Right off the main road, this is an okay park. It has bathroom facilities, a volley ball court,…read moreshuffleboard, and a play structure. There are better parks on island with more shade and more "stuff", but in a pinch it's a quiet place for a break. And there are some benches and picnic tables and a big grassy area for the kids to run around in. It's okay in a pinch, if you're nearby and the kids need a break, but...

What an absolutely beautiful park. My three year old had a blast here. It is clean, large, and…read morewe'll maintained. I recommend to all the parents that need to get some energy out of their kiddos.

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.

This park is very close to where we ate lunch at the newly reopened Sweet Tomatoes, so after we…read moreate, we headed over to check it out. Lakes Park is a 279-acre public park located along Gladiolus Drive, just south of Fort Myers. It is operated by the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation. The park was named after its main feature: 158 acres of man-made freshwater lakes that were created when the site was occupied by West Coast Rock Co., a rock and limestone quarry, during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1958, a railroad spur was built to serve the mine, running along what is now Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The track bed had previously been used by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad from 1926 to 1952. In 1978, Lee County purchased the abandoned quarry to preserve the land before opening it to the public as a park on April 21, 1984. My first impression was that this has to be one of the nicest parks I have ever visited. It has so much to offer that I could have easily spent the entire day there. If you visit the park, it is important to note that admission is free, but parking is not. It costs $1 per hour, up to a maximum of $5. Once you enter the park, there is so much to do. There are more than 2.5 miles of paved paths running throughout the park. There is an amphitheater, beach volleyball courts, a boat launch, a fishing area, a train-themed playground, picnic shelters, gardens, a wedding gazebo, and a train museum. You can also rent a boat, kayak, or bicycle. Admission to the train museum is $5, and the 15-minute train rides, when operating, cost $5 per adult. The park also offers story-time programs, a farmers market (October through June), and a two-hour bird patrol tour on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m. The park is a stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a network of more than 500 wildlife viewing sites across the state. On the day I visited, it was blisteringly hot. I recommend visiting during the cooler months. Even so, I was able to walk the boardwalk, where I spotted a variety of birds, and I explored a few of the gardens. The park is so lovely. We have multiple parks on Florida's east coast that offer some of the same features, but here in Fort Myers, you can find it all at Lakes Regional Park.

What a huge and beautiful park. I'm a little jealous we don't have anything like this near us! We…read morelet the kids play on two different playgrounds. There was a splash pad that was closed off due to construction. We saw a community garden, children's garden, and train museum and boardwalk. You can easily spend a few hours here. I think parking was $1/hours or $5 for the day. It's huge here!! I read 279 acres.

Exceptional way to tour the refuge. Mo was a fantastic guide pointing out the various birds,…read morewildlife, and different forms of vegetation and their roles in the habitat. Very fun although a chilly the January morning we were there.

I went with my mom for the tram tour in the afternoon. We booked online through their site, which…read moreabout 20 dollars per person after taxes and fees. We checked in at the Ding Darling visitor center. The friendly attendant at the counter informed us the guide/driver is ready for us and to meet her at the tram. We were also given binoculars that were free to borrow with a credit card on hold (we would get charged if we lose them). We boarded the tram about 15 minutes before the tour. The whole tram was full, and every seat was taken, including the front seat in the truck pulling the tram. Kathy, our guide/driver introduced us to the tour and informed potential animals we would see. We were all informed to let her know if we see any potential animals so she can slow down the tram when needed. When we went to the park, we saw various animals including many types of birds, fishes, manatees, and even iguanas. The whole tour lasted about 90 minutes, with a small 10 break to walk and view the observation tower. Kathy did an excellent job explaining about the park, the types of plants and animals, and how the park was affected by the hurricane and other things. She also answered any questions that the guests had. She drove very safely, being cautious of the other vehicles and pedestrians at the park. We were also informed that we could walk around the park after the tour. However, we decided it was too hot to walk a couple miles and left after the tour. The visitor center looked to be undergoing renovations, but the gift shop was open. We bought a shirt that was on sale. The bathrooms were clean and even had information about the various animals we could see. We were also given a brochure as well before the tour. For the price paid, this was a great value. We did get to see various types of animals, plants, and birds. Our guide/driver was friendly, informative, and cautious. Even though the hurricane did some damage to the park, the repairs looked nice and great to see the various wildlife coming back to the park. This was a wonderful tour and a must do when visiting Sanibel Island.

Blind Pass is the beach name, but could also describe how easily on could simply drive past this…read moresmall beach and never pay it much mind, and it would be fair to do that. I can tell since Hurricane Milton how hard this beach was destroyed which is devastating. But i'm not entirely sure it was a ton nicer even prior. One of the parking lots did get wiped out, so now the amount of parking available is awful, maybe 10-12 spots so if you don't get there quite early good luck getting a spot. And once you park, to get to the actual shoreline you have to walk up and around the giant valley/ pond just beyond the parking lot- lots of decay and damage still there, not sure if they're looking to fix it or not. We also love coming to Sanibel for shelling, and you could find some decent shells along Blind Pass here and there, but pretty underwhelming. There's plenty of other beaches stretching the island with more opportunity, better parking and overall much easier access.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, clean, and stunning beach! We found tons of shells, saw dolphins, the water…read morewas clear, and we had a wonderful time. Highly recommend!

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.

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!

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!