Voted as one of the best shelling beaches in the United States, and hosting some of the most exotic resorts on the Florida peninsula Sanibel and Captiva rank high on every visitor's must list. From the plush beachfront properties, to the wilds of some of nature's best kept preserves, your visit is certain to be a memorable one. Click on the sites that interest you and learn more.
This 5,600-acre wildlife refuge, named for 1920's Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and pioneer environmentalist Jay Norwood Darling, is home to numerous native birds, raccoons, otter, alligator and other wildlife. The refuge features delightful footpaths, winding canoe trails and five-mile scenic drive, all of which are lush with seagrape, wax and salt myrtles, red mangrove, cabbage or sabal palms and other native plant varieties. A booklet, available from the refuge's interpretive center, highlights points of interest and an observation tower, where naturalists will achieve the best view of a variety of fauna and flora. The drive is open sunup to sundown everyday except Friday. Low tide is the best time to visit because many birds come to feed. The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November-April, everyday except Friday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May-October). Fees are $4 to drive and $ 1 to bicycle or walk. Location: 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel Island, FL 33957, off Sanibel/Captiva Road, (941)472-1100.
"Would you like to be treated special? Come to Tarpon Bay and experience the extraordinary. " Learn more about the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge aboard an open-air tram as a naturalist guide explains the refuge's history and the wildlife living there. Tram tours cost $7 plus tax for adults and $3.50 for children. Group rates available. Group guided canoe tours costing $15 per adult and $7.50 for children 12 and under are also available. Canoe, kayak, fishing boat and bicycle rentals are available. All guided tours by reservation; call for times and availability. Location: Tarpon Bay Road inside J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge (where Tarpon Bay Road intersects with Sanibel/Captiva Road); Address: 900 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel, FL 33957 (941) 472-8900.
Naturalist Mark "Bird" Westall leads guided tours through the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge;
(941) 472-5218.
Tours of this sanctuary for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife are available Monday-Friday at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. Cost: $3 for adults, children under 12 free. Location: 3883 Sanibel/Captiva Road on Sanibel, just west of Rabbit Road; (941) 472-3644.
A 700-gallon touch tank, the largest aquarium display south of Sarasota, and other sea animal displays introduce nature enthusiasts to life in the Gulf of Mexico. As a base for Aqua Trek nature tours, the Sealife Learning Center allows visitors to come in contact with local sea plants and creatures. The center serves as a marine laboratory, classroom and departure point for informative beach walks on Sanibel Island's fabled shell-strewn sands. Open Monday-Saturday. Afternoon boat tours also available, please call for details. Location: Fantasy Island Center, 2353 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, FL 33957; (941) 472-8680.
This 247-acre wetlands tract offers more than four miles of nature trails, guided tours, exhibits, lectures and research area, native plant nursery and gift shop. Beach walks and boat cruises available. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. from May 31-Oct. 1 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 1-May 31 Monday through Saturday. Handicapped accessible. Location: 3333 Sanibel/ Captiva Road, Sanibel Island, FL 33957; (941) 472-2329.
An out island cruise is an essential experience for the perfect appreciation of the Lee Island Coast lifestyle. Visit one of four spectacular island destinations: Cabbage Key, Useppa Island, Cayo Costa and Boca Grande. Enjoy daily lunch cruises to two of the area's most unique coastal islands, Cabbage Key and Useppa Island, aboard the 150-passenger "Lady Chadwick. " Located at Milemarker 60 on the Intracoastal Waterway, colorful Cabbage Key has a marina, historic inn, picturesque dining room, a water-tower view of Pine Island Sound and nature trails. Useppa Island, which operates as a private club, relives the glamour and history of a bygone era, with pink pathways, lush tropical vegetation, authentic "old Florida" architecture and the Barron Collier Inn restaurant, as well as an island museum. Luncheon cruises are from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the cost is $27.50 per adult and $15 per child (meals at Cabbage Key and Useppa Island are not included.) Location: South Seas Plantation, Captiva Island, FL 33924; (941) 472-5300.
Board the "Andy Rosse" at McCarthy's Marina on Captiva Island at 9 a.m. to visit Cayo Costa State Park or go on to Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island for shopping, lunch at a choice of restaurants, and touring. A naturalist is on board to guide nature lovers to the best shelling, bird watching, and hiking along pristine "old Florida" nature trails. Cayo Costa is a state park island wilderness preserve and is a world-famous shelling destination. Boca Grande is a charming seaside village. Morning cruises, including continental breakfast, from 9-10 a.m. Wildlife and natural history cruises with the Sanibel/Captiva Conservation Foundation, from 4-5 p.m. Sunset Serenade Cruise features island performer Danny Morgan. The cost for all one-hour cruises is $17.50 per adult and $10 per child. Special group charters are available. Reservations are essential as South Seas Plantation is a private resort and guest passes are required for admission. Cost is $35 for adults and $ 15 for children. Location: McCarthy's Marina, Captiva Island, FL 33924; (941) 472-5300.
Housed in an island home built in 1977, this historical museum features exhibits with artifacts that date back possibly as many as 12,000 years. The signature piece of the museum is a sculpted likeness, set in clay, of the "Useppa Man" taken from a skull unearthed during an archaeological dig by the University of Florida in 1989. Audio tours available. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 3 p.m. Location: Useppa Island (accessible only by boat), in the middle of the island near the croquet courts; (941) 283-9600. Call the Useppa Island Club for boat transportation; (941) 283-1061.
Imagine making a living as a shelling charter captain! That's exactly what boat captains on Sanibel and Captiva islands do, when they aren't operating as fishing guides. Charter boat operations offer shelling tours to offshore barrier islands, particularly Cayo Costa State Island Preserve and North Captiva Island. The cost is $180 for a half-day of shelling or $200 for a half-day of fishing. Half-day shelling is also available as a split trip for up to 6 persons at $40 per person. Guided kayak tours to Buck Key Nature Preserve are also available at $35 per person for four hours. Location: 'Tween Waters Inn Marina, Captiva Road, Captiva Island, FL 33924; (941) 472-5161. More charters available at other locations throughout the islands.
PADI certified dive operation, offering daily snorkeling and diving excursions to ledges and wrecks, including spearfishing, specimen collecting, photo opportunities, night and blue hole dives. Snorkeling is $35, scuba is $50, air fills are $4, extra charges for rental equipment. Certification cards, log books, S.P. gauges and buoyancy compensators required. NAUI and PADI certification available. Reservations essential. Location: South Seas Plantation, Sanibel/Captiva Road, Captiva Island, FL 33924; (941) 472-9424.
Operating out of South Seas Plantation Marina on Captiva Island, the Offshore Sailing School is well known and respected worldwide. Operating by Steve Colgate, an Olympic and America's Cup veteran, and his wife Doris, the school is one of seven, the others being located in the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Newport, RI, Jersey City, NJ, Greenwich, CT, and St. Petersburg, FL. Programs offered include a full range of three to seven day courses for all levels, daily introductory clinics and group teambuilding programs. Location: 16731 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33908; (941) 454-1700, toll-free l-800-221-4326.