Location: Sanibel Island
Top Things to do in Sanibel Island
Top 6 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Sanibel Island, Florida (FL)
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. 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!
2. 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,
3. 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.
4. 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,
5. Pond Apple Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By Capture_The_Light
A fascinating combination of the wading birds in the three quite large reclamation ponds and the gators creates an always interesting visit. If you want wading birds when the tides are high at Ding Darling come here. It is fresh water so there is no concern about hitting the tidal areas at low tide and enjoy the gators.
6. Bailey Tract
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By saramX6930DN
This was a nice simple bike ride with the highlight being the alligator swimming in the stream! A bobcat also crossed our path shortly before getting to the park.
