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Sanibel and Captiva - 2 very special islands

If I had a week to spend anywhere in Florida with my family and had to choose one area, I would choose Sanibel and Captiva, two "sister" islands west of Ft. Myers, Florida. These islands are very special places and have so much to offer. Sanibel makes a powerful statement about itself by setting aside nearly one-third of the island as a wildlife preserve. Sanibel is a large island--twelve miles long and, in some places, three miles wide. Captiva is a separate island, just north of Sanibel, and is about five miles long and much narrower than Sanibel. North Captiva is another, separate island north of Captiva that can be reached only by boat or airplane.

Nature is Everywhere

There are no tall condominiums on these islands, no fast food chains, no large discount shopping centers or malls. Development has been strictly controlled. Even in the areas with shopping and restaurants, on Periwinkle Way, plenty of green space has been left and the foliage is beautiful.

There are grocery and other food stores on the island, including a health-food store. There are 5 gas stations on Sanibel, including Amoco, Hess, and Shell. Excellent medical care is available on the island. An outstanding selection of restaurants is available, and island artists are well represented in the many art and craft shops. If you need something to read or want to know more about the island and its history, of course stop by MacIntosh Books, an island landmark.

Easy Access to the Islands

Despite the fact that Sanibel and Captiva are located three miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, the 3 bridges and long causeway (built in 1963) that connects them to Ft. Myers make access easy. The islands are so popular between January and April that traffic can be very congested and slow. But between May and December, life and traffic on the islands are much slower. In fact, in August and September, the islands are very quiet and traffic is extremely light.

Everyone wants the Sanibel Lifestyle

Sanibel's "permanent" residents are mostly wealthy retirees who only live on the island from November through April. Because they are affluent, and because the demand for second homes located on the beach in Florida is so high, home prices in Sanibel are generally in the half-million dollar range and above. On Captiva the prices are even higher. Still, there is a small population of families and long-time residents who grew up on Sanibel. There are schools here and activities for children. I really envy anyone who had the chance to grow up on Sanibel.

Sanibel and Captiva are the most romantic places on the Gulf coast to have a wedding and honeymoon. No question about that. Beachfront accommodations can be pricey, but you can find some good prices off the beach, especially during the summer and fall.

What to Do on Sanibel?

By far the largest attractions on Sanibel are the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, the beaches, and the water in general for boating and fishing.

Things to do on Sanibel:

• Take a bike tour of the Island.

• Take a long walk around different parts of the island.

• Visit places of historical interest (and I don't mean War monuments--none of those here!).

• See a show at the Schoolhouse Theater

• Visit the bookstores.

• See a different beach each day (but don't miss Bowman's Beach)

• Visit the shell museum

• Go shelling

• Visit a different art gallery every day

• Go out on a fishing charter

• Rent a kayak or take a guided kayak tour in the wildlife refuge

• Take a tour boat to Cayo Costa Island State Park and Cabbage Key

• Spend a day doing nothing except maybe hanging at the beach

• Have a picnic

• Be sure to see the sunset every day (Blind Pass is a great sunset spot)

• Get up early for at least one sunrise and go for a long walk, then go out for breakfast!

Get the idea? Plenty to do, lots to see. You'll hate to leave.

PARKING FEES ON SANIBEL / CAPTIVA: Parking Fees on Sanibel Island beaches are now $2.00 per hour. That's right, PER HOUR! The parking meters are now accepting credit cards! Parking at the beaches is FREE after 7pm. The bridge toll is $6.00 for cars. A new bridge is now under construction (the old bridge is 40 years old).

Aerial photos of the new tall bridges to Sanibel
These are great aerial shots of the new bridges
showing the entire causeway, the water, Sanibel Island
and each bridge. The project nears completion.

Live web cam on Captiva
View from 'Tween Waters Inn
(requires Axis Active X software download to view)

Another live web cam on Captiva
View from the Mucky Duck Restaurant
on Andy Rosse Lane

Holiday Inn Sanibel Live Web Cam
View of coconut palms and the Gulf of Mexico. Nice!

www.sanibelcamping.com
For information on Sanibel camping,
this site is the only game in town.

www.mysanibel.com
City of Sanibel website. Unusually useful,
considering it is a local government website.

MacIntosh Books & Paper.
Stop by and pick up a copy of
my book on Florida Beaches!

www.jerrysfoods.com
Jerry's will deliver your groceries
to you upon your arrival on the island!

www.bestofsanibelcaptiva.com
This site is a MUST if you are seriously
interested in Sanibel and Captiva!
Comprehensive and updated information.

http://forum.bestofsanibelcaptiva.com/ 
A message board for dreamers and doers,
sponsored by BestofSanibelCaptiva.com. 
What a great resource!

At left is Algier's Beach (Gulfside City Park) on Sanibel Island. It is so wide and flat that it looks more like an Atlantic coast beach like Daytona than a Gulf coast beach. This part of Sanibel faces south, toward San Carlos Bay, so doesn't have the Gulf surf constantly eroding the beach.

Down the road from Algier's beach is an access at Tarpon road, below. Walking over this wooden walkover through the trees puts you in the right mood for a relaxing day or evening at the beach. This photo was taken before Hurricane Charlie came through. Many of the trees were blown down, so this walkway is no longer as shady, at least for a while.

At left is the beach at the Tarpon road access. This photo was taken on a really low spring tide. There are a few condominiums along the beach here, but as you can see they are not very tall and are lushly landscaped. Sanibel and Captiva Islands do not allow tall buildings. Sanibel is a very civilized island where nature is highly valued and an attempt is made to make people and animals more important than cars.

A couple carries their beach gear down the trail to Bowman's Beach. Bowman's is without question the best remote and secluded beach on the lower west coast of peninsular Florida. It has excellent  parking, O.K. restroom facilities, hiking trails, picnic tables, and a very long beach with no buildings for quite a distance. There are no food concessions, lifeguards,  or beach accessory rentals here. Bring your own stuff. Dogs are allowed on a leash. This photo was taken before Hurricane Charlie. The tall Australian Pines are now gone. There is no shade in the picnic area now. (See photos further down the page.)

Self-portrait on Bowman's Beach. Notice, no buildings, lots of white powdery sand, and a healthy dune field. If you are really observant and somewhat familiar with the islands here, you will notice that the sun is behind me, which indicates I'm facing in an easterly direction looking down the beach. On all other islands in southwest Florida, if I were facing down the beach like this with the Gulf to my right, I would be facing due south. Much of Sanibel is oriented in an east-west direction, which puts many of the beaches facing south instead of west. This becomes very obvious at sunset. I am accustomed to the sun setting over the Gulf right in front of me as I'm facing the water. Here, the sunset was way off to my right as I faced the water.

Moonrise over Bowman's Beach. What a beautiful evening it was!

Just north of  Sanibel is Captiva. Here is the beach at Captiva, right in front of the South Seas resort, hence the tidy blue beach umbrellas all in rows. In the distance is North Captiva, accessible only by boat. This is the northern end of the Sanibel-Captiva "chain" and this part of the island runs north-south, so the beach here faces west, toward the sunset. Captiva is a beautiful island, but is largely owned by the South Seas resort. The spot where I'm standing to take this photo is really as far north as you can go on the public roads. The rest is resort-owned. That doesn't stop your two feet from taking you as far up the beach as you want to go. Perfect territory for a little kayak adventure.

Sanibel Sunrise

Probably not many people are up early enough to see the sunrise while on vacation. Others don't want to miss a minute of the day. Here is a beautiful July sunrise on Sanibel.

Photo by Maria F., Fayetteville, GA