carib_bean

Hello and Help!

My family and I are desperate for a getaway after a recent addition with baby...with the expensive trips to Caribbean spots we are being creative and trying Sanibel - but I have a silly question - How are the beaches? In some pictures they appear to be very coarse with shells and they also appear to be inappropriate for walking barefoot or building castles etc....is this true of all beaches on Sanibel Island and are there some that are soft and others coarse. Are there people out there with specific advice on how to make our getaway heavenly?

Really looking forward to your input!

dmtraynor53

Sanibel beaches are absolutely beautiful. The beach is wonderful for walking--you can go miles in either direction. Call the Chamber of Commerce for suggestions as to where to stay. There is an Holiday Inn that is in a very nice place on the beach. That is the only hotel I know of there. The rest of the accomodations are rental condos. You can't go wrong. You may want to cross the causeway for dinner and shopping in Ft. Meyers--but beware of the traffic. Sanibel is as good as most Carribbean islands as far as beachfront. We have been to many and bareboated in the
BVIS. Sanibel is a great bet!!!!

Patrick

Sanibel is known for its shells, so yes, the beaches are covered in places with shells. Mostly there are places above the high tide line that are just soft sand, and if you walk closer to the water you may find all soft, wet sand. My feet are tough, but many people do complain that they need shoes or flip-flops to walk on the beaches.

carib_bean

Thank you both very much - what you describe sounds great! I was worried as my trip previously to Marco Island - although a really great getaway spot had a beach (could have been a storm issue) that made me cry with pain as there seemed to be NO place to hide from the tiny crushed shells...not soft sand and shells...so I am happy and I appreciate your responses...

At this point we are looking into condo rentals as there is an abundance of them - Since you have been so helpful I hope to get more info from you...What do you know or think of Sea Shells of Sanibel Condo, Blind Pass at Bowmans Beach and Sanibel Arms WEst? Am I greedy for Info or what! Thanks so far!

Scarlett

Our beaches here in Jax have been covered with shells that make walking barefoot impossible..sort of like walking on broken glass. But boy, what a lot of great whole shells we have found!
I remember the one time we walked barefoot on Sanibel, we came across a dead turtle, ick ick. I would bring flipflops.

Italiano

When are you going to Sanibel ? There is still alot of damage to Sanibel from the Hurricanes some places will not be open till after April 2005

LN

If you're planning your visit within the next 3 - 6 months you might want to consider another area as Sanibel/Captiva was seriously damaged in one of the hurricanes.

Siesta Key, Longboat Key, and Anna Maria Island are just north and were north hit by the hurricanes and also have beautiful talcum powder beaches.

Sanibel should be back to full glory and beauty within a year. I just returned from visiting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte and couldn't believe the amount of damage that is still very evident and it's been about two months since they were all hit.

LN

Sorry - I mean to say that Siesta, Longboat and Anna Maria were NOT hit by the hurricane!!

Jacqueline1212

We were in Sanibel & Captiva yesterday. As for beaches, I need shoes when I walk there but maybe I don't have tough feet. It is similar to Marco Island, IMO, with more soft sand above the high tide line. As for damage, most places are open. Sanibel Inn, Sundial, Casa Ybel and South Seas are closed, the latter two for at least a year. Some smaller places are too. Sanibel is recovering but there is tree debris everywhere. All of the huge Australian pines that used to line Periwinkle are gone with 20 ft. stumps remaining. There are piles of debris along the roads and trees down in the undeveloped areas. Most waterfront condo complexes sustained some damage but are mostly open with a few individual units still closed. Captiva, however, even though most places are open, looks like a war zone. I've never seen anything like it.

People were on the beaches on both islands and the beaches we saw looked fine.

carib_bean

Yikes - ok maybe not the getaway I was thinking of...I guess we will reconsider and look at Sanibel / Captiva for the following year - In the meantime - what on earth am I going to do for a getaway from our cold Canadian winters...Help anyone?
Thanks also with your honest and helpful replies!!

Italiano

You should try Naples.

carib_bean

Is Naples terribly expensive - again ( I went through this about Arizona) I have heard that Naples is where the rich play in Fla. also is there super shell beach action happening there? Good grief eh? Too hard to please...I would be interested in Naples though....Can you tell me more?

bryarsmom

I lived in Ft. Myers for over 15 years. Naples can be expensive, but if you do a little research, you can still locate decent-priced hotels/restaurants. You know, Bonita Springs and Ft. Myers Beach is just north of Naples-they have great beach areas.

We'll be heading to Ft. Myers during the week of Thanksgiving. I just booked my hoetl today-we'll be using Ft. Myers as our base. Even though Sanibel is still on the mend I still want to make the trek over the causeway for a bikeride down Periwinkle(great memories).

BTW, if you DO decide to head to the Ft. Myers/Sanibel area be sure to visit Farmer's Market restaurant on Edison for some of the most exquisite southern cooking you've ever had! Cornbread and sweet tea a must!

bamakelly

Whether or not you need shoes on Sanibel depends on how serious youa re about shelling. If you want the best shells go to Blind Pass. The biggest shells are actually in the water, a few feet out (still shallow enough to stand), where you can dig them up with your (bare) feet. There are gazillions of smaller treasures on the beach there, too, but you will need your shoes to walk over and through them. However, there is plenty of beach there as well, where you can easily walk sans shoes. You just won't see many shells in those spots.

Also, the best shells are seen at low tide. You can obtain tidal info from your condo or from the Ding Darling Park on the island.

Have a nice time. Even after the hurricanes, the natural beauty of this island will steal a chunk of your heart.