Sanibel is all about relaxingand it settles in as you cross the causeway you wont even find a stoplight until you return over the bridge on your way back home. Photo: Courtesy of The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel 1. Book a ride with Captiva Cruises, and make a stop at Cabbage Key. A great time. This is a review for fun things to do near Landfield Ave, Monticello, NY 12701: "Amazing place: gorgeous view, extremely pleasant people and lots of fun. This is Tampa's Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District. Sanibel is the larger and (slightly) more commercial of the two islands, while Captiva is more remote and private. Sign up for Scary Mommy's daily newsletter for more stories from the trenches. What I am going to tell you is some insights what we did while visiting Sanibel, and what is on our shortlist for next time: This is the number one reason that many folks make the trip to Sanibel, and for good reason. A stop atPinocchio's Italian Ice Cream (362 Periwinkle Way) is a Sanibel tradition. Do some research and pick a guide that suits your family. As I am a big craft beer aficionado, I had to hit up Doc Fords Rum Bar & Grille. If you are looking for soft sand, this will not be your place because the whole beach is LITERALLY made out of sea shells. The kids and I did an Everglades Gator and bird spotting tour withEverglades Day Safari Fort Myers in an airboat. Baby sea turtles hatch late at night when the moon is bright. Thats awesome. Our days were spent playing in the water, riding bikes around the island and collecting shells (SO MAY SHELLS! Although I had never been before, I knew I wanted to take Miss M and Z Man. It was tempting. Celebrate Women's History Month and commemorate pioneering figures in science, technology, arts & design, and mathematics. As always, opinions and fun times are always mine and those of my kids. In addition to an amazing pool and poolside bar, our provided kayaks, paddleboards, bikes to borrow and a naturalist led beach walk. Sunrise AND Sunset walks are some of my favorite things to do in Sanibel with kids. There are few places on the East Coast of the United States where you can revel in a western sunset. Just look at these birds we found. Corrie P./CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. At the Crow Clinic Animal Rehab, kids can interact with animal ambassadors for a remarkable learning experience. Download a tide app to check tide times. Just make sure there is nothing living inside of the shell. Picnic tables are available when you want to enjoy snacks under the canopy of the trees. Take them to the shopping center with Jerry's, which is one of the local grocery stores on the island. Our next stop was rumoured to be the place to see the manatee. And right along with the ocean side, we spotted starfish, crabs, and lots of critters inside shells. I love Sanibel!! The shells can be sharp, and they hurt my daughters feet at times. I offer tools, guides and resources to help you through all of the steps of planning meaningful, memorable family vacations. Tarpon Bay Explorersofferscanoe and kayak trips in the J. N. "Ding" Darling NationalWildlife Refuge where naturalist guides give you an up-close experience with this unique ecosystem. Sign up for simple dinner ideas, easy step by step instructions, and fun recipes for kids. There's a safe designated bike path to pedal the length and width of the island, and you can even beat the traffic when it slows to a crawl during season. We visited in November, and it was just the right time for us. Winters the weather can be hit or miss, and the months between December-February are busier with snowbirds escaping winter. Afamily vacation to Florida is usually synonymous with Disney, but it doesn't have to be. Sanibel Island Rentals: Billy's Bike : 1509 Periwinkle Way (239) 472-3620 Finnimore's Bike & Beach Shop: 2353 Periwinkle Wa (239) 472-5577 3. Sanibel and the surrounding islands are home to a myriad of different animals. Just make sure not to disturb their nests! 7 Reasons to Visit Harrisonburg Virginia! The occurrence of Red Tide is when simple plants that live in the sea and freshwatergrow out of control. They were a lot cheaper than similar resorts on Sanibel. Things To Do In Sanibel Island's Lighthouse Beach The Best Gift: Making Memories At South Seas Island Resort Beaches in Guatemala: Dramatic And Beautiful Volcanic Black Sand A Family Weekend In Florida's Space Coast With Holiday Inn The Best Things to do in Fort Myers Beach for Families Things To Do With Kids In The Upper And Middle Florida Keys They loved running and collecting new shells. Eat at RC Otters. Grab A Map & Participate In A Treasure Hunt By Bike Stop in at the Sanibel Chamber Commerce and ask for the treasure hunt map. As my kids are only 5 and 10 and we would have to pay to rent bikes anyway if we opted to cycle around the island, it made sense for us to have to get groceries. Dr. Seuss-a-Bration at Once Upon a Treetop Plainview. Warm Gulf waters and calm surf make most of the island's beaches great for families withsmall children. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW). Here you'll find shell-strewn beaches, a laid-back vibe, terrific restaurants and shops, and an incredibly diverse wildlife sampling. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Find out when low tide is and hit the beach before anyone else can snatch up all the good stuff. There are bike lanes literally EVERYWHERE. Shelling is one of the best things to do on Sanibel Island, so plan to spend lots of time at the beach! Joeys Custard is located at 2467 Periwinkle Way. Heres a guide to the top 9 things to do in Sanibel. Pick a beach, any beach, and head on over after dinner. Copyright 2023 St. Joseph Communications. Home Travel Top Things to Do on Sanibel Island with Kids. 7. Each day the view was completely different and it made a wonderful activity with the entire family. If you're lucky, you may see manatees and pods of dolphins in the waters. Its nothing more than a six dollar Shirley Temple with a plastic shark stuck in it. The fun never stops on Sanibel Island. See these marine mammals leaping and frolicking in the waters of Pine Island Sound. Times Square and the Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier. We were gifted our accommodations at the Island Inn on Sanibel Island and with excursions while there. Sanibel Island Lighthouse 2,675 Lighthouses Open now By Anxsmomt The lighthouse is a public beach, plenty of parking. It connects by bridge to Captiva Island. Sanibel Island is an island on the west of the Florida panhandle. Address: 845 E Gulf Dr, Sanibel, FL 33957. We visited the museum that belongs to the area first. Sanibel Island in Florida offers a breathtaking reprieve for families who want to get away from the hustle-bustle of everyday life. Jerrys Foods has a lovely outdoor courtyard that it shares with Love Boat Ice Cream (which was super yummy and definitely worth a stop, btw). Top 10 things to do on Sanibel Island with kids J.N. Most of the pools in the area are heated, making them great for use even in the winter. Everyone on the island gets to help protect sea turtles. Come over and. Looks like it was a fun trip! When the red tide is high, dead fish wash up on shore, some shellfish is unsafe to eat and humans, especially those with asthma, have trouble breathing. It's a pretty spectacular sight. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Florida always holds a special place in my heart and the more I explore, the more I love it too. There are several ways to explore the refuge. By: Jodi/Updated on: February 15, 2023/3 Comments. Another note, Sunburned Willie, the host of the crab race, can be a bit crass. The french fries are really good. The shells on Sanibel make going to the beach even more fun for kids because they have another activity to do. Also, it's closed at this moment, but there is generally a hands-on area for kids at the Visitor and Education Center. I tried to find the information on our guide, but I no longer have it. There are a great deal of things to do on Sanibel Island when traveling with a family. The beaches are lined with more shells than you could ever collect. Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Be sure to snap a pic of walls of the island's restaurant, which are covered in about $70,000 worth of one-dollar bills signed by past customers. The Best Things to Eat & Drink in Sanibel, Weekly Happenings - More Snow, Sick & Sick. )If this sound like a trip to Sanibel Island with kids is in your future, here are my best tips for planning the perfect escape! Nope, they were thrilled to do this! "The kids had fun but when we arrived they only gave me 15mins to set up before the party began." more. Almost every restaurant in the area boasts its own version of Key Lime pie, but if you have kidsor a big sweet toothyou HAVE to make a stopfor a slice of cake at the Bubble Roomlocated on Captiva island (which is accessible from Sanibel by car). See alligators, raccoons, otters, and hundreds of different kinds ofbirds in this 6,300-acre wilderness. Located near Fort Myers, just offshore Floridas Gulf Coast, this unique island offers visitors the opportunity to bask in many outdoor activities. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. This place claims to be Floridas most outrageous and award-winning restaurant. Maybe it was back in 1980 when there werent Houlihans and Fridays in every roadside town. Its always a good sign when a place is packed on a weekday. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. If we had to drive over and visit just for the day, it would not have been at all the same experience. Pick from one of many competitive games at Battlegroundz in Lincoln including dodgeball, laser tag, paintball, archery tag, airsoft, darts and cornhole. Part sporting event, part comedy dinner show, the crab races have guests select a hermit crab from a bowl, name it and then cheer it on as it races to the finish line. When they are ready, they follow the moonlight and head back to the Gulf of Mexico. It's a great and inexpensive activity for the family that doesn't involve having everyone sit at a table for an entire meal. 6. Address: 3883 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel. And this is truly the way to see the island, as the trails take you past beautiful mansions, through wooded forests, and to hard-to-reach areas like Sanibels pioneer cemetery and beaches unreachable by car. Here are the activities they have for kids! Looking for something fun to do in Sanibel with kids? I picked it up from the airport in Fort Myers when we landed and there was at least one day where we did not leave the hotel and therefore did not use it. Check out the accommodation options for your dates through my booking.com affiliate search box: Booking.com(function(d,sc,u){var s=d.createElement(sc),p=d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0];s.type='text/javascript';s.async=true;s.src=u+'?v='+(+new Date());p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p);})(document,'script','//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js'); And always remember, Florida can be very HOT! 8 reasons to take the kids to Kissimmee Definitely skip dinner there, but head over for dessert and the photo opps outside. Required fields are marked *. With an early sunset time in winter, we'd take the boys out and walk up the beach toward the sunset. These are excellent suggestions! My twins have been to the island three times starting at 13 months old (1st trip, 2nd trip, 3rd trip) and have loved spending time on the beaches and with nature. Copyright 2023, Create Kids Club. The kids waited for 5 minutes and wanted to go. The tour price covers the rental of all gear, including a PDF, leash, tie-downs, and fresh drinking water for each person. The kids were told that if they waited and were quiet, theres a good chance they could spot a manatee somewhere in the wildlife refuge. Read More: The Best Hawaii Resorts for Families on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Its not cheap, but the kids will love it. In addition to an amazing pool and poolside bar, our provided kayaks, paddleboards, bikes to borrow and a naturalist led beach walk. More shops and restaurants and better choice of hotels and resorts. Since little ones don't just sit around having a few kites to fly is a great way to pass the day. Here you can learn all sorts of stuff about the animals and nature. Any suggestions on the beat and least expensive fishing guide? With all we had to do, we had plenty to keep us occupied for our three night visit. Collect shells along the beach Sanibel is known as the Shelling Capital of the World, and it's not hard to see why. We belive strongly that travel benefits kids in SO MANY ways. You might want to bring water shoes or sandalsfor walking on the beach. There are shells all year long. The two ice cream places we tried on Sanibel Island are Joeys Custard and Love Boat Ice Cream. That is until I heard of the western side of the panhandle and more specifically Sanibel Island. The beaches on this barrier island are covered in beautiful shells of different shapes, sizes and colours, so make sure to set aside a day at the beach where you and the kids can swim in the gulf, lounge in the sun and rifle through all the shells to find the perfect specimen. We got to one area and a couple said they had heard one there and were waiting. Most nights there is live music along lots of games for the kids to play. Your little ones are really brave for embracing boas and alligators. It has an authentic, old Florida vibe. #1 in Sanibel Island Address: 1700 Bowman's Beach Rd. While it may be difficult to spotloggerhead turtles,you can usually see their tracks, especially in the early morning on the beaches, so keep your eyes open when you are taking that morning walk or out shelling, and youll probably encounter some of the tiny turtle tracks heading back to the Gulf. Their learning lab is a great place for children to engage in hands-on play with displays, games, a tank with indigenous mollusks, and continuously-playing children's videos. One day we went for a later brunch at the Lighthouse Cafe, which was very busy! Not a single person I spoke to in the area seems to be concerned about Red Tide and carried on with business as usual. A quick drive from Fort Myers, Florida will take you to a tropical island getaway with so much family-friendly fun to explore. This is the first lighthouse north of the Keys. Several outfitters like Billy's Rentals, Finnimore's Cycle Shop, and Tarpon Bay Explorers rent bikes, tandems, pull-behind child trailers, and even canopied surreys. Captiva And Sanibel Islands are just over an hour from Ft. Myers and relatively easy to get to, but feel like a tropical paradise. Billys Bike: 1509 Periwinkle Way (239) 472-3620, Finnimores Bike & Beach Shop: 2353 Periwinkle Wa (239) 472-5577. Visiting London with kids is an absolute joy. Hoping to be able to take the kids over the Summer. Visit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum to get a more in depth understanding of the areas shells, and book a guided beach walk where a seasoned naturalist will teach you how to find the best shells. Check out the nearby learning centre at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife(CROW) where kids can watch as animals are nursed back to health at the animal hospital and perform their own pretend rehabilitations on stuffed versions of their favourite critters. I love seashells so I would love to pick them up too. Head to the Crows Nest on Crab Racing Night and see as they say. The Best, Most Unique Places to Stay In Hawaii on a Budget, Universal Studios for Kids What We Learned on our First Visit, Essential Travel Gear 10 Seemingly Random Things that I Wont Travel Without, The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cheaply in Paris, How We Spent 3 Days in Amsterdam with Kids. We've found lots of fun ways to spend our days on the island and I'm sure we'll continue to do that as the kids grow older. We are beach people and love to spend lots of time at the beach on our trips! You'll probably not be surprised to see this list includes enjoying the beaches fully with different beach activities, swimming, and even shelling! Cayo Costa State Park. As Sanibel, Captiva reopen, businesses hope visitors get causeway access soon. Having a sub-tropical climate, visitors and residents enjoy the outdoors and sunshine all year long. The Sanibel Island Lighthouse is on the east end of the island and has a lovely fishing pier, nature trail, and beaches with great shelling. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Battlegroundz has a 20,000-square-foot . Things to Do in Sanibel Island with Kids Enter dates Filters 1 Attractions Traveler favorites All things to do Category types Attractions Tours Day Trips Outdoor Activities Concerts & Shows Food & Drink Shopping Transportation Traveler Resources Types of Attractions Boat Tours & Water Sports Nature & Parks Sights & Landmarks Museums Sign up in advance because space is limited to24 students per day. It is laid back, friendly and has a lovely old Florida charm. We ate THE best burgers at the poolside bar at the Sanibel Island Inn, and we ate out once or twice for dinner. It is located in Lee County and the easiest way to get there from Toronto is to fly to Fort Myers, rent a car and go. Watch the sunset on the beach. Sanibel Island is a great place to vacation with a family. It is located in Lee County and the easiest way to get there from Toronto is to fly to Fort Myers, rent a car and go. If you have kids and have been considering a Florida vacation you'd be crazy to not visit Fort Myers & Sanibel Island. You might spot a dolphin or two from there. And why wouldnt they do that? The same currents that bring all of the shells and wash them up on the shore also stir up the shallow bottom, making the water less than clear. Next time we go, I might choose a simpler place, or an Airbnb with a kitchen where we can cook, because the resort was lovely, but Sanibel has some really great things that we want to get out and see! The burgers are amazing, I highly recommend the turkey burger. They didnt see a manatee. We stopped a few other places along the way to see birds and a gator. Fort Myers Brewery. And shells of all different textures, shapes, and sizes show up on the shores here. If you can't tell an angel wing from a glassy bubble, a visit to the Bailey-MatthewsNational Shell Museum will set you straight. ): I did not realize until we visited Sanibel and next door Captiva Islands that each of these islands is distinctively different. We came back with so many amazing shells (a whole suitcase full of them in fact). It is a pretty photo stop, the beach is (of course) covered with shells and there is a lovely shaded picnic area there. 8. 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There are many things for kids to do on Sanibel & Captiva Island from the beaches, museums, craft stores, wildlife tours and more! Joe is a great teacher, and storyteller. They have plenty of cute shops to pick from for the kiddos. Resorts felt more high end and had price tags to match. Whether your kids like seafood or more traditional food, there is something on the menu for everyone at these places. Having a car made getting to Fort Myers quick and easy as well. Located off Sanibel-Captiva Road, Bowmans Beach has several miles of secluded white sand and gentle waters ideal for a refreshing swim. 9. You wont regret taking a drive up to Captiva. On a regular day, the a.m. low tide will be better than the p.m. because if youre the first one out in the morning, youll be able to find the shells that have freshly washed ashore.Tip: My family has always gone to Sanibel Island in June and the beaches have always been filled with shells. Most folks rent a car, but there are shuttles available to take you here (depending on where you are staying and what you plan on doing, you may not need a car once you get to the island). My boys have spent hours in pools next to our rentals and I'm sure yours will too. My kids spent hours walking up and down the beach from our hotel doing shelling. Find Places To Stay In Sanibel Island, Florida. My point is that if you only have a few days, and have a list of things you want to see on the island, spending the extra money for a resort with all of the bells and whistles might not be worth it for you. I will also add that Red Coach buses are a great way to get around with kids. He was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the reptiles that live in the Everglades, the kids couldnt help but be into it. A trip to Sanibel Island with kids is perfect if you are a family who wants to send some quality time together in a laid back, relaxed atmosphere. Visit Cayo Costa Beach. My twins started collecting shells from the beach on our first trip but this year they really got into it! Several hiking trails allow visitors to explore the wonders of this wildlife refuge. If youre lucky, youll also be able to spot friendly dolphins frolicking around the water. Each time, we had to walk around and see the parrots (the naughty one on the end kept throwing his toys out of the cage and pouting as passersby to pick them upshe thought it was hilarious!) Sanibel Stars & Stripes 43 Boat Tours By 797brendank Friendly staff, great experience, had multiple dolphins chasing and jumping behind the boat for majority of the the r. 39.
