If you’re thinking about taking an island vacation, why not take one that’s a bit closer to home? Right off the cost of Florida, Sanibel Island is a great place for a family vacation or a romantic trip for two. The island is crowned with gorgeous white sand beaches, but lying out by the surf isn’t the only thing to do. If you’re wondering how you could take a more active role in your vacation, here are a few things you can do on this island.

For one thing, the island is definitely a haven for nature lovers of all sorts. You can always, of course, take walks on the beach. There are also some great bike trails through the island that can bring you within close proximity of some of the area’s wildlife. Plus, you can take specialized bird watching tours to check out many of the feathered friends of Sanibel Island.

Fantastic fun things to do await you on Sanibel Island!

It you really love the water, you don’t have to leave it for your entire vacation. Why not fish off one of the beaches or a charter boat? You could also go snorkeling or take some scuba diving classes. Those who really need to get their heart rates going can try water sports of all kinds on rented equipment that’s easily accessible on the island.

When you’re ready to get out of the sun for a bit and enjoy some evening activities, why not see a movie or visit one of the island’s museums? There are also art exhibits galore, and you can even visit one of the area’s antique shops to bring back a unique souvenir from your trip. You’ll find all this and more on Sanibel Island, so if you want a beach vacation where you don’t just lie by the water all day, it’s definitely a good option.

While Florida is known world-wide for its beaches, this has the unintended result of making them very crowded places during certain times of the year. The beaches on Sanibel Island and Captiva Island offer something different. Sanibel Island beaches range from very popular and hopping locations to secluded strips of sand where there isn’t even a hotel in site. Many Sanibel Island beaches and Captiva Island beaches are notable for the opportunity they provide to investigate the ocean environment. While most beaches are associated with water sports, many of the beaches on these islands are associated with genuine exploration and adventure.

Experience the beautiful beaches of sanibel and Captiva!

Captiva Island has a reputation for being the playground of the affluent but this community is very welcoming to visitors. Captiva Island beaches are also the sites of some very fun and educational events and festivals each year. Shelling, fishing and water sports are provide the many visitors to the beaches with an endless amount of excitement, exploration and fun. Captiva’s beaches are unique in that many are very secluded and private locations.

Sanibel Island beaches are the site of some of the most laid-back activities one could imagine. Bowman’s Beach is one of the island’s most secluded. The activities on this beach really amount to relaxing on a Florida beach with not a bit of development in sight! Lighthouse Beach is the site of one of the island’s most popular fishing piers. If one wants to get out and mingle with a crowd of locals and visitors alike, this is one of the best places to be. Sanibel beaches constitute 15 miles in total and most of the shoreline is sandy and pleasant.

There are many options for exploring the environs around these islands via watercraft. The Tarpon Bay Explorers offer tours that traverse the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and which are representative of the variety of activities in which visitors can engage. The tours pass through this mangrove ecosystem via various means. One may choose to take a kayak tour, a canoe tour or a tour on a pontoon boat. These methods all have one thing in common: They allow a very quiet means of exploring. The Tarpon Bay Explorers offer guests the opportunity to see the environment at its finest and most serene.

Of course, there are those who will wish to do some Sanibel and Captiva fishing rather than touring the reserves. There are few better places for which one could wish. Some of the common fish caught in this area include redfish, snook and sea trout. The waters around Sanibel Island and Captiva Island have more than just game fish beneath their surfaces, however. The Sanibel and Captiva waters around these islands boast the largest population of bottlenose dolphins anywhere. They are also home to Florida’s famously gentle and curious Manatees.

Fantastic fishing, boating and tours await you on Sanibel and Captiva!

Finding a boat rental on Sanibel Island is not difficult, but one should consider a guided tour such as those offered by Tarpon Bay Explorers if they have no experience with the sea. Making use of a guided tour service ensures that one sees all that the island has to offer. For instance, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is famous for being the seasonal home of many migratory birds. If one doesn’t know where to look, one may well miss out on the egrets, ibis, pelicans and roseate spoonbills that live in this reserve. Sanibel fishing is very popular, but boats have many more uses in this environment.

Finding a boat rental on Captiva Island is also quite easy. There are several different businesses that offer the service. The options range from skiffs to pontoon boats and beyond. These boats are suitable for Sanibel and Captiva fishing or in any other area surrounding either of the islands, depending upon the type. Remember that some areas are restricted speed zones. The reason for this is usually that manatees forage in those specific areas.

Sanibel Island tours are one of the more popular activities in which visitors to this area of the country undertake. This area is renowned for having one of the most abundant populations of bottlenose dolphins in the world. It is also one of the grazing areas preferred by manatees, a gentle and friendly marine mammal. Booking Sanibel tours or Captiva tours allows guests to see these beautiful islands from offshore and, if they’re fortunate, to interact with some of the fascinating marine life that calls the waters around these barrier islands home.

Florida dolphin tours are enjoyable for people of all ages. These friendly and incredibly intelligent mammals are very social and their curiosity tends to make them as interested in the people taking a tour as the tourists are in the dolphins. The manatee population is also one of the most compelling reasons to take Sanibel tours. These mammals are endangered and are at particular risk for being injured or killed by speed boats. The residents of these islands work famously hard to protect the environment and these tours serve more than just a commercial purpose. There is a great deal to learn on Sanibel tours.

Experience the spectacular tours of sanibel and Captiva!

Captiva tours are equally enjoyable. Captiva is separated from Sanibel by a narrow strait of water known as Blind Pass. The islands are accessible to one another by car but traveling from one to the other on a chartered cruise is simply one of the most enjoyable activities for which one could ask. Captiva tours will afford guests views of the island’s fascinating interior, which has been inhabited since 1888. The island gets its name from its legendary affiliation with pirates who allegedly held a woman captive on the island. Today, tourists are more likely to see the spectacular homes that make up Millionaire’s Row than they are any pirates.

If one has an interest in undertaking Florida dolphin tours, taking Sanibel tours or Captiva tours is an excellent way to go about it. If one is more interested in game fish than they are in ocean mammals, there are plenty of chartered fishing services which will offer a more active sort of island tour. One may also wish to explore the waterways within the island with Sanibel tours, including the mangrove ecosystem which is part of the protected lands at the northern end of Sanibel Island.