskimo’s love the beach
7- Dogs on Sanibel Island
Dogs are allowed on all Sanibel and Captiva beaches if they are leashed. My two pups LOVE walking along the beach and I am grateful to live somewhere that allows them beach joy. You must clean up after your pet and the beaches, themselves, do not have dog stations with bags or trash cans, so come prepared. The public beaches do have trash facilities in the restroom area.
Dogs are welcome to be walked in all neighborhoods and along the shared use path too. I would not recommend walking your dogs (especially if they are small) in some of the heavily wooded areas. Many of the wooded areas also have lots of water and are homes to alligators and bobcats that can pop out at any time. Most are actually very scared of humans and will quickly move on, but some will stay put and have been known to hang out for a while.
Shelling on Sanibel is amazing!
8- Beaches on Sanibel and Captiva
Sanibel beaches are known for their shelling and marine life watching. We’ve loved finding so many varieties of shells over the years. We’ve spotted numerous dolphins, which especially love jumping in the waves of a passing by boat. We saw a manatee very close to the shore in the early winter of 2021. That was very cool!
We like to wear swim shoes in the ocean because it is often packed with shells. You do not need to do this, but feel free to do so. Wear lots of sunscreen (the sun here is HOT!), bring some chairs, a trash bag, an umbrella and don’t forget to fill in whatever holes you dig to protect the sea turtles.
Lighthouse beach on Sanibel Island is a public beach
If it is nesting season (May 1st to October 31st) and you leave a hole, a precious sea turtle baby could fall in it and never reach it’s ocean destination. Regardless, you should fill in all holes, especially if you’ve dug a deep one, because no one likes to trip over a hole on the beach. (I’ve done it and it’s not fun!).
*Hot Tip*: It is illegal to remove any LIVE SHELLS from the ocean and beach areas. If you spot a creature inside a shell, view it (because it will be a cool thing to see!) then throw it back into the water. Leave any octopus’, starfish, sand dollars, jelly fish, etc. in the ocean.
The water is clear sometimes. It really depends on the day. The water also varies in color. If you are in the Tarpon Bay area, it will be an amber color, or brackish. This is from freshwater and seawater combining. Most of the water along the beaches is green to blue. You can find most shells on beach, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to see the shells! They are the easiest to find in the very early morning (before sunrise), after a big storm, and after a very windy day.
There are public beaches all over Sanibel. You must pay to park at all beaches and the fees are approximately $5.00 an hour. Our favorite are the beach at the Lighhouse and Bowman’s. Each has decent parking, but if it is a holiday OR if it is March to May, plan on coming early because there won’t be anywhere to park during prime beach time.
The bridge on Bowman’s Beach is a great place to view sunsets
To pay for your beach time, simply go to the auto pay station at each beach, pay, then put the receipt in your windshield. THERE ARE WORKERS THAT WILL BE CHECKING FOR THESE RECEIPTS AND GIVING OUT TICKETS! They really do check your time too, so pay attention to the time so you can pay for more if you need it.
If you want to visit a beach for free on Sanibel, stop at the Sanibel Causeway beaches. They are the beaches located on the causeway, right after the toll booths. The parking there is currently free, but I look for that to change in the upcoming years.
If you are a resident of Sanibel, you can purchase an annual pass and park at the numerous resident beach parking spots located all over the island.
There is one public beach at the end of Captiva. It is usually packed with cars, so again, plan to come early if you want a parking spot.
For a full list of the beaches on Sanibel and Captiva with detailed information, click this link.
Coconut palms are all over Sanibel and Captiva
9- Where to Stay on Sanibel and Captiva
If you stay at a resort that is located on the beach (this was always our choice when vacationing on Sanibel), you won’t have to worry about parking. I have no preference for which hotels are best. We stayed at numerous rentals over the years and I found that a weekly condo rental on the beach was a great choice when we vacationed with family. A pool is great thing to have access to during the hotter months as the Gulf of Mexico water can become very warm and not very refreshing.
Each resort, house or condo rental, or hotel have different amenities, so check with each one before deciding what would be best for you. Some of the hotels, in my opinion, are in need of some updating, so don’t rely solely on photos when looking to book a place.
Be a researcher like me and read all the reviews. They all have beautiful grounds, but some of the rooms themselves could stand some sprucing up. There are some, however, like the condo we once rented on Southwinds Drive on Sanibel, which are gorgeous inside and out! Look to pay quite a bit to stay in the nicer, more updated venues.
Pay attention to any red tide news you may see before your visit. A slight case of it happened in early 2021 during our first year here and we did see some dead fish on the beach. It wasn’t terrible, but it was strange and a bit smelly in areas. I also wore a mask because I felt the air make my throat tickle and feel scratchy. Red tide affects people in different ways, so visit the SCCF’s website for the most updated red tide information.
Periwinkle Place has great photo opportunities
10- Shopping on Sanibel and Captiva
Of course, when you go on vacation, you must visit some of the local shops!
If you want some awesome local gifts to bring your friends and family members, there is an abundance of these shops all over Sanibel and Captiva! Some of the outdoor shopping “malls” include Periwinkle Place, Tahitian Gardens, and The Village Shops (All these location are closed as of late 2023 due to Hurricane Ian damage). Jerry’s has a few gift shops on their gorgeous tropical property and Bailey’s (when they reopen) also has some nice shops in their center as well.
There are tons of other cute little shops all over Periwinkle and around the entire Sanibel and Captiva island area, and we look for some to reopen after Hurricane Ian damages are repaired.
*HOT TIP*: Despite checking the local businesses hours on Google, I’ve shown up to shop at a few stores and they’ve been closed. If it’s between 4 and 6:00 pm, there’s a good chance the shop may already be closed so go early or call the stores for business hour information.
As of right now, not many businesses (including restaurants!) are very good at updating their hours between their websites (if they even have one), their social media sites, and Google. Some will post on their social media sites when they decide to close for a day (yes, this happens occasionally, which I find annoying, especially if I wanted their food that day, but it happens).
Modern beach house on Sanibel Island
11- Looking at Houses on Sanibel and Captiva
One thing my husband and I like to do is look at all the houses in and around Sanibel and Captiva neighborhoods. We love architecture and design, so this is a fun thing for people like us to do, especially if you are thinking about purchasing a house or condo on Sanibel or Captiva.
The beautiful, gorgeous and large beach front homes on West Gulf can be seen better from the beach, while some of the giant homes on Captiva can be seen driving along the beach. If you decide to drive through the neighborhoods, drive slowly (children live here as well as lots of wild animals) and wave at the locals when you see them!
A rainbow cloud on Sanibel Causeway
12- Driving on Sanibel and Captiva
It’s fun to drive around Sanibel and Captiva in a car (a convertible is especially fun in the fall and winter!) or a street-legal golf cart. There are no stop lights on either island. There are stop signs, crosswalks (which you MUST stop at if you see someone needing to cross…there are signs), and low speed levels.
*Hot tip*: Lower speed levels are in place for a reason and should be obeyed. We have had numerous accounts with birds and turtles crossing the roads all around the islands. Yes, the birds can fly, but many like merely walking across the road. The turtles are quite slow (or come to a complete stop) so sometimes locals will get out of their cars and gently help them along. I’ve helped numerous baby turtles cross the street in my neighborhood AND rescued them from under my car.
If you plan on driving to Sanibel from the airport, be prepared to pay a toll. There are toll booths (owned and operated by Lee County) at the entrance to Sanibel Island. The toll varies, depending on if you have a pass or not. As residents of Lee County, we have a LeeWay Pass that makes our trips onto the island $2.00.
If you do not have a pass of any kind, it is currently $9.00 (plus an admin fee) to come onto the island. If you have another pass form, it can be $6.00. Check out the LeeWay County tolls website for the most updated toll information.
As of now (November 2021), there are no people in the booths at the tolls, so just drive through the lanes and your license plate will be recorded. You should receive a bill for the fees at a later time. Ask the rental car companies if they tack on any additional admin toll fees as they have been known to do so.
You do not have to pay to exit the island; only when driving on. Sanibel and Captiva are connected by a man-made road. You do not need to pay any tolls between the two islands.
If you plan to go off island for day, there’s lots to do in the area. Fort Myers has lots of shopping, and a beach of course. Naples is about 45 minutes away, Tampa is 2 1/2 hours north and Miami is about 2 hours and 50 minutes South East of Sanibel and Captiva.
Visit the Sanibel Library for lots of free fun
13- Library on Sanibel Island
If it’s a rainy day, visit the Sanibel Library. It’s giant and gorgeous! They have lots of gaming computers, puzzles, board games, shell displays and of course, books! You can get a library card for free if you are a Lee County resident but you can also get one if you are a visitor. Visitor cards are currently $10.00 and are good for one year. You can apply online for a card by visiting the library’s website or by clicking this link. You still must go to the library to pick up your card.
Did you know you can check out passes to the Shell Museum for FREE at the library?! Each adult ticket is about $26, so if you get a library card for $10 (as a visitor), you can check out one adult Museum Pass for free. That’s a savings of around $16. If you are a resident, your museum visit will be free with your library card.
I love that you can check out laptop computers (to use in the library), reserve meeting rooms and check out cooking and baking pans (they come with cookbooks!). I also love the Lego sets you can check out! Follow them on Facebook for lots of updates.
Learn all about the shells you can find on Sanibel at the Shell Museum
14- Shell Museum on Sanibel Island
Another rainy day? Visit the Shell Museum. As I wrote in #12, you can visit for FREE with your library card. We sent my in-laws here one morning and they enjoyed it. They especially enjoyed watching the live octopus. It’s a great place to visit to help you begin to easily identify all the cool shells you will find on the beaches.
I made these shell ornaments using Sanibel shells
15- Shell Crafts and More on Sanibel
The Community House, located at 2173 Periwinkle, hosts many events. You can take yoga and aerobic classes here, shell craft lessons, and more. Kids can pick up a Shell Critter kit with their “Camps to Go” program. Learn more about this by clicking here. They’ll also ship you a kit if you’d like. Check out their website for an updated list of events.
I found these snails at Cayo Costa State Park
16- Sunset and Day Cruises on Sanibel and Captiva
There are plenty of charters that can help you explore the islands. My sister-in-law and her family went on one of Captiva Cruises sunset adventures and they loved it. We used Captiva Cruises to visit Cayo Costa State Park, a mere short ferry ride off of Captiva.
There are also cruises to Pine Island, which is a short boat trip away from Sanibel and Captiva. Pine Island is mostly an agricultural and a boating community, though plenty of people live on it. There are some cute gift shops and good restaurants there. You can also boat to Key West from the area in about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Beautiful Sanibel sunset
17- Nature Photography on Sanibel and Captiva
There is an abundance of wildlife, seascapes and landscaping waiting to be captured by any photography loving soul out there! There are bald eagles soaring through the sky around the entire area, cacti (the night blooming ones are a photographer’s dream), palms, colorful seaweed, and more.
Just be careful trying to score the best shot of the alligators, coyotes, bobcats, and snakes. Sometimes it’s best to just watch those creatures from afar. Don’t feed any of the animals to get them closer to you. It’s illegal to feed the alligators, and they also just don’t need human food. You could become their food if you start feeding them, as they become less scared of humans if you feed them.
Snowy Egret on a Sanibel beach taken by C.J. Braden
18-Best Time to Visit Sanibel and Captiva
It’s always a great time to visit Sanibel and Captiva, however, it is always busiest during spring break season. During this time, expect to sit in traffic for a bit along Periwinkle for while between 2:00 and 6:00pm from the months of March to May.
June, July, and August are a little less busy than the spring months, but can also prove to be difficult to find a rental if you don’t book early. These are also the hottest and wettest months of the year in the area. The drier months are March to May.
The slowest time on Sanibel and Captiva is during September. Some businesses and restaurants actually close for a short time in September. Early October is less crowded and still very warm. November begins cooler nights and days with highs in the 80’s and lows in the 60’s, which is perfect porch weather.
December and January has it’s share of cooler days and nights and then February starts bringing back the warmer temps. The sun shines year round, with very few cloudy or overcast days.
Try doing some beach yoga on Sanibel
19- Get Fit on Sanibel and Captiva
Even with all the outdoor fitness options (paddlboarding, kayaking, canoeing, biking, running, walking, etc.) you may still feel the need for some group fitness classes or for some weight training. There is a yoga center on Captiva that is open to visitors. Ambu Yoga is located in the South Seas Resort area and offer studio classes and beach classes. Check them out by clicking this link.
The Sanibel Health Club offers day passes for visitors or memberships for residents. They have personal training, gym equipment as well as classes. Check out their offerings by clicking this link.
As of August 2023, the Sanibel Health Club is closed due to Hurricane Ian damage.
Christmas lights on Sanibel Island
20- Christmas on Sanibel and Captiva
Christmas on Sanibel and Captiva is warm and beautiful. There are lighted palm trees and highly decorated homes and businesses, yet no snow! The first Christmas we lived here, it was 2020 and all events got cancelled. Knowing many people would miss the festive events, my husband and I made this video showcasing all the lights, which still went up! Check it out on our YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden” or see it below.
Usually, there are Christmas events, like Luminary, throughout December. It’s a festive time to eat, shop and play on the islands.
C.J. Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.