Anyone been to Sanibel Island, FL?

[EeyoreEma]

And if you have, can you tell me about it? What the best places to stay, etc are. This is one place I've really wanted to go to, but honestly know nothing about! I was talking to MIL today, and she seemed interested in the idea of a future family trip down there. I could use some beach thoughts right about now!

 

[lucas]

Here are a couple of links that might help:

Message forum like DIS (fantastic info):
http://www.voy.com/2078/

Chamber:
http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge:
http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/

Sanibel/Capitva restaurant menus:
http://www.cuisine-scene.com/pages/restaurantsancap.html

We love Sanibel and have stayed there many times. They have lots of the cutest shops and good restaurants, too. You will definitely need a car while there. And beach shoes, we always wear beach shoes when looking for shells and you have to be careful of stingrays in the water. You learn to do the Sanibel Shuffle in the water's edge to make sure there are no stingrays. Also, you'll be doing the Sanibel Stoop when searching for shells. We've always found lots and lots of shells - some really big ones, too. We enjoyed the Shell Museum (sounds corny but very interesting) and the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Here's another DIS thread on the subject:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2363573

 

[kirbydog48]

I went to Sanibel for the second time this April, and it was wonderful. It is very laid-back "old Florida". There are no highrises, not much nightlife. There are hotels, cottages and condos right on the beach. Much of the island is the Ding Darling wildlife refuge, where you can bike, kayak or take an informative tram tour and see all kinds of wildlife. The "Sanibel Thriller", a speedboat ride where you learn about the island and dolphins ride the wake of the boat, is a must-do. There's bike paths all around the island. You can also visit Captiva island, attached by a bridge. The main draw is the beach and the shells, which are amazing. Lots of nice little restaurants and shops. The best place to get info is to check out the Sanibel forum on Tripadvisor; most accomodations and restaurants are reviewed by real people. Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I've already booked my condo for next April (my son's school vacation). It's one of my favorite places on earth.

 

[deva]

I was there for the first time this April and had a great time. We stayed at Tortuga Beach Club. As PP mentioned, the big draw is the shelling, so, be warned, beaches are not smooth, powdery sand.

We rented bikes (Billy's Bike Rentals drops them right off at your resort) and rode all over the island. If you do go, I would highly recommend checking several beaches as they all offer something different. Blind Pass (where Sanibel and Captiva meet) was the clearest water. But this area is a lot less developed.

There are wildlife refuges and plenty of dolphin cruises. Lots of great restaurants and shopping and a great playground that my kids insisted on visiting every day (it is covered to keep shaded from the sun which is nice).

We will definitely visit again. I'm torn between trying Siesta Key or sticking with Sanibel again next spring break.

 

[EeyoreEma]

Thanks for the info and links. It sounds wonderful! We're not into the fast paced, nightlife type place, so this would be right up our alley. I'd heard about the wonderful shelling there, and as that is one of my favorite parts about the beach, it's been a dream to go there. I'll definitely be checking out those links!

 

[shortbun]

I like South Seas Plantation on the tip of Captiva for an upscale resort and Tween Waters about half way up Captiva for a more old Florida style.

 

[Art 1]

Yes, we like it there. Not much to do. If you like to be on the run and get bored easily sitting around it may not be the place for you.

 

[Iott Family]

I went to Sanibel for the second time this April, and it was wonderful. It is very laid-back "old Florida". There are no highrises, not much nightlife. There are hotels, cottages and condos right on the beach. Much of the island is the Ding Darling wildlife refuge, where you can bike, kayak or take an informative tram tour and see all kinds of wildlife. The "Sanibel Thriller", a speedboat ride where you learn about the island and dolphins ride the wake of the boat, is a must-do. There's bike paths all around the island. You can also visit Captiva island, attached by a bridge. The main draw is the beach and the shells, which are amazing. Lots of nice little restaurants and shops. The best place to get info is to check out the Sanibel forum on Tripadvisor; most accomodations and restaurants are reviewed by real people. Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I've already booked my condo for next April (my son's school vacation). It's one of my favorite places on earth.

I would be interested in the condo rental info...ty!!!!

 

[skater]

What's the best public beach for swimming and shelling with kids? We're doing a day trip, so will need restrooms.

 

[jbthi]

I like South Seas Plantation on the tip of Captiva for an upscale resort and Tween Waters about half way up Captiva for a more old Florida style.

I love Sanibel and Captiva both. We stay 2 weeks on Captiva each year, we own timeshare at South Seas Plantation. While I love it there I really would not recommend it for a firsttimer. The shelling is not as good on Captiva as it is on Sanibel and you are farther away from shopping, etc. While there are a couple of good restaurants on Captiva there are many more on Sanibel.

We have stayed at Tween Waters 6 or 7 times and I don't care too much for it. I don't like having to cross the road to get to the beach and I don't like the rows of umbrellas and lounges lined up on the beach.

My favorite place to shell is on West Gulf Drive, the farther west the better.
One good beach for a daytripper is probably Bowman Beach. I haven't spent much time there in several years but it used to be good. I would head east (maybe a mile) after I was on the beach for the best shelling. The lighthouse beach is supposed to have a lot of miniature shells. That is the best place to find wentletraps.

Some good restaurants are Doc Fords Rum Bar and Grille, Timbers, Sanibel Grill, Schnappers Hot Dogs and many more. I like RC Otters on Captiva.

 

[jbthi]

Another good web site is bestofsanibelcaptiva.com

There are several good topics to click on. One that should be helpful is a box on the right side that says something like Sanibel/Captiva message board.

 

[DawnCt1]

I like South Seas Plantation on the tip of Captiva for an upscale resort and Tween Waters about half way up Captiva for a more old Florida style.

I asked this same question about 15 months ago right here on this very board. A Dis'r recommended Tween Waters on Captiva and we absolutely loved it. Is it a five star resort? Nope, its a very comfortable, quaint, wonderfully located, friendly 3 star. We loved it and we would go again in a a second. Renting bikes from the hotel, biking to the bird sanctuary, driving around, enjoying the pool, the restaurants and we loved the Captiva museum of old Florida life. We only left once and that was to drive down past Naples and do an Everglades tour. Loved that too, but I was so happy to return to the peace and quiet of Captiva. For restaurants, we liked all of the ones we tried but only the Green Flash comes to mind right now.

 

[jbthi]

As I mentioned in my above post, I don't really like to stay at Tween Waters but I love their restaurant, the Old Captiva House. If you're ever there at Thanksgiving they have a wonderful dinner.

 

[kirbydog48]

You can check out VIP Vacation rentals (we used them, they were great) or Royal Shell. There are many condos for rent. Well-reviewed ones that come to mind are Ocean's Reach and Pointe Santo. There are also Mom and Pop cottages that look really cute. Seriously, tripadvisor has it all on there.

 

[meliss8599]

Just sent you a PM. DH's family has been going to Sanibel since before there was a causeway--they traveled by ferry to get there!

 

[lucas]

We stayed at Tween Waters once, but really didn't care for it. We would rather stay on the Sanibel side and not make the drive towards Captiva. The Sanibel side has a lot more restaurants and shops.

Our 2 favorite places to stay and both are right on the water:

1st choice: Signal Inn - http://www.signalinn.com/

2nd choice: Waterside Inn - http://www.watersideinn.net/

 

[Cat0727]

We stayed at Sanibel for a week in a rented condo (after a week at Disney!) and it was beautiful! Cute shops and restaurants, and of course, a great place for shelling. Lots of mosquitoes, though, so make sure you bring repellent.