Properties in Sanibel & Captiva Islands
The best properties Sanibel & Captiva Islands has to offer.
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Across the state of Florida, you'll see tourists and locals alike bent over, searching the sand for the perfect unbroken seashell or sand dollar.
It's no coincidence this hunched position has been lovingly dubbed the "Sanibel Stoop". Neighboring Sanibel and Captiva Islands are renowned for having some of the best beachcombing opportunities anywhere in the state. Geography is certainly on the islands' side: While most of the other barrier islands on the Gulf of Mexico run north-to-south, experts say that Sanibel's unique east-west orientation accounts for the extreme abundance, especially in secluded, underexplored corners like Bowman's Beach.
Shelling is such a big deal in these parts that if you happen to find an ultra-rare, brown-spotted junonia, you might even end up in the local newspaper! Diminutive and comprised mainly of beaches, Sanibel and Captiva are the types of places where bicycles and golf carts outnumber cars, and mom-and-pop operations outnumber chains. In other words, these are sleepy towns — very much by design. Much of the land, including over two-thirds of Sanibel Island, is protected as federal nature reserves, and the seas and skies are home to over 280 species of birds and 70 species of fish. With over 15 miles of beaches across these two tiny islands, it's almost always possible to track down your own private patch of sand.
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Sanibel Island and Captiva Island may both be small in size, but they're giants among fishing enthusiasts in the know. Depending on the variety you're seeking, the islands are year-round fishing hot spots. In addition to annual varieties like snook, snapper, grouper, and Spanish mackerel, spring brings seasonal visitors to this area, including tarpon, pompano, cobia, and king mackerel.
Stop by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's Lolly Cohen Memorial Butterfly House for a primer on the butterfly life cycle — from egg to caterpillar to pupa to full-grown. The center is open year-round, with tours available every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (for a $1 suggested donation), though the warm summer months mark a period of increased activity.
Before Franklin D. Roosevelt handpicked him to run the U.S. Biological Survey in 1934, longtime Sanibel Island resident Jay "Ding" Darling was best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoons on conservationist topics like deforestation, natural resources, and endangered species — decades before they were in vogue. His namesake Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is the largest undeveloped mangrove reserve in the country, offering nature and wildlife programs throughout the year, including October's Ding Darling Days — a series of special family-friendly events such as naturalist-narrated walking tours, live animal programs, and an endangered species puppet parade by Jim Henson's daughter.
After sunset, the bioluminescence given off by marine life among the sea grass and mangrove shorelines makes for an otherworldly scene. Evening guided kayak tours of Chadwick's Bayou with Captiva Kayak Company and Wildside Adventures depart an hour before sunset and continue under starlight. Along the way, as the sun dips below the horizon, you may see otters, manatees, and dolphins, in addition to the showstopping greenish glow in your wake.
The best properties Sanibel & Captiva Islands has to offer.
