- Eat at and explore all the quaint and quirky restaurants on the island; there's something for everyone.
- Take a Sail Boat cruise
- Relax, especially on the beach with toes in the sand
- Watch the dolphins and other sea creatures
- Enjoy the sunsets
 |
| Typical sunset in Sanibel & Captiva Island |
Don't forget to pack for Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Florida
- Camera (you have to capture the perfect Sunset picture!)
- Bathing Suit
- Sunscreen
- Cover Ups
- Comfy shoes to ride bikes
Sanibel & Captiva Islands are reminiscent of what you expect from a Florida beach vacation; there are virtually no chains on the island (only Dairy Queen) so all of the shops and restaurants are so unique, not only in cuisine and esthetic but in appearance as well. Pastel colors and sea shell shops line Periwinkle Way, one of Sanibel Island's main road.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands are not only known for their beautiful beaches but all of the sea shells that adorn the sand, there are more sea shell shops (trying saying that three times fast) on the island than you ever thought you'd need. The beaches are so soft and the ocean looks tropical with it's turquoise glow.
 |
| Walk along Sanibel & Captitva Island Beach |
 | |
|
 |
| Sanibel & Captiva Island Sea Shells |
There are plenty of activities to do on Sanibel & Captiva Islands, but for the adults (golf, spa, etc.) but also plenty of family friendly ones too. There are plenty of resorts along the beach with activities galore.
One of the favorite things we did on our vacation was charter a private sail boat (with a captain, of course) for the afternoon. We chartered New Moon Sailing and Captain Mick was just great! Very knowledgable of the local area, took us through all the spots to see Dolphins and Manatees swimming besides us. You're able to bring your own snacks and wine/champagne/beer on board so make sure you do. And, everyone gets to participate and help out. My dad got to be Captain for a while as did I! It was 3-4 hours of pure bliss!
 |
| New Moon Sail Boat with Captain Mick off Tween Waters Inn Marina |
 |
| Manatees swimming next to our sail boat on New Moon Sailing on Captiva Island |
 | |
|
 |
| Relaxing aboard New Moon Sailing afternoon at sea in Captiva Island |
 |
| Honorary Captain about New Moon Sailing off Captiva Island |
 |
| New Moon Sailing Boat |
There are also other options, that are much less costly, to go on on afternoon or sunset sail from a few of the marinas.
RESTAURANTS
No two restaurants are the same on Sanibel & Captiva Islands. There is a cuisine to fit all taste buds and the ambiance to accompany it. There are over 50 restaurants on the Islands, but I haven't been able to eat at all of them. Here are some of the highlights ...
The Timbers Fish Market
For us seafood lovers this was right up our ally. There is a huge fish market as you walk into the restaurant and the fish is so fresh and pretty reasonably priced. We came for a laid back dinner one evening and their soups are made fresh and with bug chunks of fish. My husband and dad had huge oysters on the half shell and my mom and I ate shrimp cocktails until we couldn't eat anymore. The fish was so fresh and big, this was one of the best meals we had on the island.
Sanibel Grill
This is a favorite spot of the locals. Sanibel Grill tasty, better than bar food with a good service and happy hour. The portions are generous, so you get a lot for your money. It gets busy so come early, but there is a huge deck out front so waiting with a drink from the bar isn't so bad.
Traders
I think this is one of the higher end restaurants we've been to on the islands. It has a different feel than the typical 'island' flair and is more elegant. Traders food is high end and presentation is very pretty. We know some picky locals that come here to celebrate all of their special occasions. They serve high end American cuisine.
Matzaluna
This is a great place for casual Italian dining on the Islands. Matzaluna is big, but I'd still recommend making a reservation in high tourist season. You can get any of the italian food your craving from salads to pastas and even pizzas.
The Green Flash
The restaurant is named after the flash that sun set makes over the ocean when you see that last little light of sun before it sets. With a name like that you can imagine the view. The Green Flash is set on the water and the walls are all floor to ceiling windows, so you can enjoy the view form where your seat it. We went here to celebrate my dad's birthday and it's a very big seafood menu. Almost every kind of fish you'd be looking for and everyone enjoyed what they ate (which is rare in our extended family, so that's a huge compliment).
The Bubble Room
This is the quirkiest restaurant I've been to on the Islands! The restaurant is huge and every room has its on unique personality and packed with floor to ceiling (and even on some ceilings) decor to match. This is visual stimulation overload, but a very fun ambiance. The waiters and waitresses are dressed in boy scout uniforms (hilarious). There is a super cute gift shop hut outside in the parking lot that's definitely worth browsing. All that said, the food was good and plentiful; we'd definitely go back.
The Mucky Duck
The Mucky Duck has a nostalgic appeal to my family. My parents took us here as kids and it was one of my dad's favorite restaurants on Sanibel & Captiva Islands. Not only is the setting perfection (look at these sunset pics); its at the end of the street nestled up to the sand. So, while you wait for your table, there is an out door bar set up (where you can order not only drinks but appetizers too) and plenty of picnic tables and chairs to sit at so you can enjoy the water view. The Mucky Duck menu is pretty large and weighs heavy on the seafood, but if you have non seafood lovers in your group there are a few other options to satisfy their tastebuds.
 | |
|
 |
| Sunset in front of The Mucky Duck Capita Island |
The Sanibel Bean
The perfect stop for coffee, ice cream or bagels; an all encompassing menu if you ask me! They have a huge assortment of super tasty coffee flavors and ice cream. They also make a great bagel breakfast sandwich (which I've had quite a few times). This is located on Periwinkle Way so it's centrally located.
The Island Cow
This is such a cute breakfast (or brunch or lunch or even dinner) spot. I have a love affair for breakfast, so that's the only meal I've eaten here but they also have a huge dinner menu and plenty of milk shake options. They offer a little bit of everything for breakfast - eggs, pancakes, seafood omelets, steak and eggs, fruits and granola, quesedillas, frittatas, french toast or waffles. Breakfast is far and away my favorite meal of the day so I love a place where I find something I love and can get the same thing every time or spice it up and try something new each time.
Jerry's Restaurant
If you are looking for a good, cheap breakfast or lunch the restaurant inside of Jerry's grocery store is a good option. We've had both breakfast and lunch there and the food is tasty, good quality and made to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment