Get more information about things to see and do in and around Sanibel!
Pick up fresh fruit in Fort Myers on your way to Sanibel!
Sun Harvest Citrus is on the drive from the airport and I-75 (see directions) and provides a variety of Indian River oranges, tangerines and grapefruit to locals, visitors and mail order customers. Located at 14601 Six Mile Cypress and Metro Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33912, the retail store also sells baked goods and soft serve ice cream. (www.SunHarvestCitrus.com)
Photo courtesy Sun Harvest Citrus
Play golf at one of Sanibel’s beautiful golf courses.
Two golf courses are open to Sanibel visitors: The Dunes Golf and Tennis has an award-winning course designed by PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber within a stunning wildlife preserve (www.dunesgolfsanibel.com).
The Sanibel Island Golf Club describes its course as an “18-hole layout lush with indigenous wildlife perfect for the player of any skill or ability level.” (www.sanibelislandgc.com)
Photo courtesy of golfvacationinsider.com
Enjoy the world-famous J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge has over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, marshes and dense stands of broad-leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation (called a “hardwood hammock”) in Sanibel. It is world famous as a habitat to over 245 species of birds. Drive, bike, hike or kayak through this pristine wildlife habitat. (www.fws.gov/refuge/jn_ding_darling/)
Photo courtesy Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
After seeing Sanibel’s birds in their habitat at Ding Darling Refuge, visit CROW.
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW.) is just down the street from the Ding Darling entrance. A teaching hospital and visitor education center, CROW will give you a behind-the-scenes view of Sanibel’s animal care through interactive displays and daily presentations by staff and volunteers. (www.crowclinic.org)
Photo courtesy of CROW
Visit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.
This is the only U.S. museum devoted just to shells. Visit the museum’s exhibits and hear its world-renowned malacologist (mullosk scientist) and two marine biologists inform and educate about Sanibel Island shells and the mullosks that make them. (www.shellmuseum.org)
Photo courtesy of Maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com
Love to fish? Sanibel offers many options.
There are several good fishing charters available on Sanibel. A couple favorites include charters with Captain Dave Andrews (www.daveandrewsfishing.com) or Captain Brandt Symes of Sanibel Custom Charters (www.sanibelcustomcharters.com). Both men are professional fishing guides who offer full and half-day fishing charters as well as shelling trips.
Photo courtesy daveandrewsfishing.com
Prefer sailing, parasailing or the latest sensation, flyboarding?
YOLO Watersports on Captiva will rent you a 14-foot catamaran and also offers parasailing for up to three people in the parachute at once. In addition, you can go flyboarding and hover above the waters of Captiva. (www.yolowatersports.com; 239-472-9656)
If you prefer to go for a half-day or full-day sail on a larger sailboat, New Moon Sailing on Captiva offers cruises in Pine Island Sound or the Gulf of Mexico on its 39-foot sloop, “New Moon.” Bring food and drinks (they supply ice and water), and watch dolphins jump in the boat’s wake, or sail to a nearby island for snorkeling and sunbathing. New Moon also offers sailing lessons for all ages! (newmoonsailing.com; 239-395-1782)
Photos courtesy of YOLO Water Sports and New Moon Sailing
Or, take a cruise to see wildlife, beautiful sunsets, or ancient Calusa artifacts.
Take a sunset cruise, a wildlife cruise, a lunch cruise, a beach and shelling cruise, a cruise to tour an archeological and historic site revealing pre-Columbian Mounds built by the ancient Calusa Indians, or a cruise to a quaint seaside village with restaurants, art galleries and unique shops on Gasparilla Island.
These are just a few of the cruises offered by Captiva Cruises on their four boats: a 65-foot ferry boat, “Lady Chadwick;” a 40-foot sailing catamaran, “Adventure;” and two 45-foot motorized catamarans. The choices are fun for couples as well as families, and reveal more interesting spots to visit in Pine Island Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. (www.captivacruises.com; 239-472-5300)
Photo courtesy Captiva Cruises
Enjoy shopping and great restaurants.
Take a break from the beach and wander the shops of Sanibel along Periwinkle Way. You’ll find all sorts of interesting and unique gifts to help remember your stay. Stop for lunch at one of Sanibel’s popular restaurants, or enjoy an evening dining experience. There are wonderful places to dine all around Sanibel; for a list of Sanibel and Captiva restaurants, with Carol and Bill’s comments about many of them click on this link (and click the “back one page” arrow to return to this page). Have kids? Find the restaurants that bring children’s meals in a souvenir frisbee! Or stop in at Bailey’s General Store (www.baileys-sanibel.com) or Jerry’s Foods Sanibel – which also serves great family meals and nightly specials (www.jerrysfoods.com), and pick up something to put on the grill. Both grocery stores take on-line orders and will deliver!
Photo courtesy of Maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com
Learn a little Sanibel history at the Sanibel Historical Museum and the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Enjoy the stories of Sanibel’s history told by volunteer docents at the Historical Village, where seven historic buildings were relocated from their original sites and restored the Historical Village. (www.sanibelmuseum.org), or go photograph the 98-foot historic Sanibel Lighthouse at 112 Periwinkle way.
Photo courtesy Maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com
See the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, just 22 miles from Pointe Santo.
This historic property, at 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, 33901, is situated on the Caloosahatchee River and features beautiful gardens — including the award-winning Moonlight Garden; the Edison Ford Museum with hundreds of inventions; Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory in which he tested 17,000 plants looking for a native source to produce rubber; “Seminole Lodge” — Thomas Edison’s winter home; and “The Mangoes” — Henry Ford’s winter retreat. (www.edisonfordwinterestates.org)
Photo courtesy of Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Hurry back to Pointe Santo’s beach and a memorable sunset!
There is nothing more fantastic than a gorgeous sunset on the beach at Pointe Santo. Bring your soft drink or cocktail and visit with other Pointe Santo guests — or enjoy a special moment with a loved one — while watching the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico.