Sanibel & Captiva are located just north of Naples & south of Tampa with over 15 miles of beautiful, Florida beaches.

Plan for sunshine. Our winters are mild (average daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s) and dry (it rains just enough to keep our islands lush). Summer temperatures, ranging from the high 80s to low 90s, are tempered by cooling sea breezes and brief afternoon showers, followed by more sunshine and glorious sunsets.

With all the area offers, it's no wonder so many people who visit Sanibel & Captiva end up calling it home.

On Sanibel-Captiva, the warm sun washes over you and fills you with the serenity of the islands.  This is the place you‘ve been longing for. Rise early and stroll our powdery white beaches under a rosy morning sky.  You won‘t be able to resist bending down to pick up the magnificent seashells that washed ashore while you slept. More elegant activities abound, too.  Sanibel-Captiva offers the finest restaurants and the most unique shops, galleries and boutiques--all in lush surroundings.  You‘re sure to find treasures here. As the sun climbs, visit the wildlife refuges and experience our islands preserved the way nature intended.  You‘ll be delighted as the beautiful and exotic animals run free in their natural habitats.  Go boating, fishing or snorkeling in the vast Gulf of Mexico for heart-pounding adventure you‘ve only imagined before. At the day‘s end, slow down, and watch the setting sun infuse the sea and sky with colors of lavender, coral and gold.  But don‘t fall asleep yet--Sanibel‘s glittering nightlife beckons, and you won‘t want to miss a minute of the fun. Sanibel & Captiva Avg. Temperatures January            74.4            53.2 February           75.5            54.1 March              80.0            58.7 April                 84.6            62.0 May                 88.8            67.6 June                90.6            72.9 July                 91.4            74.6 August             91.6            74.8 September        90.0            74.2 October            86.0            68.5 November         80.7            60.9 December         76.0            55.4 Beaches Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Gulfside City Park Tarpon Bay Beach West Gulf Beach Bowman‘s Beach Golf & Tennis Beachview Golf & Tennis Club 1100 Par View Drive, Sanibel               Golf:  472-2626    Tennis:  472-9099 A naturally beautiful and challenging golf course and new state-of-the-art tennis facility awaits you on Sanibel Island.  18 hole, par 70 Championship Golf Course.  Members and public welcome. The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel            Golf:  472-2535    Tennis:  472-3522 An 18 hole championship golf course featuring a wildlife preserve is yours to discover at The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club on picturesque Sanibel Island.  PGA professionals stand ready to help you challenge this par 70 masterpiece as you play amid a soothing natural landscape.  The Club also offers 7 Har-tru tennis courts located in a secluded setting.  Members and the public welcome.   The Sanctuary Golf Club  (Private) 2801 Wulfert Road, Sanibel              472-6445 A truly unique Member-owned Community combining the tropical paradise of Sanibel Island, an Authur Hills designed Golf Course, Tennis, Fitness, an elegant Clubhouse with the area‘s best Dining and Social activities, surrounded by the beauty and nature of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.  Whether your passion is great golf, preserving wildlife, beautiful beaches or living within a fun, caring, friendly community, the Sanctuary Golf club has the environment you seek. Nationally acclaimed golf course architect Authur Hills, who describes the course as "my island masterpiece" and the property as "Elegant, exquisite and rare."  The course weaves and winds for 6,657 yards around nature preserves and lakes, providing panoramic views of Pine Island Sound and mangrove forests.  golfers often encounter the wide variety of birds and wildlife that calls Sanibel home. Tennis is available seven days a week on 5 hydro courts.  These are "soft"courts that minimize impact to the body.   State-of-the-art fitness center with professional staff available to help you with your fitness needs. "The Sanctuary Golf Club...where you find best friends!"    Sanibel Restaurants American Legion Post 123  472-9979 Beachview  472-4394                     Blue Giraffe 472-2525                                     Cheeburger Cheeburger 472-6111    Courtney‘s  472-4646 Doc Ford‘s  472-8311                    Rassa  472-0201 Ellington‘s 337-JAZZ (5299)          Grandma Dot‘s 472-8138 Great White Grill 472-0212            Greenhouse Grill  472-6882 Hungry Heron  395-2300                 Il Tesoro  395-4022 Island Cow  472-0606              Island Pizza Company 472-1581 Jacaranda  472-1771   Jerry‘s Restaurant   472-9300                   Lazy Flamingo  472-5353, 472-6939 Lighthouse Cafe 472-0303               Mad Hatter  472-0033 Matzaluna  472-1998                     McT‘s  472-3161 Normandie Seaside Cafe 472-1541                  Over Easy Cafe 472-2625 Sanibel Cafe  472-5323                    The Sanibel Grill 472-HIKE (4453) The Stone Crab 472-0305 Chip‘s Sanibel Steakhouse 472-5700            Schnapper‘s Hots  472-8686 Sunset Grill  472-2333 Sweet Melissa‘s 472-1956                     Thistle Lodge 472-9200 The Timbers  472-3128                    Traders  472-7242 Traditions 472-1561                       Twilight Cafe 472-8818 Captiva Restaurants The Bubble Room  472-5558 Cantina Captiva  472-0248 Captiva Pizza  395-0823 The Crow‘s Nest  472-5161 The Green Flash  472-3337 Keylime Bistro  395-4000 Holy Smoke Heavenly Barbecue  472-7501 Mucky Duck  472-3434 R.C. Otter‘s  395-1142 Sunshine Seafood Cafe  472-6200 The Old Captiva House  472-5161 Shopping Periwinkle Place Sanibel‘s Largest Shopping Center Just Happens to be the Most Charming Periwinkle Place features a fine selection of quality merchandise and services provided by the best shops on Sanibel in an atmosphere that accentuates your Sanibel vacation. Our park-like setting is designed to enhance your Sanibel shopping experience and includes covered walkways, lush landscaping, charming Banyan trees, two relaxing fountains, a butterfly garden and a children‘s play area. Tahitian Gardens Explore Sanibel Island shopping at Tahitian Gardens where you‘ll find "Something for Everyone" presented with Sanibel flair! From the elegant to the whimsical each door opens to a new shopping experience. Designer labels, private collections, and silly sunglasses,  you never know what you‘ll find. Family style dining is offered from breakfast through dinner. Olde Sanibel Shops Olde Sanibel Shoppes, a pet friendly center with old Florida charm! Anchored by an award winning cafe with outside dining available, this is a favorite with locals as well as guests. Olde Sanibel Shoppes hum with happy shoppers whether you have two feet or four! Check out the variety of very popular Sanibel shops. The Village Shops The Village Shops, a Sanibel Island charmer, provide Sanibel shoppers the opportunity to "Shop & Be Pampered". Discover exclusive upscale boutique shops while searching for that uncommon item. Licensed service providers are here to assist both men and women in creating a day spa experience or you can book services a la carte. Town Center Just want a quick bite to eat? Need an unusual gift? Want to get away from it all? Stop here. This tucked away treasure has pizza and Chinese take-out and is home to the only Subway on Sanibel. The gift shop has butterfly art and old treasure coins plus jewelry. Sanibel Yoga has a variety of classes for beginners through advanced. Didn‘t you come on vacation to relax and rejuvenate? Check out their web sites below for more information. Bailey‘s Center Chadwick‘s Square A Classic Captiva experience you won‘t find anywhere else on the Island.  Stroll along a charming outdoor plaza with delightful boutiques for adults and children.  Lose yourself in a wonderland of unique kids toys, clothing and books.  Find that bathing suit you‘ve been searching for.  Book a massage or facial at the spa. Pop into Starbuck‘s for a pick-me-up.  Shop for gourmet groceries and select the perfect wine.  Find one -of-a-kind artwork as a treasured souvenir.  It‘s all here.  Attractions Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce Big Arts Known as Sanibel and Captiva‘s home for all the arts, BIG ARTS has been providing cultural enrichment and fulfillment to island residents and visitors since 1979. BIG ARTS began when a group of artists dreamed of a cultural center on the island. Today, BIG ARTS members and participants enjoy a wide spectrum of performing and visual arts events, and the community participates in more than 200 educational classes and workshops each year. CROW Welcome to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island, Florida. Established in 1968, CROW is one of the nation‘s leading wildlife rehabilitation hospitals for tropical native and migratory wildlife. A non-profit veterinary hospital, CROW provides medical care for more than 4000 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 the wildlife rehabilitation process while introducing them to both Western and Eastern medical traditions. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel in the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations. The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum The non-profit Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum features more than 30 exhibits of mollusks from around the world. Exhibits are devoted to shells in art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more. The learning lab features a hands-on play area for children, displays, games, and a tank with indigenous mollusks. A half-hour video, Mollusks in Action, is shown on the hour, and a children‘s video is shown continuously. The museum store offers a wide selection of shell books. Sanibel Lighthouse Perhaps the most photographed structure on Sanibel, the Sanibel Lighthouse was first lit in August 1884.  In 1972, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it would extinguish the light, but then abandoned the plan when faced with public outcry.  The Florida Coast Guard continues to maintain the lighthouse, which is not open to visitors, but the City of Sanibel now manages the surrounding property, including the keeper‘s quarters, fishing pier and beach access.   Sanibel Historical Museum and Village Sanibel Historical Museum and Village was founded in 1982 as a tribute to the early pioneers on Sanibel  Island. Each building has been restored to its original state. Volunteer docents guide visitors through this mystical place. Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Center The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of coastal habitats and aquatic resources on Sanibel and Captiva and in the surrounding watershed.  SCCF manages over 1300 acres of land on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. (and owns an additional 500 acres on nearby Pine Island.).  At their Nature Center on Sanibel, they have four miles of trails, exhibits, a touch tank, butterfly house and nature shop.  The Nature Plant Nursery has a wide selection of native plants for sale and also offers landscaping and educational services.   Churches / Temples Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church   8210 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers.  Rev. Dr. Elias Bulbous Service Sunday 9am,  Divine Liturgy Sunday 10am, Fellowship Programs, Greek School, Sunday School, Bible School  239-481-2099 Bat Yam-Temple of the Island The Reform Congregation of the Bat Yam, Temple of the Island Friday night service at 8pm in the Fellowship Hall of the United Congregational Church, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.     Call Temple President:    Dr. Michael Raab at 239-395-1432. Captiva Chapel By the Sea 11580 Chapin Lane, Captiva.  Rev. Dr. Robert R. Hansel   November 15 - April 18  Sunday 11am  239-472-1646 First Church of Christ Scientist 2950 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel Sunday 10:30, Sunday School 10:30am, Wednesday evening meeting 7:30pm, Reading room open:  Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10am-1pm (November - March)  Friday 10am-1pm (summer hours)  239-472-8684 Sanibel Community Church 1740 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.  Dr. Daryl Donovan, Senior Pastor;  Barb Nave, Associate Pastor;  Tom Walsh, Youth Pastor;  Sunday Worship Hours:    8am Traditional Service with Communion,  9am Contemporary Service with Kids Church,  10:45am Traditional Service  (Childcare available at all services) Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.  Rev. Dr. John Danner, Sr. Pastor Sunday 10am Full service with nursery, childcare and Sunday School  239-472-0497 St. Isabel Catholic Church 3559 San-Cap Road, Sanibel    Rev Christopher Senk Communion Service:  8:30am Monday and Tuesday.  Daily Mass:  8:30am Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.  Saturday Vigil Mass:  5pm.  Sunday Masses at 8:30 & 10:30.  239-472-2763 St. Michael & All Angles Episcopal Church 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel  Rev Dr. Ellen Sloan, Rector.  Worship Services:  Saturday 5pm, Sunday 9:30am, Wednesday 9am & First Wednesday of the month 6pm.  239-472-2173 Unitarian Universalist of the Island Meets the first Sunday of each month from December through April at Sanibel Congregational Church 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel at 7:30pm. 433-4901.

 

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