10 Things to Do in Sanibel Island

Bowman's Beach is one of the most popular spots on the island thanks to its soft sands and clear waters, along with some pleasant picnic areas. You'll find something particularly unique about this beach, however, as it's home to curious and unusual shells.

If you want to gather the best ones, you'll want to stand a bit out into the water, to the point it's about waist high, and then dig your feet into the sand to reveal buried shells. Just remember to wear water shoes to keep the bottoms of your feet safe from the sharp edges.

Head to the neighbouring Captiva Island from Sansibel Island, and you can enjoy all sorts of outdoor adventures. You'll find miles of sandy beaches, hiking trails, biking paths, and even birdwatching opportunities. The wildlife is also fascinating here as you may find oddly giant frogs and adorably tiny starfish along the shore resting in the sand.

Other than the natural beauty, you'll find delicious seafood restaurants on the island and quite a few fishing opportunities along with all the equipment you need to go fishing in style.

Periwinkle Way is the primary road through Sanibel Island, so you'll find all sorts of attractions along this path. In fact, it'd be more difficult to avoid Periwinkle Way during your trip to Sanibel rather than finding something to do off this road. You'll find numerous shopping opportunities with plenty of stores around offering clothes, souvenirs, and even jewellery.

The scenery along the street is notably picturesque, with vibrant palm trees an especially common feature. Considering the lack of vehicle traffic at most points during the day, it's also a top destination for biking.

Blind Pass Beach is the perfect destination to relax in the sand and watch the sunset as the shore here faces to the west. As with most of the beaches on Sanibel Island, it's got beautiful white sand and clear waters. While it's not the most popular beach in town, that makes it perfect for a romantic evening with few distractions.

The water can be refreshing here, but be wary of rip currents as they can be fairly intense. Because of this, it's not the best place to take children or inexperienced ocean swimmers into the water.

At the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, you'll find a massive collection of fascinating seashells and extensive information on conchology and malacology across 34 exhibits. While Sanibel Island has plenty of fascinating shells on its own, the collection at this museum sources shells from all over the world such as Jeffreys Bay in Africa and the Sulu Archipelago.

Not only are you able to peruse the museum itself, but there are naturalists on staff who can take you on beach walks to identify shells and mollusks in the wild. The museum is more than just a pretty collection, too, and features information on how shells have been used in the past.

At the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, you'll find a diverse population of species amongst its 5,200 acres. The flora here consists primarily of mangrove, which is in large part why the refuge exists in the first place as mangrove ecosystems are frequently in need of protection.

The fauna, on the other hand, mostly consists of birds. Migratory bird populations are incredibly diverse, so birdwatching is a popular activity here. Plus, you can see bobcats, otters, and rabbits as well.

Sanibel Lighthouse is an icon along the island's shore that's been around since 1884. While it towers at an impressive 98 ft above sea level, you can't actually enter the lighthouse yourself, so you can't enjoy the view from that height. However, you're welcome to explore the grounds to see its iron skeleton and surrounding scenery.

Also known as the Point Ybel Light, the lighthouse has a distinctive design and was one of the first such structures to be built on the Florida coast north of Key West. It's so iconic and historically significant that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, making it a worthwhile visit for any traveller on Sanibel Island.

The Sanibel Causeway is the path that connects Sanibel Island to the Florida mainland, so you won't have much of a choice but to visit it at some point. Given its impressive construction and aesthetic magnificence, it's important to take a moment and appreciate the impressive accomplishment of human engineering.

The causeway runs for around 3 miles, crossing a massive body of water. Its construction cut off a section of land from the island. These bits of land are now known as the Causeway Islands and offer a nice refuge with public beaches.

Sansibel Island Farmers Market is great for anyone looking for fresh produce and a variety of other locally grown and crafted items. Here, you'll find bread, seafood, and even flowers for sale at very reasonable rates.

One of the most notable aspects of this market is that the sheer variety of options on offer creates a vibrant array of colours. Be sure to check out the fresh smoothies as well, as they can be incredibly satisfying after spending time in the Florida sun.