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Sanibel is a popular vacation spot in Florida, particularly among avid shellers (people that are looking for sea shells).
It’s a small island off the coast of Florida near Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, without the high rises and condos of the mainland.
And today I’m going to share all the reasons I think Sanibel is worth visiting, even after the devastation of Hurricane Ian in 2022. (I have a brief section about that next).
Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.
Is Sanibel open after Hurricane Ian in 2022?
Yes! Sanibel is open to tourists after Hurricane Ian devastated the island in 2022. (It’s open as of 10/29/24).
For a while after the hurricane, Sanibel was only open to residents because there was so much damage. Plenty of businesses were lost but even more have been opening up and recovering since then.
All of the public beaches are open again and the island is up and running as best as it can be. There is still construction happening and work being done.
Quick tips for visiting Sanibel
- There is a toll bridge to get to Sanibel from Fort Myers. It’s automatic and you just get a bill in the mail later.
- If you’re driving to any of the beaches, GO EARLY! Parking is very limited and fills fast. And I mean like, before 9AM for sure.
- If you’re shelling, go at low tide and at (or even before) sunrise, with a flashlight. People are hardcore about it here.
Reasons to visit Sanibel Island, Florida
Now we’re getting to what you’re really here for, all the reasons I think Sanibel is worth visiting! Whether you’re visiting Sanibel for one day or for a week, it’ll be a good time.
It has some of the best shelling in the world (yes, WORLD)
Sanibel is one of the best places in the world to go shelling thanks to it’s east-west orientation.
Because of that, more shells are washed ashore than the typical north-south oriented beaches all along the coast of Florida (which still get plenty of shells).
This is a popular place for people to hunt for rare Junonia shells, and if you find one you just might get a story in the local paper!
We went shelling at Blind Pass and Lighthouse Beach when we were here (I liked Blind Pass more) but didn’t find anything remarkable (we also don’t really look in the water, that would help).
The whole trip that year was a bummer for finding stuff, but there were mountains of shells on the beach with small shells like augers, kitten paws, scallops, tellins, and more.
I would say this is the biggest reason to visit Sanibel, but it has plenty more to offer. If you do come for the shelling, be sure to visit the Shell Museum, too.
What to bring shelling on Sanibel
Sunscreen – If you plan on being outside, you’ll want sunscreen. I like the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch a lot AND it’s reef safe! If you’re sensitive to fragrance though, it’s not a good choice. I also like the same one but specifically for your face.
Shell bag – I got these mesh shell bags over the summer and really like them so far. I do wish they were bigger but then I’ll just use two since it came with four. Buy my shell bags here!
Shark tooth sifter – The best and easiest way to find shark teeth is with a sifter. Scoop the sand into it with the sifter below, carefully shake the sand out of it on the water, and dig through whats left. We liked this one. You can use it alone but it’s easier with two people (one to scoop, one to sift). Buy our sifter here!
Big sand scooper – The best way to get the sand into the sifter is with one of these giant scoopers. We liked this one. Buy our scooper here!
Shell scoop (for standing) – A Sand Dipper shell scoop can help you get shells that are under water if you don’t want to snorkel/swim. They can also help just on the beach so you don’t have to bend over. You can scoop the shells right up. Buy a shell scoop here.
Sun hat – I got this giant sun hat and I love it! Mine doesn’t have the lining underneath but they do have some with UPF 50+ linings. Buy my hat here.
Water bottle – It’ll be hot and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Even if it’s not hot you need to stay hydrated. A Hydro Flask will keep your water ice cold all day long.
Headlamp – This is really only necessary if you’re going shelling at the crack of dawn so you can still use your hands to pick up shells and carry your bag.
There is a wildlife refuge
Like Cape San Blas, I see Sanibel with two sides: the beach side and the bay side. The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge is on the bay side.
The refuge is open post-Ian. There is a four-mile drive through the refuge with ample opportunity to see a variety of birds and maybe manatees if you’re lucky!
There are a couple of short hiking trails in the refuge and you can also bike the scenic drive if that’s more your speed.
The drive is short but I would plan 30-60 minutes for the refuge so you have time to stop and enjoy the scenery and wildlife (if you see any!)
We didn’t see much for wildlife when we were here, and we drove through twice on separate days. We definitely saw two manatees, an osprey (Egret the osprey), and a bunch of swans but that’s about it.
It’s extremely bikeable
Sanibel can be a bit of a nightmare to drive around since it’s so small, it’s so busy, and parking is quite limited.
Thankfully it’s also an extremely bikeable place! There are bike trails all around the island and places you can rent bikes (some vacation rentals also probably include bike use).
If I was spending multiple days on Sanibel, I think bike would be my primary method of transportation.
Of course, you have to be able to bike a fairly decent number of miles in a day if you do this, especially if you’re doing the refuge, too.
The saving grace of this is that, like most of Florida, Sanibel is flat as can be. Just be cautious of drivers, and if you’re driving, be very cautious and aware of your surroundings and keep an eye out for bikes!
And it’s cute as heck
Aside from being a bit touristy (and really not in a bad way), Sanibel is cute as heck! It’s a picture perfect island without the high rises and chain stores/restaurants of other towns.
The buildings are cute, the stores are cute, the houses and restaurants are cute, it’s just cute! (I know you’ve probably never read such a well written sentence as that before).
But you get my point. Sanibel is very visually appealing (It may be slightly less at the moment because of the hurricane but it’s improving every day).
There is a cute bookstore (RIP Gene’s Books)
I need a better word for cute (I’ve said this a million times in my daily life, too, everything is cute).
But MacIntosh Books is Sanibel’s lone bookstore now and it deserves it’s own spot on this list. Not everyone would say this gets it’s own spot but I love bookstores so I say it does.
Right in the middle of the island, on Periwinkle Way, is MacIntosh Books where you’ll find books, stationary, puzzles, and more.
There used to be two other bookstores on Sanibel (Gene’s Books and Gene’s Books Too) but they, very unfortunately, weren’t able to recover after the hurricane.
It’s very beautiful
Finally, the third best reason (shells and books first and second), Sanibel is just beautiful! No, it’s not my favorite place ever, but I can’t deny that it’s beautiful.
It has pristine white beaches, beaches covered in shells, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sunrise and sunset around the island.
So, if you’ve been wondering if it’s really worth visiting Sanibel, especially after Hurricane Ian, I’m here to tell you YES!
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Have you been to Sanibel? What did you think of it? Do you think it’s worth visiting?
I lived in Florida 21 years and Sanibel Island is my very favorite place to go. I always wished I lived there. Ding Darling back then was amazing the birds so colorful! Just had to be there at the right time of the year. A must see when you are in FL.
It’s a great little island and I’d love to go back, hopefully to see more birds next time!
I just spent a week on Sanibel. I read lots before our trip and really anticipated finding these mountains of shells. After paying to park at lighthouse beach, I understand that the 10 foot berm of sand was where piles of shells were always found but evidently truck loads of sand were put there and covered all the shells recently. No shells to speak of. Met lots of shellers who were disappointed about the lack of shells. I should have known that given the mild weather, there are only good shelling after a storm.
The Big Arts art museum was one of the highlights for me. The food at Lighthouse Cafe and Cheeburger Cheeseburger were wonderful. The Blue giraffe had wonderful food but don’t go on a Thursday night because the whole place was reserved for trivia night. That isn’t advertised. Coconut shrimp was divine.
All in all a good week. Hope to go again after a storm.
Ahh that’s such a bummer there weren’t any shells! We had the big piles of them but didn’t really find anything exciting in them. I’ll have to check out the other places you mentioned next time I go, especially the art museum! I’m glad it was a good visit even with the lack of shells!