Sanibel Area Guide

Sanibel Island has it all, 15 miles of beaches, 26 miles of bike paths, abundant wildlife, amazing fishing and natural beauty beyond description. There are no homes taller than a palm tree, no stop lights and no street lights. Sanibel is a truly unique place with an average temperature of 74 degrees and activities for all ages. All of Kingfisher Vacations homes are central to Sanibel activities and attractions. Stoll, bike or take a short drive to an awaiting adventure. Feel free to give us a call for suggestions on Island activities as we all…Live, Work and Play here.

Beaches

Sit back and relax on the beach! There are over 15 miles of beaches on Sanibel with a variety of options for you and your family. If you would like to visit the many different beaches around the Island there are several pay to park public beaches that are $2.00 an hour. Some of the pay to park beaches are Turner beach, Bowman’s Beach, Gulfside Beach, Lighthouse Beach and Fishing Pier, Tarpon Bay Beach. There are other beaches accessible with a beach parking permit. Please visit my.sanibel.com


Boating

Experience the Island from the water! Clean blue-green tropical waters surrounding the Islands are the perfect place to fish, sight see and nature watch. Take one of the many boat tours around our beautiful Islands where you could see dolphin, sea turtles and manatee. Or rent your own boat so you can create your own water adventure.For more information on boating visit our “Things to do” page.


Biking

Explore the Island on a bike! With over 26 miles of bike paths throughout the Islands, Sanibel and Captiva are the perfect place to rent a bike and start exploring. The majority of the bike paths are paved but there are even some gravel/shell lined paths to explore. Visit bikeflorida.com to see the different trips you can take on a bike.


Shelling

Sanibel and Captiva are known as the Shell Islands not only because of the variety of shells you find on the beaches but because the Islands were formed from shells. The unique east- west shape of the Island, the ways the tides hit make the Islands a perfect scoop for shell from all over the world to wash up. For more information on the variety of shells found here visit the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum


Fishing

Amazing fishing surround the Island where you can fish from the beach, a pier, go deep sea fishing or hire a guide to take you around the surrounding Islands. There are several bait shops and fishing guides on the Island that will help you get the gear you need to catch the variety of species. To learn about Florida fishing guidelines and license requirements visit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.


Nature

Over 60 percent of the Island is conservation land. Much of the land being J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge which is a great place to visit and view the hundreds of birds that migrate here during the winter. Another great place to visit to learn about the nature on the Island is Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation which also owns over 1800 acres of land dedicated to conservation.


Captiva Island Guide

A remote tropical paradise, Captiva Island is attached to Sanibel Island by a small bridge at blind pass. Six miles long, ½ mile wide with pristine beaches, abundant wildlife and crystal blue waters, Captiva is unique among all American Destinations. With incredible homes amongst sub-tropical landscapes and the beach or bay just steps away from any home, make Captiva Island a fabulous vacation destination. All of Kingfisher Vacations’ homes are central to all of Captiva’s activities and attractions. Feel free to give us a call for suggestions on Island activities as we all…Live, Work and Play here.


Beaches

Sit back and relax on the beach! Captiva beaches are a beautiful sugar white with blue green water. Anywhere you stay on Captiva is close to the beach. Should you want to visit Captiva beaches during your Sanibel stay, there are also two pay to park public beaches that are $2.00 an hour. The two beaches are Turner Beach at the beginning of Captiva Dr and Captiva Beach at the end of Captiva Dr.


Boating

Experience the Island from the water! If there is a theme of Captiva Island it would be water. At only ½ mile wide with the Gulf beaches, the Bay and Roosevelt Channel, boating is a great activity on Captiva Island. Take a Captiva Cruise to some of the upper Islands, hire a fishing guide to take you to the best spots or rent a boat for yourself to explore the waterways. Don’t forget to rent a kayak or paddleboard for a once in a lifetime experience


Biking

Explore the Island on a bike! With over 26 miles of bike paths throughout the Islands, Sanibel and Captiva are the perfect place to rent a bike and start exploring. The majority of the bike paths are paved but there are even some gravel/shell lined paths to explore. Visit bikeflorida.com to see the different trips you can take on a bike.


Shelling

Sanibel and Captiva are known as the Shell Islands not only because of the variety of shells you find on the beaches but because the Islands were formed from shells. One of the best beaches to shell on Captiva is Turner Beach because of the water flowing from the gulf as well as the bay. For more information on the variety of shells found on the Islands visit the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum


Fishing

Amazing fishing surround the Island where you can fish from the beach, a pier, the bridge, go deep sea fishing or hire a guide to take you around the surrounding Islands. There are several marinas and fishing guides on Captiva that will help you get the gear you need to catch the different varieties of species. To learn about Florida fishing guidelines and license requirements visit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.


Nature

To explore the wild side on land while on Captiva, visit it’s sister Island, Sanibel, as it is over 60 percent conservation land. Much of the land being J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge which is a great place to visit and view the hundreds of birds that migrate here during the winter. Another great place to visit to learn about the nature on the Island is Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation which also owns over 1800 acres of land dedicated to conservation. A big portion of the acres are Buck Key which is a mangrove island behind Captiva.


Watersports

You can do more than just fishing and boating on the water. Try one of the many watersport adventures. Parasail, Jet Ski, Paddle board, Kayak or go on a Banana Boat Ride. Check out Yolo