Sanibel Island's attractions are a short distance from your condo rental.

Sanibel Island Lighthouse
Perhaps the most photographed structure on Sanibel, the Sanibel Lighthouse was first lit in August 1884.  In 1972, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it would extinguish the light, but then abandoned the plan when faced with public outcry.  The Florida Coast Guard continues to maintain the lighthouse, which is not open to visitors, but the City of Sanibel now manages the surrounding property, including the keeper’s quarters, fishing pier and beach access.


Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Named for two pioneer island families, The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum showcases why Sanibel has earned its reputation as one of the world’s top shelling destinations.  The most comprehensive museum in the nation devoted exclusively to shells, it features exhibits illustrating shells from geographical, historical, scientific and artistic perspectives.  Open daily (except major holidays).

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation
The Conservation Foundation’s Nature Center encompasses 260 of the over 1,800 total acres owned and managed as a preserve for Florida wildlife, and offers a unique insight into the island’s ecosystems. Visitors can walk 4 ½ miles of trails, climb an observation tower, and experience a butterfly exhibit. Inside the Nature Center, a marine-life touch tank, an alligator jawbone, a mangrove diorama, and other exhibits showcase island habitat. The foundation also operates a nature shop, bookstore and native plant nursery, and conducts estuarine research. Guided trail tours, shoreline discovery walks and many other programs are available. Hours of operation vary with the season.

Sanibel Historical Museum and Village
This collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings brings early Sanibel back to life in a beautifully serene setting. Dedicated to the pioneer families of Sanibel Island and Captiva Island, the Village includes “Uncle” Clarence Rutland’s home, Bailey’s General Store, “Morning Glories” (a Sears/Roebuck catalog home), Miss Charlotta’s Tea Room, the 1926 Post Office, the Burnap Cottage, and the latest addition – the island’s original schoolhouse -- transplanted in late 2004 from its former Periwinkle Way location where it served as a theater for years. All of the buildings are furnished with items from the early 1900s.

A handicapped-accessible boardwalk and shell paths take visitors past a pioneer garden, antique Model T truck, and a replica of a packinghouse with farm equipment. The Village relates the history of the islands beginning with the days of the Calusa Indians up to the mid-1900s. The Historical Village and Museum is open November through mid-August.

Sanibel Island Shelling Center
Sanibel Island and Captiva Island have earned their reputation as the Shell Islands honestly. They are actually made out of shells, like some magnificent work of shell art created over thousands of years. When islanders dig gardens in their backyards, they find conchs, whelks, scallops and clam shells often perfectly intact.

The best shelling is found on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The islands rank tops in the world for shelling because of geography. Sanibel Island does the twist as it parades along the coastline among a string of other more orderly, straight-and-narrow islands. The east-west torque of Sanibel's south end acts like a shovel scooping up all the seashells that the Gulf imports from The Caribbean and other southern seas.

The abundance and variety of shells have made Sanibel and Captiva Islands shell-obsessed. People come from all over the world, drawn by the song of the seashell. They parade along the sands doubled over in a stance that's been dubbed the Sanibel Stoop. Every March, they gather to compare and appreciate shell collections and shell art at the annual Sanibel Shell Fair & Show. Throughout the year, shell shops sell seashells by the seashore (and by the thousands). Shells are the dominant motif in island decor and boutique gifts. You'll find everything from finely crafted "shell-igrams" to lucite toilet seats with seashells lacquered in.