Location: Sanibel Island
Top Things to do in Sanibel Island
10 Nature & Parks in Sanibel Island That You Shouldn't Miss
Most vacation spots are either relaxing (Tahiti) or family-friendly (Orlando). Sanibel Island, however, is that rare place which is both. Spend a quiet afternoon shell-collecting, or find a hotel with a kids' program so you can enjoy a trip to the spa or a round of golf.
Restaurants in Sanibel Island
1. Sanibel Community Playground
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By thehappydane - Elma, United States
Our grandson loved stopping here. We biked here and also dropped in when driving past. We used it to burn off some energy before the drive home.
2. J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,185 reviews
Established in 1945, this wildlife refuge occupies one-third of Sanibel Island and is a prime spot for bird watching. Fees are required for Wildlife Drive, which is open everyday but is closed on Fridays, gate times vary. The best way to plan your visit is to stop in the informative FREE visitor center first which is open daily 9am-4pm. Then begin your adventure with many activities including the wildlife drive, tram tour, kayaking, fishing opportunities, picnic benches, and even a free scavenger hunt style game and wildlife spotting app (Discover Ding) if you prefer a self-guided tour.
Reviewed By michiales - North Fort Myers, United States
Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge is home to a large number of wildlife, including roseate spoonbills, anhinga, pelicans, herons, egrets, anoles, otter, alligators... it's a must-see for anyone visiting the island!
3. Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 142 reviews
Reviewed By cjustinproctor - Ithaca, United States
SCCF fulfills their mission of conservation beyond any other foundation that I know of. Their dedication to protecting lands and wildlife while serving their community is admirable, and every trip to Sanibel should include a visit to any of their preserve land open to the public as well as the Bailey Homestead,
4. Bowman's Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,042 reviews
Reviewed By Markclo1 - San Antonio, United States
Our family has been coming here for the last decade and its just beautiful here. Bowman is a wonderful beach, beautiful white sand, awesome blue ocean. There is tonnes of space on this beach. They have great facilities as well, only downside is that its a long walk from the parking lot to the beach, only a problem if you have small children like us. There is a park which are kids enjoyed too, we saw turtles, everywhere is very clean. I dont mind paying for parking when the facilities are well maintained like this. There is no doubt that red tide has had an impact on the wildlife in South West Florida, there seem to be less birds and fish than previous years, we are seeing that everywhere
5. Great Calusa Blueway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
6. Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 429 reviews
Established in 1968, CROW is one of the nation's leading wildlife rehabilitation hospitals for Florida's native and migratory wildlife. A non-profit veterinary hospital, CROW provides medical care for more than 200 species and about 3,500 injured, sick and orphaned wildlife patients every year, with the goal of returning them to their natural habitat. CROW provides educational opportunities for students from across the United States and other nations to participate in wildlife rehabilitation process while introducing them to conservation medicine. Although the Hospital and its patients are not open to the public, CROW does provide a Visitor Education Center with interactive exhibits for all ages and live feed cameras of the Hospital intake room and patient enclosures. “Wildlife Walk” Guided Hospital Tours are offered for a chance to go “behind-the-scenes” and see the veterinarians in action. Registration in advance for the tours is required, please see website for available dates.
Reviewed By 214tinar
Our party visited Dec 2019. We had an hour long presentation about snakes with an ambassador Indigo snake who was quite feisty. After being told some crucial differences between venomous and non venomous snakes we felt a little more confident about how to deal with one in the wild. After an excellent talk we were shown to the clinic. An injured pelican arrived while we were there and was examined and X rayed (we could see into the examination room through a window). Once the examinations and treatments of the emergency patients were over we had a walk through so we could see how the patient areas are organised. The animal ambassadors are the ones that interact with visitors - there was an American Kestrel ambassador in one of the rooms keeping an eye on us. The patients are not photographed and don't interact with visitors - which is reasonable given that they are patients not exhibits. This is an exceptional clinic - doing some great work for injured animals - including those poisoned by red tide. Good to know that the modest fee for our tour goes towards supporting the work here.
7. Sanibel Moorings Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 240 reviews
The Botanical Gardens of Sanibel Moorings Resort are overflowing with 6 acres of mature and unusual tropical flora and fauna. A must see for plant lovers and Garden Clubs! Guided 90 minute tours every Wednesday at 9am,reservations required. Check in at the office after parking in a GUEST parking space.
Reviewed By toddf30
We made a special visit to the Moorings for this botanical gardens. On Wednesday mornings they have tours - and it was a delight! So much variety - with special varieties for the butterflies. Sandra Dee was our guide and her knowledge was broad and deep. She talked about the preservation efforts, for. Our flora and fauna. There was just us - so we got extra attention and answers to our questions. We felt like we were waking with a friend! This is a hidden gem, unknown to many - but known to plant people and botanist. Be sure to check it out! It will round out your visit to the island. I'll add photos later - they aren't on my phone!
8. Gulfside City Park Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 269 reviews
Reviewed By invertpaleo - New York City, United States
Try to visit this beach during a big early-morning minus tide. You will be amazed how much sea life is visible in the lagoons that are revealed once the tide has gone all the way out. The plants on the upper beach platform are also very interesting.
9. Blind Pass Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 807 reviews
Reviewed By jennabe317 - Columbus, United States
We absolutely love Blind Pass and make sure to stop here every time we're in town. It's very clean and great for shelling! We were just in town (June 2019) and found several great shells, saw sting rays and even a Horseshoe Crab. So many great memories have been made here. We look forward to coming back again soon!
10. In The Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
In The Garden is a Native and Exotic Plant Nursery nestled inside of our beautiful outdoor showroom that transitions through many different landscaping themes. Come enjoy our wonderful outdoor spaces or visit us for ideas and gardening advice you can use at home.
Reviewed By Sarahleboeuf - Concord, United States
I stopped by here over a year ago and spent half the day perusing the garden center. My 10yr old son loved catching lizards and exploring. The man who manages the place is so humble you would never know he designs, plans and builds gardens for millionaires and famous people and is a extremely highly educated gardener with tons of degrees and certifications in horticulture, he even worked in the royal gardens in England. He has some great stories to tell and is very generous, he gave me a couple cuttings of plants that I wanted but couldn’t fly home with. He is also a very talented photographer and took a couple photos of my son and I. This is by far the most amazing garden center I’ve ever been to and the selection is incredible. I wish I remembered the managers name- he is such a wealth of information, so easy to talk to and let me pick his brain about all my plant problems and dilemmas. When I visit the island, this is one of my favorite places to stop,
