The Chamber of commerce offers a wealth of information
about shopping during your stay on the island.
www.sanibel-island.sanibel-captiva.org
Shopping on Sanibel Island starts with “Shop on Sanibel”
Visit their website and explore all four of the conveniently
located centers located on and just off Periwinkle Way.
634 N. Yachtsman Drive
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-2723
15041 Captiva Drive
Captiva Island 33924
(239) 472-520
1100 Parview Drive
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-2626
949 Sandcastle Road
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-3355
(239) 472-5934 (FAX)
Located 1 Mile Before The Sanibel Causeway Toll. All cruises
and tours depart from “G” dock at Port Sanibel Marina.
(Look for the yellow flags.)
14341 Port Comfort Road
Fort Myers, FL 33908
(239)472-8443
634 N. Yachtsman Drive
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-2531
Captiva Island 33924
(239) 472-2628
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 410-7123
1 Wildlife Drive
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-1100
1155 Buttonwood Lane
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-3308
1155 Buttonwood Lane
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-3308
Captiva Island 33924
(239) 472-5300
(239) 472-6405 (FAX)
P.O. Box 1302
Captiva Island 33924
(239) 466-3649
(239) 472-4779
(239) 472-1559
900 Tarpon Bay Road
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-8900
Sanibel Island 33957
(800) 304-9432
For one of the best island tours, hop on a bicycle. Sanibels well-maintained bike paths cover 25 miles of shopping districts and back roads, and they meander through friendly neighborhoods, beneath shady tree canopies, across wooden bridges and along quiet waterways. Biking on Sanibel is fun for the entire family. By bike is the most intimate way to get to know Sanibel Island. (Captiva’s narrow, twisty roads make biking risky.) Twenty-five miles of paved bike paths take you almost anywhere you want to go. They lead to shops, restaurants, points of interest, wildlife centers and beaches.
Many island resorts, hotels and motels have bicycles for guest use, plus there are public bike rental facilities on both islands. (In addition to solo bikes, they rent helmets and kiddy trailers.)
Follow these easy rules of the road for maximum enjoyment:
Rabbit Road Trail. The Rabbit Road bike path runs behind homes and along a canal. If you go biking early in the morning, you’re likely to see plenty of the small gray marsh rabbits that give the road its name. Wading herons and alligator snouts are other common sightings along the quiet one-mile stretch between West Gulf Drive and Sanibel-Captiva Road. Near its intersection with the Sanibel-Captiva Road path, you’ll find a drinking fountain.
Wildlife Drive. Paved with shell and hard-packed sand, this biking route is a bit rough, especially for skinny tired bikes. It’s a four mile loop around J.N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, ending three miles north of the starting point on Sanibel-Captiva Road. Along the way, you can stop and hike into the refuge on short trails or climb the bird observation tower. Avoid the road at sunset, when abundant car traffic will kick up dust. Bicyclists must pay $1.00 per person over the age of 16, (free for children 15 years and under), to enter the refuge Wildlife Drive.
Dixie Beach Road. This long, straight, easy stretch of 1.5 miles takes you from Periwinkle Way, near Heart of the Islands shopping center, to San Carlos Bay. Where the road meets the bay, you can turn right and gaze at beautiful bayfront homes, or turn left and follow a contorted shell road to an undiscovered place where old island collides with new.
Middle Gulf Cemetery Route. East of Casa Ybel Road, the Middle Gulf Drive bike path leaves the roadside and takes you into backwoods. Here you’ll find Sanibel’s pioneer cemetery, which is not accessible by car. The path continues over the river and off-road to the beach at Gulfside Park.
Bailey Road-Dunes Circle. Bailey Road leaves Periwinkle Way just west of the causeway and leads to the bay. If you turn left on Sandcastle Road, you can circle around the neighborhood of the Dunes and its lushly landscaped, lovely homes. Continue along the 2.5 mile bike loop and you’ll eventually pass the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club and return to where you began. Across from the Dunes exit, an evacuation trail takes a short cut to Sanibel-Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce and Causeway Road. For an add-on to this biking route, look for a bike path across from the golf club entrance that will take you to Bay Road and an exclusive waterfront neighborhood.
1041 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-1618
359 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-6996
2025 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-2002
2340 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel Island 33957
(239) 472-8485
Sanibel Shelling Can’t Be BeatSanibel is one of the unique barrier islands of the world, having an east-west orientation when most islands are north south. Hence, the island is gifted with great sandy beaches and an abundance of shells.
Low tide will yield the best results on any given day. The best times of the year to shell are after winter storms and tropical disturbances. When winds and waves stir up the Gulf of Mexico shelling can uncover all sorts of seashore surprises. Shellers on Sanibel and Captiva sometimes shell at night for the best opportunity.
The islands rank tops in the world for their shelling because of geography. The east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end acts like a shovel scooping up all the sea shells that the Gulf imports from Caribbean and other southern seas. People come from all over the world, drawn by the great variety of shells. Get up early and get them before some one else does.
Shell Island Beach ClubAt the tip of the island, close to the historic Sanibel lighthouse, Shell Island Beach Club overlooks the Gulf of Mexico from a premier vantage point on the beach. Walk along a pristine white beach collecting seashells. Enjoy a bicycle ride, a swim, a little snorkling … and at day’s end, take a beachside seat and watch one of Florida’s famous sunsets.
Sanibel Beach Club II