Your complete Sanibel & Captiva Holiday Guide with Christmas activities, church services, musical events, and restaurants open for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Plan your island holidays with up-to-date local listings and festive things to do.

Travel back in time with us with this story of a Sanibel Family Vacation Tradition from the 1950’s.

Take a dolphin watching tour. To your advantage, dolphin tour operators are often “locals” who know the most likely places and times for observing dolphins.

I am really looking forward to our first day at Island Inn on Sanibel Island. We arrived last evening just after dark and were tired from our long drive. Boy is it quiet here; don’t know why I woke up. It’s still dark outside and my wife is still asleep. I guess I’m just used to getting up early.

We left the windows open while we slept. I’m glad we did that because I love breathing that beautiful salt air! I can just barely hear the waves sloshing on the shore. It sure is a relaxing sound – maybe I’ll just lay back and listen for a few minutes while I decide what to do next…

Imagine an island retreat nestled in the warm, tranquil waters of the Gulf of America. Picture a destination big enough to offer a variety of exciting activities and opportunities for solitude, but small enough to avoid the hassle of the sprawling resort towns. In your imagination you just conjured up Sanibel Island Florida, truly a jewel in the Gulf region.

Whether you and your family have been coming to Sanibel for years, or if you are just looking for ideas or lodging options, it pays to do your homework. Looking at a map of Southwest Florida, seeing tiny Sanibel curled up just offshore of Fort Myers, you wouldn’t know there are hundreds of lodging choices on the island.

Island Inn offers eleven accommodation styles to choose from including spacious and flexible cottages, suites, rooms and lodges. The variety of choices ensures that, no matter your travel style or preferences, Island Inn has you covered.

For generations, people have been heading to Sanibel Island for vacations. Sanibel and Captiva are scattered with many attractions geared toward lovers of nature, nightlife, history, art and fine dining.