Wondering how hard it is to find parking for shops and restaurants on Sanibel, if we stay on the less crowded west end? I would prefer to stay away from the high rises, and I am very interested in Blind Pass, but will we regret our decision when we need to find parking for shopping?

Also, what about biking in for dinner? We're all relatively active and fit, so am I naive in thinking that is a possibility?

Thanks.

We have stayed at Blind Pass and like it very much. We are not too interested in going into the town itself - been there, done that. Depending on traffic it's about 20 min. drive from Blind Pass to town. You could ride in - Sanibel is very flat - but it would take a while! We ate several of our meals in the condo but also like to eat at Sunset Grill or the other restaurant right beside it which are both pretty near Blind Pass. There is also a another restaurant across the street and small convenience store.

How is parking in Sanibel? I know I'll need to hit the grocery store! Am I being foolish about staying in the "boonies"?

We stayed at Blind Pass in May of 2004. I was pregnant with our 3rd child and had a younger family (two 4 and under) and it became a drag driving to and from the restaurants and shopping (grocery type shopping). I am afraid that my experience was less than great at Blind Pass. The walk to the beach was longer than it had been described and the water under the bridge to get to the beach was very mucky. It smelled and scared my kids. We ended up driving to public beaches everyday. In hindsight I would have stayed beachfront at Casa Ybel or somewhere like that. That was just our experience, I hope you have better luck.

Parking at the grocery stores is fine. They are in shopping mall areas. The only place parking may be a problem is in the "downtown" older area of Sanibel. What 3girlsandaguy says about Blind Pass can be true. I liked the walk to beach over the wooden bridge and often saw roseate spoonbills and hawks. But it can be a hike. Depends on what you are looking for in your vacation.

Thank you both for your responses.

Hi beenthere
We're regular visitors to Sanibel, and stay at Casa Ybel. The Blind Pass area is quieter and a bit more rustic, but I have to say that nowhere on Sanibel do you find the hustle and bustle of mainland FL.

There are NO high rises on the islands -- buildings are limited to 3 stories max. It's nothing like Marco or Miami. Parking is not an issue, except maybe around sunset at the Mucky Duck on Captiva (sometimes there's no space in their small lot). The 2 island supermarkets have plenty of parking.

The only "rush hour" is the normal commuting time (around 9 and 5) on Periwinkle Way, as folks head on and off the island -- P. Way is the main island road. Oh, and in the busy winter season, if you're eating at a restaurant that doesn't take reservations, go before you are hungry and be ready to wait!