| Some decry these 2 islands, the southern most Gulf | | | | You can't enter the wooden Sanibel Island Lighthouse, |
| barrier islands, as 'paradise lost' but the best way to | | | | a working lighthouse that dates to 1884 and is located |
| experience them as 'paradise found' is to visit | | | | at the eastern end of Periwinkle Way. But it is lovely to |
| off-season. Either way there are always more tourist | | | | look at and there's plenty of adjacent parking |
| than locals. That said, Sanibel's also got an eccentric, | | | | surrounded by beach access. |
| isolated and very clique-prone populace that can | | | | Shell Hunting & The Sanibel Stoop |
| sometimes be haughty toward tourists. | | | | She find seashells down by the seashore - in fact, |
| If you can manage to get acquainted with some locals, | | | | about 160 varieties of them on Sanibel Island beaches |
| you'll have a great time. Staying out there is a tad | | | | alone. And although it's so corny it's embarrassing, |
| expensive, too, if you're even lucky enough to get a | | | | people really do refer to the act of bending over to |
| room. Many folks make day trips from Fort Myers. | | | | pick them up as the 'Sanibel Stoop'. |
| Speaking of lucky, high-rise blight has by-passed | | | | Head out to Blind Pass at the northwestern-most |
| Sanibel; no resorts are higher than a palm tree. Even | | | | section of Sanibel at low tide, preferably low tide in |
| more undeveloped and secluded, idiosyncratic Captiva | | | | winter, or better yet, low tide in winter after a storm. |
| lies at the end of the road, where most houses are | | | | You won't be alone. Locals, while some time |
| hidden behind dense foliage. | | | | standoffish in restaurants and bars, will cheerfully offer |
| Everyone comes for glorious beaches, which cough | | | | advice and counsel on shell-gathering strategies. So |
| up some of the western hemisphere's best shells. In | | | | start stooping, you'll come up with boatloads of conch |
| fact, shelling is so good and so diverse that there's a | | | | shells, cat's paw and slippers. |
| museum all about them. Good kayaking and canoing | | | | Anything that's dead is yours for the taking, but make |
| abound within the JN 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife | | | | certain that nothings living inside your shell - taking live |
| Refuge and within the islands. | | | | shell inhabitants or sand dollars, sea starts or sea |
| Although Sanibel and Captiva were whacked by | | | | urchins is grounds for big fines and jail time. That same |
| Hurricane Charley and lost a lot of trees, they're | | | | penalty applies to any shell taken from the JN 'Ding' |
| otherwise recovering quite well. The beaches here are | | | | Darling Refuge, where shelling is prohibited. Folks are |
| fabulous here, absolutely fabulous. The main beaches | | | | incredibly serious about enforcement here. |
| (where parking cost $2 hourly) are Bowman's Beach | | | | Also be aware that authorities in some countries won't |
| (long and private), Sanibel Lighthouse Beach (with | | | | let you to bring shells into their country (check before |
| limited parking but great for catching sunsets) and | | | | you go). If you're worries, just leave them on the |
| Gulfside Park Beach. East, Middle and West Gulf | | | | beach. |
| Drives provide gulf beach access. | | | | |