So happy to revisit the Sanibel Island Beach Lighthouse and see the Lighthouse…read more Some of the surrounding areas around the base of the Lighthouse are still restricted due to hurricane Ian damage. The beach is well maintained and there is public parking available.

You can't tour or climb the lighthouse, but it makes its dramatic presence known. It's been here…read moresince the late 1880s. It was one of the first on the gulf coast. When we parked nearby, the area surrounding the lighthouse was blocked off for construction. You could not get very close to the structure. We did get to walk a bit on the sandy beach that carries its name. It was quite busy on the weekend. The beach is maintained by the city and as mentioned is very popular. There's a lot with paid parking spaces. There are rest rooms and drinking fountains but not much more. The pier is closed since Hurricane Ian. So plan on sunning, swimming, and shelling if you come here.

Gulfside City Park Beach has been a favorite of ours since we moved to SWFL. This is three days…read morebefore Christmas, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It actually wasn't super crowded and we easily got a parking spot at 1:00 pm. It is normally a pretty clean beach, but there was quite a bit of seaweed on the beach. It was also quite windy today, but that helped keep the heat factor down. Regardless of the seaweed and the wind, there are always lots of shells and beauty to be found at this dog-friendly beach.

Great beach! We came here to watch the sunrise and it did not disappoint! 'Algiers Beach' has an…read moreinteresting history, too. We also got sooo many shells in less than an hour. I will definitely return!

Recently visited this beach and it was awful. Stagnant water runoff in the parking lots which made…read morethe most unpleasant smell and the second we stepped onto the beach, we were legitimately covered with hundreds(no exaggeration!) of sand fleas. I would steer clear of it, much better options for a more enjoyable beach experience.

Wow! This is a hidden gem- you must get beach parking permit to enjoy. Like all Sanibel beaches the…read moreshelly white sands lead you to beautiful waters on a beach with few people - a perfect night stroll!

Southwest Florida is filled with hidden gems, one of them including Silver Key Preserve in Sanibel…read moreIsland Silver Key is a 64 acre preserve that was bought in 1994 by the city of Sanibel along with the Florida's Communities Trust Preservation 2000 Program. The preserve is home to: Variety of birds such as snowy plovers and least terns sea turtles and tortoises lizards snakes and the list goes on The pristine beaches and coastal scrub habitat has been preserved in order to maintain and protect endangered natural environments as well as animals of the Florida fauna. There are no facilities and no parking lots at Silver Key and if you want to explore the area, walking will be necessary but totally worth it. There are two different paths to choose from, either from Blind Pass Beach or Bowman's Beach. P.S. - For more info on Silver Key, please check out my blog for all the info you will need to know before visiting. https://www.jujugurgel.com/single-post/Silver-Key-Preserve-Sanibel-Island-Florida-beaches

Gulfside Beach is always our #1 pick on Sanibel Island. We like it because the parking lot and…read morerestrooms are very close to the beach itself. Plus, there are always lots of shells to search for. It is a fairly wide beach, but others on Sanibel are wider. Today, the sand and shells were packed down very hard. There is no way that you would walk around barefoot. The water in late March is still quite chilly, even so, there were a number of brave souls who enjoyed it. We also saw a fair amount of seaweed today. It was a special day as we saw between 5-10 dolphins playing for us. We love seeing the dolphins, pelicans and sea gulls. We had a nice three hours or so on the beach. When we left, there were quite a few cars waiting for a place to park. That's the only thing about this beach, there is limited parking.

We stayed at the Colony Inn for a week. It was approximately a 5 to 10 minute walk to this beach…read moredefinitely depending on your walking pace and how much your carrying to the beach, lol This location during the week days for us was quaint, quiet, private, and peaceful. But the weekends are crowded! People are jogging, shelling and camping. Music is intrusive. The entire shoreline is full of boats, people are snorkeling, floating and fishing. Overall, this beach is just as beautiful as any beach on Sanibel Island. Enjoy it wherever you go.

This is my favorite Sanibel beach. Always lots of shells. Not too far if a walk from parking lot…read more Beautiful view, white sand and shells. Bathrooms by parking lot. Always a great day there!

Beautiful. Just beautiful!!…read more Hubby and I spent a good day here on the beach walking and shelling. There were several people in the area, but not too crowded either. It was so beautiful here and everyone was so friendly. Very peaceful too!

A true piece of heaven right here. We got there just in time to park and enjoy the beach. The water…read morewas simply beautiful. I only wish there were some sort of bathroom facilities besides port a John's.

About a half hour drive on the causeway from Ft Myers to this remote but lovely beach. Enjoy the…read morescenic drive with blue-green gulf waters and lovely private homes hidden behind palm trees and lush tropical vegetation. Sea shells all over- so much fun! You see folks absorbed in finding one after the next pretty ones! But when you get to this paradise, be ready to pay a more for public beach parking. If you can find a spot! Not easy. Patience is a virtue! As of today, late August 2021, the price is $25/2 hours or $40/day. Nothing in between, like 1 hour or by the half hour. Pay by cash or credit card and display your receipt on the dashboard. I saw park services vehicle in the area. Don't get a ticket. There are no public restrooms, showers or food service. Prices are meant to keep out most ordinary citizens. Captiva is pricey, the playground for the wealthy for the most part. Private landowners enjoy private beach access. We enjoyed the shell-laden beach for two hours. It really is a beautiful stretch of beach. We drove back through Sanibel Island to the other area beaches, checking each one along the way. Most beaches on Sanibel offer parking at $5 /hour. Good for the common folk like us lol!

A must visit each trip. We always looks around but don't always get in the water. Like everywhere…read morein Sanibel we have seen a variety of sealife, shells and cool birds. We have seen dolphins, manatees, Ray's, starfish, sand dollars, osprey, ect. There is usually an osprey atop of the lighthouse. The parking here is limited and pay by the hour. Right now it's 5 dollars an hour. Sometimes the current here is SUPER strong. Usually it's fine.. the tide was up. Bathroom archive and free.

Lighthouse Beach & Fishing Pier was a bit of a let down. The lighthouse is a skinny metal tower…read more It barely passed for what could be called a lighthouse. I'm from New England and I was expecting more than that. The parking was far away from the pier and it was something like $6.00 per hour. We ended up moving on to another beach that seemed to be better. In the future, If I venture out to Sanibel while staying in Ft. Myers I will pass on this beach. The shells were much more plentiful at other beaches on the island and there are nicer spots in Lover's Cove.