Sanibel vs Captiva: Which Island Stay is Right for You?

Sanibel vs Captiva? Which of these twin islands in southwest Florida is right for you?

Just off the coast of Fort Myers in southwest Florida lie the twin barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva, coastal jewels of the Lee County coast.

The two Gulf Coast islands would be one were it not for the hurricane in 1921 which cut the island in two. The deep channel of water of what is now Blind Pass was formed, forever separating the two (though barely) by a narrow two-lane bridge that’s small enough to walk across in under a minute.

We’re often asked and emailed questions from readers wanting to know what the difference is between Sanibel and Captiva islands. And we totally get it —when you’re planning a trip, understanding what’s unique about one or the other can be so confusing, especially if you’ve never been here before.

The two island are essentially one, but they really do have subtle qualities that could make a big difference in your vacation. Once you visit, it’s easy to see what we mean when we call them twins.

Here is our best explanation of the main differences between Sanibel vs Captiva islands, to help you decide which island stay is right for you.

How to Get to Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel and Captiva are connected to Fort Myers on the mainland by only one roadway — the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. Because it’s the only way on and off the island, as you can imagine, traffic can be insane given the popularity of the islands as a tourist destination especially at the height of “season” from December through March.

Honestly I can’t imagine living on the island if I had to go to work off-island everyday, or just do a quick run to Target. This is why the majority of people on the island are retired, work remotely from home, or are on vacation. But I digress…

It will take you roughly one hour to get to Sanibel and Captiva from the Fort Myers airport — Southwest Florida International (RSW) — to the Sanibel Causeway. Then it takes about 20 minutes (without traffic) to travel the length of Sanibel to the small bridge at Blind Pass that brings you to Captiva.

TOLL: Unless you have a SunPass account, the Causeway toll is $6.00 per vehicle heading to Sanibel. There is no toll for leaving the island back to Fort Myers, or for crossing the small bridge from Sanibel to Captiva.

Sanibel vs Captiva: What Do They Have in Common?

Before we delve into what’s unique about each island, let us just say that both islands have these things in common:

• Gorgeous beaches and a laid back, islandy atmosphere

• There are NO: high-rise hotels and condos, big box stores, chain restaurants or traffic signals

• Mostly low density development

But both islands have their own unique personality. Let’s start with the first island you’ll arrive at from the mainland — Sanibel Island.

Sanibel Island

Sanibel is a unique blend of well-protected nature destination and tourist hotspot with a bit of everything for those seeking a laid-back, go at your own pace vacation. It’s especially popular among beach and nature lovers as the beaches are pristine and the water sublime. Nearly 70% of the island is devoted to conservation and wildlife refuges.

Thanks to the forethought and determination of local residents, there have been consistent efforts since the 1970s to conserve and protect the natural setting and limit mass development, so much so that citizens formed their own municipal government apart from Lee County.

Today, Sanibel is unique from other southwest Florida towns because there are no chains or franchises (except a few grandfathered ones). There are no big box stores — you have to go off-island to Fort Myers for that — or streetlights and traffic lights. But it’s far from chaotic. Sanibel’s finest wearing white gloves still move traffic the old fashioned way during peak times.

Island Size

Without a doubt, Sanibel is the larger of the two islands, and more touristed since it’s the first island off the Causeway. Almost 7,400 residents live there in just over 16 square miles. But that’s not the only reason Sanibel is busier than Captiva — there’s just more things to see and do on Sanibel.

Amenities

Does the lack of chain restaurants mean Sanibel has no casual restaurants for quick and cheap in-and-out service? Not at all. You’ll find a few places like Schnapper’s Hots for hot dogs, lots of ice cream shops, and other casual eateries that are value-friendly. In fact, there’s an eclectic variety of Sanibel retaurants serving great breakfasts, casual lunch, and upscale restaurants for dinner.

Local grocery stores like Jerry’s and Bailey’s General Store are good for sandwiches, prepared foods, good picnic food for the beach, and stocking your own kitchenette or vacation rental.

Shopping plazas along the main drag known as Periwinkle Way are small independent boutiques selling everything from souvenirs and beachwear to clothing and higher end designer apparel. Add in a few art galleries and jewelry shops and you can take a break from the beach by browsing them all.

Sanibel has 25 miles of safe designated bike paths making it possible to literally pedal or walk the length and breadth of the island. There are several vendors for bike rentals or check with your hotel to find out if they offer bike rentals. If you’re visiting during season, a bike will allow you to get around traffic when it slows to a crawl. Rent a bike! It’s a great way to explore and enjoy the island.

There are several vendors on Sanibel for you to rent a kayak or a canoe if you prefer. Some will even deliver a kayak to where you are staying. Paddling the island’s back waters is a great way to spend a day. Dolphins make their appearance daily and often a manatee or two are spotted.

One of the best spots on Sanibel to go kayaking is the J N Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Captiva Road. You can rent a kayak here and paddle through mangroves while watching for wading and shore birds and other wildlife. If you’re not a paddler you can still see a lot of the refuge by taking the guided tram tour or hiking on established trails.

The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is another fun place to visit on Sanibel with interesting exhibits, interactive stations for the kids, and shell collections from all over the world.

Beaches on Sanibel

Sanibel is known for its beaches — some of the best beaches in southwest Florida — but even more so for the millions of shells that wash up on its shores by the hour. It’s the top shelling destination in the country and shell collectors from around the world come to spend the day hunched over doing the “Sanibel Stoop”. With a shell bag in hand, they scour the beaches for hours looking for unbroken treasures.

Is there much of a difference between beaches on Sanibel and those on Captiva? Not really. Both have soft white sand and clear blue-green water. The biggest difference is the number of beaches. Because of its larger size, Sanibel has more beaches to choose from than Captiva.

That said, however, since most visitors seem to hit the beaches closest to the Sanibel Causeway (the only road on and off the island), you’ll find that the closer you get to the Causeway, the more crowded the beaches are.

The irony of this is, one of the best beaches on Sanibel is located closest to the Causeway. Lighthouse Beach is one of the best places to watch sunset on Sanibel or Captiva because of the lighthouse — it makes any sunset pic of Sanibel Instaworthy!

How is Shelling on Sanibel?

That’s the right question! Without a doubt, Sanibel has better shelling than Captiva. This is simply due to the offshore geography and Sanibel’s unique curvature of land — it really does get the lion’s share of great shells!

Hotels and Accommodations on Sanibel Island

There are no high-rise accommodations on Sanibel, only two story hotels, one-story retro motels, and lovely quaint cottages. You’ll also find a good selection of family-friendly beachfront resorts, condos, B&B's and Airbnbs. There’s even a lovely campground on Sanibel!

Captiva Island

To give you an accurate perspective, Sanibel is downright sleepy compared with other southwest Florida towns like Fort Myers, Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs — even Punta Gorda. But Captiva is even quieter and less busy than Sanibel, though there’s still plenty to do.

Once you cross over the bridge at Blind Pass, you’ll immediately notice how the road narrows and homes are shrouded by lush greenery and gates.

Island Size

Relative to Sanibel, only 583 residents live on over 1.6 square miles of island, and not nearly as many visitors venture over to Captiva, other than those staying at South Seas Island Resort. There are several reasons for this, partly because Captiva lacks the number of activities and attractions that Sanibel has, and partly because it is almost entirely private property with very high-end homes.

Out of the 1.6 square miles of Captiva, over 300 acres — essentially the entire northern tip — is all owned by the South Seas Resort. It’s a beautiful resort and one we highly recommend staying at for its resort facilities including a 9-hole golf course, and the variety of accommodations that will suit everyone. But if you’re not staying here, access to the property is restricted.

Amenities

As you head for the tip of Captiva, the island gets very narrow allowing you to see the Gulf on one side and Pine Island Sound on the other.

Before you reach the South Seas Island resort there’s the quaint village of Captiva with a few shops and eateries. On the left side of Captiva Drive there are three short side streets. Along Andy Rosse Lane is Captiva Island Pizza, casual RC Otter’s, and the very delicious Key Lime Bistro. At the end of the lane is one of Captiva’s most popular restaurants, The Mucky Duck, a laid-back place that’s great for a cold drink and watching the sunset.

On the opposite side of Captiva Drive is a popular favorite, the Bubble Room complete with year-round Christmas decorations and a very funky decor. The Bubble Room is family friendly and a very fun place for kids - and adults.

Captiva doesn’t have the network of dedicated bike paths that Sanibel has, so if you were looking forward to extensive bike-riding on your vacation, Sanibel may be the better choice. On the flip side of this is that Captiva allows the use of golf carts on the roads within the village limits during daylight hours only.

In the village area there are a number of marinas that offer charter captains and water taxi service to the out islands of North Captiva, Cabbage Key and Useppa. Jensen’s is well-known and reliable for a day of off-island sightseeing.

Beaches on Captiva Island

Because of the more remote location furthest from the Sanibel Causeway, what few public beaches there are on Captiva Island tend to be much less-crowded compared with the beaches on Sanibel. But they are worth the extra drive to the north end of the island. Also, beach access is much more limited on Captiva with just two public parking lots.

Turner Beach is just on the other side of Blind Pass past the small bridge from Sanibel. It’s a pristine beautiful beach, great for privacy, sunning ,and fishing, but offers limited shelling. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the beach with a limited number of spaces, and is $5.00 per hour paid at the lot kiosk. Handicapped parking is free.

Further up Captiva Drive, at the end of the main road on Captiva, there is another public beach adjacent to the entrance of South Seas Resort. Allison Hagerup Beach Park is a beautiful public beach with direct access to Captiva Beach and has a small parking lot.

Even though there are not many places for beach access, when you step onto the beach you’re on public property. So if you score a parking space, you can walk along the beach as far as you’d like.

How is Shelling on Captiva?

While Sanibel may get the lion’s share of shells, that’s not to say that Captiva also doesn’t have good shelling. It does. But you may not find the amount you’ll find on Sanibel, which means more time may be needed to hunt for them. Which is never a bad thing. ;-

Hotels and Accommodations on Captiva Island

The majority of Captiva’s accommodations are at South Seas Island Resort, and it’s a lovely stay — perfect also for destination weddings and other family gathering as they have a variety of accommodation types from studios to 3 and 4 bedroom homes.

There are also a few resorts, inns, and B&B's offering nightly rentals. Plan to book early as they fill up quickly year round (and especially in the winter). There are many homes and historic cottages that rent privately as well. Condos are also available on both the Gulf and the bay.

Which Island is Best for You?

Sanibel Island might be better for you if you’re looking for active family vacations, great shelling beaches, more shopping and dining amenities, being closer to nature preserves and off-island driving adventures to Fort Myers and beyond to the Everglades or Charlotte Harbor.

Captiva Island, on the other hand, is perfect for quiet family vacations, romantic getaways, privacy and exclusivity, and easy access to off-island boat adventures to out islands.

***

We hope this clears things up a bit to help you plan your trip to either island! More questions about Sanibel vs Captiva? Drop us a line. We’re happy to answer trip-planning questions!

---