Staying in Naples at Christmas. Want to take a fun trip with husband to Sanibel (never been). Any suggestions? Can you rent a small powerboart, and cruise around the islands for a view?

Thanks, Michelle

hi michelle - i had the same question; I am sure someone out there knows the answer.

Michelle, we have vacationed on Sanibel for many years, but never rented a boat. I know there are marinas on Sanibel and one can rent boats for own use or with the captain. You will probably find that info on the Chamber of Comm. website : www.sanibel-captiva.org
Have a great time !We love Sanibel....

Yes, it is loads of fun to rent a boat on Sanibel. Rent a boat from the marina on the bay, I think the name is Sanibel Marina. They will supply you with charts. You can follow the inter coastal waterway up to an island called Cabbage Key. They have a very unique restaurant that is famous for cheeseburgers. We have seen tons of wildlife in the bay, including hammerhead sharks, porpoises, stingrays, etc.

Thanks for the helpful info. I have not been to the waters near Sanibel. Is it like the Atlantic, similar to a lake...as you can tell I know nothing. Is it backwoods? Any help you can provide would be great.

Also - what do you think is better - renting a boat from Naples Watersports at the Naples seaport, or renting out at Sanibel near the Marina? Any pros/cons?

If you rented in Naples and tried to circle Sanibel/Captiva, you will have spent a long day of boating without really having seen much. I would go to Sanibel and rent there. But in all honesty, as much fun as boating is in the area, if you've never been to Sanibel, I'd skip the boating and do Sanibel. Or if you want to boat from Naples, I'd head south and go into the back waters near Isle of Capri, Everglades City, and Marco -- even more interesting and closer. You won't get much of what Sanibel is all about from a boat.

The waters are calm especially on the bay side and you will be among some mangrove areas and ospreys with nests on the poles and markers. But you cross a fair amount of open water (usually very calm) from Naples to Sanibel, even if you go behind Estero Island (Ft. Myers Beach), although it would make more sense to go past Estero Island on the Gulf rather than the Bay side.

I do agree that Cabbage Key is a great spot to boat too. But it is fairly far north of Captiva even. A very long way from Naples.

We stayed in Naples 3 years ago and rented a boat. I think it was from Naples Watersports, but can
t be sure. We had a blast, visited Marco Island, Isle of Capri, etc. I agree with Patrick, rent a boat in Naples and visit Sanibel/Captiva. We did a day trip from Naples and loved it.

Patrick, you`re the man! Glad to see you on this thread. You are right on about the distance between Naples and Sanibel. I would only add that if Michelle and her party rent a boat at Sanibel and do the surrounding area they can also include the area just to the north, Cayo Costa state park and Boca Grand. As with the area south of Naples, altogether some of the most unspoiled natural waterway in the state. One point tho, if you are taking a boat trip in December, always stay informed on the weather and be prepared to change your plans at the slightest hint of 15 knot winds with a deteriorating forcast. Nothing quite like heading home into a quartering chop in a small boat to make you wet, cold and miserable. That having been said, when it is nice (5 to 10 knot variable winds or less) it is GORGEOUS!
Psssst, don`t tell anyone please, tell them you went to Disney!

I'd also drive up to Sanibel or Captiva and hire a guide. Most of the fishing guides will do a pleasure trip on the Pine Island Sound and there is a lot to see and do. Cabbage Key is a fun lunch stop. The water is very shallow and it takes knowledge of the area to see the interesting sites like old fishing shacks, the pelican island (not an island but thousands of white pelicans that migrate from Nebraska and float as a unit!), mangrove island that look like they have snow for all the egrets, water so clear you can watch the fish as they swim by and be followed by dolphins in your wake.

The weather can turn on a dime and it is good to know a safe harbor. Last week we had 11" of rain in dry season and it is 40 this a.m. as I speak from Fort Myers on the Caloosahatchee River.

There is a Sanibel Captiva guide association which a google search will turn up. Pine Island Sound (the back bay of Sanibel Captiva) is a national marine sanctuary and quite unique. Doing it on your own will miss too much.

We also are thinking of renting a boat on our trip down there at end of December. From the above threads, it seems that you should either rent in the Naples area and cruise around there for 1/2 day. Or rent directly at Sanibel and cruise around there for a bit? Any other thoughts of what the best experience would be?

Alison and Michelle, If you aren't used boating around the Gulf coast or using charts, a guide would be a great worry-free way to go. I may be a little paranoid about this as we have a sailboat and have to worry about the 4.5 feet it draws, but even power boaters have to know the area as FL shores are very very shallow and what was navigable at 2 PM, may not be at 4 PM. We routinely have people head out our channel, decide to cut across before getting to the last channel marker and end up grounded. And I'll never forget the guy doing donuts on his jet ski for the crowd at Clearwater Beach and the vision when he hit the sandbar and his PWC came to a grinding halt but his body did not, sending him catapulting over the front of the craft! gt; Only his pride was injured, happily.

Funny tale: Bush was staying at our hotel just prior to the November election this year, in town to help his brother. The Secret Service had an airboat in the water during his stay so they could patrol the area around the mangroves and out into the bay. They are extremely noisy so at night they tied up to our boardwalk about 50 yds out and either left it or went to sleep, only to wake up to start their patrol and find the tide had gone out, leaving them high and dry, still tied securely to the boardwalk but with the nearest water now probably 30 yds away in low tide. Airboats draw next to nothing, but they were firmly stuck in the mud and it was hours before they could get off again, much to their consternation, and the amusement of other guests who came to have their pictures taken in front of the grounded airboat.

Honestly, the more I've learned about the water here, the weather, and what can happen when they collide, the less likely I am to want to boat in unfamiliar territory!

Just wondering if you needed a boaters license to rent one of these boats. Also if you can fit a family of four on these boats. Patrick are you out there. Thanks so much.

ttt please

Rent a kayak at Tarpon Bay (Marina?) in Sanibel and tool around the mangrove swamp - it is wonderful. They offer guided tours if you feel more comfortable with that. Be sure to bring binoculars and drive through the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. The birds are GREAT!

I lived in the Ft. myers area for 15 years. Sanibel is a great choice for a day trip but if I had the choice, I'd skip the boat ride and just DO Sanibel.

Rent some bikes and enjoy visiting the various shops and restaurants down Periwinkle. Don't forget to stop by the little picnic area on the right, before the bike rental place to see the alligators in the creek area there. You can also see them at the end of Periwinkle- on your left is a large grocery store(can't remember the name)but the big boys hang out in the pond behind the store at the far end of the shopping area. The kids will love it!

Don't forget to visit the Lighthouse area too. Park nearby and explore the area-there's a neat little path running thru the woods from the beach area to the lighthouse and restrooms-it's great fun to walk thru.

Warningo not park anywhere unauthorized for cars because you surely WILL be ticketed! This is the voice of experience speaking.

No license required, and yes, most of those center console boats (I think they'd be the best for this sort of rental) usually fit at least 6 comfortably.

But Olive Oyl is right. With many shallow waters and many unlicensed boaters on the waters, I'd think twice about renting a boat if I wasn't sure what I was doing.