Sanibel-Is it all seashells on beach?

[The Mystery Machine]

Co-workers of DH said Sanibel would not be a good place for the DD's 4&10, because there are more seashells than sand. The place sounds relaxing but I would not want to go if the kids couldn't sit down and make sandcastles, etc.
We would be going after WDW and Dh is trying to encourage me to find something closer in St. Petersburg.
I appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have. Thanks!

 

[babslittleones]

I was there many years ago. Yes, the beach is mainly shells. You really need the water beach shoes otherwise your feet can get really sore. It is a great place to collect a ton of really pretty shells. I look forward to going back after the kids get a little older.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Sanibel, at the "light house" end does have sand on the beach. Unfortunately, there are also sand burrs that really hurt when you step on them! (They are very hard to see and really stick in your skin!). The Fort Myers Beach area may be more "kid friendly." There is plenty of sand and other things to do. (Pier, rentals, etc.). Also, in a general sense, it is more reasonably priced than Sanibel. (The restaurants, shops, parking fees, etc.).The southwest area of Florida is well worth visiting and if you take an alternate route (other than I-4 to 75) can be fairly quick to reach. From WDW, 192 west to 27 south to 17 south to 31 south will put you in Fort Myers in aprox. 2 1/2 hours. Hope this helps some! Have fun on your vacation! º0º

 

[honeymom]

I personally love Sanibel. I don't remember needing beach shoes (we stayed around the middle of the island) and there was tons of sand for sandcastles. We were there with a 2 year old who had a great time and we're planning a combo Disney/Sanibel trip for June.

 

[jesse]

We were just in Sannibel this Jan. with our 5 and 8 year old. We built a sandcastle with a courtyard so big the kids could sit inside it. The shells are thick right where the surf rolls up, although we did do some barefoot walking, but yes I would recomend beach shoes. In front of our hotel (on the east end) there was a long expanse of white sand that my daughter compared to walking in flour. Our kids LOVED Sanibel and they suggested skipping WDW next year so we can do 10 days at Sanibel Island instead. I think what set Sannibel apart from other beach destinations is that there are no highrises, no neon, very few chain restaurants, mini-golf, or endless t-shirt shacks. There are nice bike paths and nature reserves, and the island is very tropical looking. That being said, St. Petersburg is also a nice beach, or you may want to look into Fort Myers beach, it's close to Sannibel if you want to visit, but appears to be a more traditional beach.

 

[lynniepooh]

I was there about 15 years ago and I don't remember having any problems with too many shells/not enough sand. There are a lot of beautiful shells but plenty of sand to enjoy also!

 

[normr]

The beaches aren't as bad as people are saying, I think the kids will have a great time finding some real beautiful shells, you can try the beautiful Captiva beaches too

 

[FINFAN]

We took our DD there when she was just 2 for her first trip to Fl. and she had a ball! Kept calling it "Sand-i-bell". I guess that's a good indication that she liked the sand! The shells aren't as plentiful as years back, too many people taking them for souvie's, but still absolutely beautiful! Washrooms are near the lighthouse beach area, and if you're lucky you'll see some playful dolphins in a.m. and dusk, also many little fishies for kids to enjoy. We are not visiting the beaches this year but now I wish we were! Have a blast!

 

[Threehearts]

Compared to most other beach vacations we found the "sand" around our waterfront resort to be primarily made up of partially crushed shells. There was also a lot of discussion about not taking any found shells from the beach as they were essential to preserving the ecosystem there. We did not see very many shell that were in one piece and would defintely recommend water shoes. In general, I thought Sanibel was lovely and our resort had an all-day kid's club, at least 4 or 5 pools and was directly on the beach on Sanibel Island. There are many nice restaurants and everyone we met was very friendly. I would go back again.

 

[mainey-mouse]

Hi,

We're spending 4 days in St. Petes before going to WDW. I'd like to go out to Sanibel while we're there.
How do you get to Sanibel from St. Petes, and about how long is the drive time?

tkx

 

[honeymom]

The only restrictions on taking the shells are that you cannot take any that are alive or have a live creature in them. I carefully inspected my shells and put any live shells back in the water. There were still hundreds, if not thousands or beautiful ones that were fine to take.

 

[dvc_john]

To get to Sanibel from St. Petersburg:

Take I-275 south (across the Sunshine Skyway bridge) to I-75 south.
Continue past Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, and Ft Myers.
Exit at the Daniels road exit (SW Florida Regional airport), and go west.
From there, there are a couple of options to the beaches (just follow the signs). Eventually, you'll turn left on Summerlin Rd, which will take you directly on to Sanibel.
Total time, maybe 2 and 1/2 hours (??).

 

[angnkevnfla]

We live about 15 mins from Sanibel/Captiva and frequent there alot!!! Sanibel is our fave....our kids 7 and 4 love it....plenty of sand of build mega-sand castles and many shells to be discovered. My kids are pretty tender-footed so they wear water shoes. Sanibel is more relaxed and less commercialized then say Ft Myers Beach. Now I didn't say less crowed! LOL Plan on getting to either place EARLY if you want a good spot.

And most definitely, do not overlook SW Florida. It is unlike any other part of Florida. We are so pleased to have our lil slice of Paradise here

 

[Kay1]

You are so lucky to live so close to Sanibel. We live near St. Petersburg and visit two or three times a year. We were just there at the campground this past weekend. Our neighbor's toothpaste was eaten by a gator! If you haven't visited the little zoo at Periwinkle Campground, you should - it's very sweet.

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

How cool. My best friend is getting married in Sanibel on the beach this November. We will be traveling down for the weekend, but can't stay long. It figures this is the first time in 13 years my family is going to Florida, and one month later, we "have" to come back. We're going to WDW in October and then the wedding in November.

 

[pixie dust gal!]

May I make a suggestion? Our favorite beach is Caladesi Island. It is voted top 5 beaches in the US. You take a private ferry over to the island and they only allow so many people on the island at once - making it very secluded and quiet. You don't have to worry about the kids taking a walk because you can pick them out amongst the people because there are no crowds! It is on the gulf side so not many waves and we pack a lunch, cooler and stay for the morning. It is so beautiful and peaceful and IMMACULATE!

Sanibel is beautiful too - but I prefer Caladesi. Do a search and read about it.

Hope this helps!

 

[CPM]

I live about 2 miles from Sanibel & take my kids 4 & 13 there all the time. There are a few beaches you can go to, our favorite is Bowmans beach which is on the far end of the island almost to Captiva, there are lots of shells but kids love them, there is also lots of sand to make sand castles & some days plenty of dolphins swimming around to watch. It's a beautiful island and there are many family resorts on it with tons of activities for kids. There is also a nature preserve called Ding Darling that has tours, you can see all kids of wildlife including alligators, the shell museum is also a great place to take the kids.
You can also drive over to Fort Myers beach for a day, and there's plenty of shopping!!
I think you'll really enjoy it!
Happy Vacation!!

 

[awdwnut]

Hi CMP,

I have a question for you. We are looking for a nice Hotel on Fort Myers beach( we will be going there for three days after WDW, could you recommend one for around $100.00 or less? Also is the best way to get there from WDW "by taking192 west to 27 south to 17 south to 31 south"?

Thanks a bunch!!!!

awdwnut

 

[CPM]

Well, as far as prices, I'm out of the loop & it depends on what time of year you go. Thanksgiving until Easter will be the most expensive. We like the Diamond Head all suites resort the best(we always stayed here before we moved to FM) there is also a nice Holiday Inn & a Ramada Inn right on the beach. Be careful there are some seedy hotels, stay clear of the Lani Kai!!! Check out the West Coast of Florida AOL travel boards there are always updates on hotels.
As far as taking the route you mentioned, yes, it is closer mileage wise but it takes longer, I find it easier & quicker to take I-4 to 75, just try not to go through Tampa during rush hour, it should take about 3 hours to get to FMB.
Have a great time!! Any other questions feel free to ask!

 

[awdwnut]

Hi CPM,I did it!!


I just booked an "ocean front suite" at the Diamond Head resort on Fort Myers Beach for $105.00 a night. Thank you so much for your help.


awdwnut:bounce