Serenity, rejuvenation, palm trees, beach, turquoise blue waters; does this sound like a place you would like to be?  Just a short drive from the Fort Myers, Florida airport you drive across a causeway to the tropical paradise of Sanibel Island.  Blue waters, beach, and tropical plants are the first things to take you far away from your hectic daily life.

Sanibel Island is about 9 miles long and 2 miles wide in spots.  It's on the western coast, toward the southern tip of the Floridian peninsula.  Sanibel is a place to free your spirit and rejuvenate your soul.  Let the gentle waves lull you to sleep and the environment surround  you with subtle sounds and smells different from the everyday.

The beaches are beautiful.  Shelling is one of the main attractions on the island.  Sanibel is the third best spot in the world for finding and collecting shells.  The warm gulf waters make a wonderful habitat for these living creatures.  The shell museum on the island is a great place to visit to gain more information about these incredible mollusks that make these free treasures.  Sanibel  also has a  wildlife and bird habitat you can drive though.  You can see Ibis, Pelican and numerous other birds all over the island.  Every morning we awoke to a delightful songbird in one of the tress near our complex.  Butterflies frequent the gardens here also.

Biking is a great way to get places on the island and most resorts rent them for your convenience.  A ride to the old lighthouse is a nice trip along a bike path next to one of the two main roads that span the length of the island.  Bring your back pack with some goodies and a towel just in case one of those beaches beckons you along the way.  Another sport which is very popular there is tennis.  Courts are plentiful all over the island.  Some resorts have clinics and tournament if your interests lean that way.  There are two well kept 18-hole golf courses on the island also.  Prices are reasonable but watch out for the water fowl and the occasional alligator visitor on the fairway.


The island has elegant restaurants for fine dining as well as some fabulous casual spots.  Most portions seemed to be enormous and the seafood is fresh and cooked with a local touch.  The Key Lime Pie was so good my family insisted I get the recipe!  Jerry's Market on the island has almost everything you might need for a pleasant stay.  Bagels, fresh fruit, and juice for a balcony breakfast before some serious beach combing sounds just perfect.  There are a lot of island shops for clothes, souvenirs, curios, and of course those shells that you just didn't find yet on the beach!

A place to relax, play, and feed your spirit is what to expect from Sanibel.  Let the island bring you enjoyment and serenity.  It will beckon  you back again and again.  It's a great place to have fun and be yourself.