8 Amazing Places to Watch Sunset on Sanibel and Captiva

Woohoo — you made it to paradise!

But somehow in all the excitement you forgot to find out the best places to watch sunset on Sanibel or neighboring Captiva Island while you’re here!

Not to worry, this guide is just what you need.

I don’t know about where you live but here in southwest Florida, I’m constantly Googling places to watch sunset near me whenever we’re out and about, or enjoying Happy Hour somewhere without a view. That’s never good.

A beautiful sunset and a tropical cocktail are just a winning combo, don’t you agree?

Florida’s Gulf coast has some of the best sunsets in the state.

And since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Sanibel Island and Captiva Island are ideal places to watch the sunset.

Their shared island arches phototropically toward the warm sunset rays like a sleeping cat in the sun.

One of the best things to do on Sanibel and Captiva is to watch the sunset — and there are a wide variety of spots to go, from sandy beaches and tasty restaurants to relaxing sunset cruises or a tropical beach bar.

As an added bonus, these two southwest Florida islands are known as ideal spots to see the elusive green flash.

This natural phenomenon occurs when a burst of bright green light flashes, a split-second reflection resulting from the natural curvature of the earth as the sun dips below the horizon.

But don’t blink or else you’ll miss it!

If you’re looking for the most amazing places to watch the sunset on Sanibel and Captiva, this guide has everything you need to know!

8 Amazing Places to Watch the Sunset in Sanibel and Captiva

Sanibel Lighthouse Beach

112 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

We’re starting off our list of 8 amazing places to watch the sunset on Sanibel and Captiva with the Sanibel Island Lighthouse, one of the most iconic beaches in southwest Florida.

But of all these places we’ve listed, there’s not a direct view of the sun from many of the beaches on Sanibel.

So why add it at all? That’s easy.

Because if there’s one place you have to experience a Sanibel sunset, this is it!

Hear me out — just look at the photo op.

Your #sunset pics become suddenly become #Instaworthy with the addition of the lighthouse on the beach!

Plus, both the setting and the shelling are even better. Sanibel Lighthouse beach wraps around the southern tip of Sanibel Island so you can walk around the entire tip of the island to explore, go shelling, and see much more of the island than at any other spot on our list.

The beach looks across at nearby Fort Myers beach glowing from the setting sun.

Sanibel at sunset becomes dreamy at this beach — so don’t miss it!

Turner Beach and Blind Pass Beach Park

6491-6499 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel

Like Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Turner Beach and Blind Pass Beach Park are practically twins.

Separated by the wicked hurricane in 1921, the one island that existed at the time was split in two at this very spot, created two distinct islands we know today as Sanibel Island and Captiva Island.

There’s literally a small bridge you can easily walk across from one spot to the other sandy shore just 0.2 miles away!

Situated on the southernmost tip of Captiva Island, Turner Beach is known as one of the most amazing places to watch the sunset in Sanibel and Captiva.

Blind Pass Beach on the other hand is on the northernmost tip of Sanibel Island facing Turner Beach.

It’s also a great place to go for the most breathtaking sunsets in the area!

And if one of the many sailboats decide to pass by at the right time, your view will become even more picture-perfect.

Spend the afternoon at either Turner Beach or Blind Pass — or both.

While there, you can shell, suntan, and build sandcastles.

If you’ve come for shelling, you’ll find Blind Pass has the best shelling on Sanibel, and is better than Turner Beach because of the wicked current running around its tip into the inlet — don’t go out in the water too far and get caught in it!

As for the sunset, both beaches offer a sublime view!

The Mad Hatter Restaurant, Sanibel

6467 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel

The Mad Hatter offers something different from most of the other spots on this list of amazing places to watch the sunset in Sanibel and Captiva.

Rather than just watching the sunset paint the sky, you can pair it with a lovely dinner for an even better Sanibel experience!

This Sanibel Island restaurant is located on the shores of Blind Pass Beach and has been creating amazing dinners for a very long time — and they have never lost their touch.

So as you listen to the waves crash, dine on one of the restaurant’s delicious dishes.

Fish lovers have to try the black grouper! The goat cheese pillows, short ribs, and lobster tail are also killer menu favorites.

If Sanibel Island sunsets are at the top of your list, spend one of them at the Mad Hatter.

The Mucky Duck, Captiva

11546 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva

If you’re looking for a restaurant on Captiva Island specifically, you should consider paying a visit to The Mucky Duck.

The Mucky Duck is a fun and lively eatery located on Captiva Beach.

This Captiva Island restaurant is so well-known for its sunset viewing that there’s actually a designated section of their website for the sunset time!

Rather than getting a full meal, we recommend ordering a tasty drink, listening to live music, and of course watching the awe-inspiring sunset.

A few of the best drinks at The Mucky Duck include the Rum Punch, Screwdriver Cape Codder, and the Mucky Duck Margarita.

Sunset Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise

In our opinion, one of the best ways to see the sunset on Sanibel and Captiva Island is by taking a sunset cruise.

After all, when you’re on a boat, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll have an unobstructed view of this natural nighttime show.

But a sunset cruise takes this to the next level — add in some dolphins playing and wildlife sightings, and you have a perfect Captiva or Sanibel sunset cruise.

In other words, you’ll see so much more than just the fiery sky. Glimpses of dolphins, waterfowl, and the occasional manatee are almost guaranteed!

There are several different companies that offer sunset dolphin and wildlife cruises in Sanibel and Captiva Island, but Adventures in Paradise and Captiva Cruises are two of the best.

The Crow’s Nest, Captiva

15951 Captiva Dr, Captiva

Located at the ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, one of the top Captiva Island resorts, the Crow’s Nest is a local favorite and a great place to be if you want to double the fun of your Captiva sunset with some tropical cocktails!

They serve dinner nightly and often have live entertainment as well.

The only thing keeping you from the sunset is Happy Hour so don’t fret if you never want to leave your chair — the path to the beach is just outside the door.

If you’re there on a Monday or Thursday, ask is the Hermit Crab Races will take place.

On these two nights throughout the year, the bistro holds what could arguably be called a big night out on Captiva, with one of the most fun things to do on your SWFL vacation, especially for kids!

Bowman’s Beach, Sanibel

1700 Bowmans Beach Rd, Sanibel

Bowman’s Beach is the most popular beach on Sanibel Island for so many reasons.

Not only is it one of the largest beaches on the island, but it is also one of the best spots for shelling!

You can find everything from conch shells to lightning whelk shells to cockle shells while at Bowman’s Beach.

And since Bowman’s Beach is on this list, you know that it’s a fantastic place to watch the sunset too.

You can watch the sky transform from a pale blue to striking shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink!

And as you watch, you can hunt for those beloved shells!

Since Bowman’s Beach is so large, there are obviously spots that are better for sunset viewing than others.

For the best sunset viewing experience, you’ll want to turn right from the parking lot and head north.

Not only will this slice of beach be less crowded, but it’ll also give you a better angle to see the sun dip below the horizon.

Sanibel Causeway

Sanibel Causeway is the road that crosses from mainland Florida to Sanibel Island.

There are two islands along this road – simply referred to as “Island A” and “Island B” – that are perfect for watching the sunset!

While at these little slivers of islands, there is so much for you to do, so consider getting there before sunset.

You can swim, shell, windsurf, kayak, suntan, and more! You can even bring your grill to whip up a meal, which is perfect for a sunset dinner.

It’s important to note that you’ll have to pay a pretty pricey toll when crossing the Sanibel Causeway.

But there’s a loophole! If you’re coming from Fort Myers, there’s a grassy area right under the start of the Sanibel Causeway.

This is actually quite a popular place for locals to watch the sunset.

There are so many amazing places to watch the sunset on Sanibel and Captiva.

Thanks to its westward-facing beaches, these two islands are some of the best places to watch the sunset in all of Florida!

You won’t regret watching the horizon light up every night with an amazing fiery sunset…no two are ever the same!

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