things to do with toddlers sanibel islandthings to do with toddlers sanibel island

Activities that appeal to kids of all ages from babies to toddlers to teenagers and beyond. You can also watch a live video feed of behind-the-scenes animal rescue and care. Sanibel Island is as much about world-class as it is about beaches. Sanibel Island with kids is the perfect place to spend a family vacation! Indulge in the Signature Arabian Rose treatment, an all-over body scrub, or a deep tissue massage at the spa. Some bucket-list experiences here are sunbathing, kayaking, bird watching, and exploring idyllic parks like the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Hit the big grocery stores in Fort Myers on your way. Tip: Check with your hotel or condo because some units come with bikes. Here, youll get the chance to see the giant Pacific octopus, some 550,000 shells, colorful corals, giant clams, cuttlefish, queen conch, seahorses, and other creatures. Get there early, as parking spaces fill up. Here is a story about patience. From beautiful beaches for shelling to countless water activities for kids, Sanibel Island is a great place to vacation for families. Because of its distance from the airport, there are no public transportation methods to get here. Winter and springtime (from December to April) are the best times to visit Sanibel. Definitely skip dinner there, but head over for dessert and the photo opps outside. Home to all kinds of Floridian wildlife (have your little ones try to spot the mangrove crabs scuttling around among the branches), the mangroves are best experienced by a guided kayak tour through the mangrove tunnels, where the trees naturally form a closed canopy to create a tunnel over the waterway. For the 4 nights we were there, we stood on the beach of the hotel and observed and gave thanks that was our view. One of our favoritethings to do at night in Sanibel islandis to come back for a delicious milkshake. Make sure to pack mesh shell bagsfor each member of the family to carry along the beaches. Come over and. Tip for Canadians Tim Hortons coffee is served at Joeys Custard! Yolo Board Adventures Sanibel offers two-hour guided eco-tours for both adults and children 12 and older. The island acts like a big scoop and because of the way that the ocean currents flow, the shells just wash up on the beach. But heed the warning signs, as the bridge makes for swift ocean currents and the water around it is not advisable for swimming. These cottages are on the western end of the island, so you are guaranteed some beautiful sunsets right from your front porch! It is located in Lee County and the easiest way to get there from Toronto is to fly to Fort Myers, rent a car and go. You'll soon find there's nothing quite like the calm and quiet beauty of being completely surrounded by natureeven kids will be too entranced to cause a ruckus. What's a beach trip without ice cream? And why wouldnt they do that? Parenting lesson learned? Fort Myers Brewery. That is until I heard of the western side of the panhandle and more specifically Sanibel Island. You wont regret taking a drive up to Captiva. Required fields are marked *. We ate breakfast in the room. Temperatures were still in the 80s. March 4-26, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am - 5 pm. Corrie P./CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. At the Crow Clinic Animal Rehab, kids can interact with animal ambassadors for a remarkable learning experience. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Looking for things to do in Sanibel Island with kids? The two ice cream places we tried on Sanibel Island are Joeys Custard and Love Boat Ice Cream. It's a great and inexpensive activity for the family that doesn't involve having everyone sit at a table for an entire meal. There arent really any great public transportation on Sanibel Island, so unless you are planning to take an Uber to and from the airport (expensive given the distance) you will need a car to get around. Not so much. ), and The Best Things to Eat & Drink on Sanibel. Your whole family will enjoy spending hours exploring all the creatures they find! If you like a bit of history in your travels, then be sure to pay a visit to the lighthouse on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island. Stop by Flan World Corp for a life-changing coconut flan, Aux Dlices Bakery for authentic French pastries, and the Doughnut Station for the fluffiest doughnuts. Find Places To Stay In Sanibel Island, Florida. If you're looking for untouched beaches, hop a ferry to Cayo Costa State Park with its nine miles of pristine sand, pine forests, oak-palmhammocks,and mangrove swamps. This is what I know about the best time to visit Sanibel Island. 9. A stop atPinocchio's Italian Ice Cream (362 Periwinkle Way) is a Sanibel tradition. Now? Florida is traditionally a state that screams family travel. While it may be difficult to spotloggerhead turtles,you can usually see their tracks, especially in the early morning on the beaches, so keep your eyes open when you are taking that morning walk or out shelling, and youll probably encounter some of the tiny turtle tracks heading back to the Gulf. Having a sub-tropical climate, visitors and residents enjoy the outdoors and sunshine all year long. Friday, March 3. This year before we left we talked to them about the different types of shells they could find and even got them a shelling Sand Dipper Jr and sea shell collecting bag. If you're lucky you may even spot a gator! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I know it sounds strange, but if you ask my daughter, this was one of her favorite places on Sanibel island for kids. Don't forget the camera some of my best shots have come at this time. It was a day of ribbons and confetti cannons, hugs and back-slapping as two more island business emerged from . Sign up for simple dinner ideas, easy step by step instructions, and fun recipes for kids. There are a lot of super kid-friendly restaurants on the island but there are some that specifically ask you not to bring tots online, so check ahead of time! We got to one area and a couple said they had heard one there and were waiting. Read More: The Best Hawaii Resorts for Families on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. They didnt see a manatee. Book a ride with Captiva Cruises, and make a stop at Cabbage Key. Bring a bottle of wine and let the kids get their feet wet. As someone who doesnt have kids, I still love all the suggestions. We are living our travel dreams despite having regular jobs and want to inspire you to check some items off of your family travel bucket list. First lit in 1884, the area around the lighthouse is open to public, but the lighthouse itself is not. Since 1884, the Sanibel Lighthouse (or Sanibel Island Light), has stood on Point Ybel at the eastern tip ofSanibel Island, markingthe entrance to San Carlos Bay. Our days were spent playing in the water, riding bikes around the island and collecting shells (SO MAY SHELLS! It is a pretty photo stop, the beach is (of course) covered with shells and there is a lovely shaded picnic area there. One of the most famous is the Wildlife and Education Boardwalk, which provides excellent views of freshwater areas inhabited by alligators and nesting birds. Watch the sky burn a bright orange fromthe Mucky Duck, where they hold a sunset celebration on the beach just steps away from their patio. Nature comes in a spectacular variety in the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Kids will enjoy learning about the history of the lighthouse and no trip to the island is complete without a selfie in front of it. Sprinkled in youll find family travel inspiration. The kitschy shop at the east end of Sanibel is legendary for its delicious homemade Italian gelato. Whether you choose to be boating, kayaking, canoeing, water-skiing or fishing from one of the favorite spots, play a round of golf on the challenging scenic courses, there are over 70 of them, the perfect place to tee off and test your mettle on the green . Here you'll find shell-strewn beaches, a laid-back vibe, terrific restaurants and shops,and an incredibly diverse wildlife sampling. Why not try a different one each night? Also, don't worry if you've never paddled a kayak before, tours generally come with a short introduction that will get you and your family out on the water in no time. Part sporting event, part comedy dinner show, the crab races have guests select a hermit crab from a bowl, name it and then cheer it on as it races to the finish line. This Italian restaurant on Sanibel isnt the best thing ever, but after days of burgers, nachos and shellfish, it tastes like it is. Find 2023's best things to do with kids. You can also rent them. Additionally, after undergoing several renovations to the main halls and exhibits in 2018 and 2019, the Shell Museum will fully reopen on July 5, 2019, with tons of new features. Not by chance, it became the worlds most famous place for shelling. Once we left the beach area, we stopped coughing. Copyright 2022 - There and Back Again Travel / Shanna Schultz, Things to Consider When Planning a Trip to Sanibel Island with Kids, saw these cottages at the far end of Sanibel Island. I am a travel agent and family travel expert who is PASSIONATE about planning amazing adventures for families. 8. The time lost in driving, the tolls and just the increased level of relaxation that staying on the island gave us were completely worth the extra money. Leave the kids with your husband and get a massage at the Tween Waters Inn. Tip: Many guides will clean the fish for you so you can enjoy your catch for dinner. Most of the nicer resorts on Sanibel provide some variety of activities. If we had to drive over and visit just for the day, it would not have been at all the same experience. This is definitely one of the best Sanibel Island activities for families, and one of the top reasons that many people plan a visit here. There are so many options for accommodations on Sanibel Island with kids, at all budget levels. If you aren't familiar with Sanibel Island, Florida it's a small island off the coast of West Florida near Fort Myers. This is the first lighthouse north of the Keys. It sets over the ocean where you can watch from a huge stretch of public beach. Your little ones are really brave for embracing boas and alligators. The ferry terminal is located on neighboring Captiva Island and accessed via a short drive over the bridge. When the red tide is high, dead fish wash up on shore, some shellfish is unsafe to eat and humans, especially those with asthma, have trouble breathing. KathrynAnywhere is a participant in the Booking.com affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees upon guests booking reservations at the accommodations listed. Be sure also to visit the family-friendly Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, the only one in the United States devoted solely to shells and mollusks. Your email address will not be published. What I am going to tell you is some insights what we did while visiting Sanibel, and what is on our shortlist for next time: This is the number one reason that many folks make the trip to Sanibel, and for good reason. Groceries on Sanibel were significantly more expensive than on the main land. This was a "giant clapper" in our world for the week. If you're ready to explore South Plainfield, sign up for one of the top tours & day trips on offer, and have a friendly guide show you some of the most popular sights. These are excellent suggestions! This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Sanibel Island Lighthouse 2,675 Lighthouses Open now By Anxsmomt The lighthouse is a public beach, plenty of parking. By: Jodi/Updated on: February 15, 2023/3 Comments. You can drive through the preserve at your own pace and get out to spot wildlife. Visit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum to get a more in depth understanding of the areas shells, and book a guided beach walk where a seasoned naturalist will teach you how to find the best shells. Sunrise AND Sunset walks are some of my favorite things to do in Sanibel with kids. 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