Sanibel Beach Walks
Experience Shelling on Our Sanibel Beach Walks
An exclusive amenity to Island Inn guests is complimentary attendance to our Marine Biologist led Sanibel beach walks. Hosted right here on the Island Inn’s 550 feet of pristine beach and led by the world-renowned staff of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, you’ll learn about the various types of beautiful seashells you’ll find while on vacation, as well as the unique local wildlife and vegetation that make Sanibel Island such a special place! A portion of the this guided beach walk is dedicated to searching for treasures of your own, then bringing them back to the group to share and learn about what was found. Wonderful for families and participants of all ages, take part in this hands-on experience that will create memories that will last a lifetime!
Visitor Reviews
Great Beach, spacious rooms, lovely place to be. What an amazing place to stay. I wish we were there for longer to better enjoy all the amenities. The hotel is really a series of little suites. There is a full kitchen, a living room area, and a bedroom area. Spacious and lovely. Plus there is a screened porch area where you can be cooked by a fan and watch the ocean. There are hammocks, beach chairs, and umbrellas ready for guests. We did do this but there were paddleboards and kanaks to rent. But what we spent our time on was shelling. This has an amazing Sanibel beach access to terrific shelling. We didn’t even hit a low tide which better but still came home with 40 shells of various types. Even meet friendly people while shelling. You could cook at your room, but you are only a few minutes by car to a lot of restaurants. The hotel provides you with information about what is open and closed as well. Good people and a great place. Several people we meet come here every year and that says a lot. Oh, and they even provide a shell cleaning tub. 
You MUST try the Island Inn at Sanibel--you won't be disappointed-!! This was our first time staying at the Island Inn at Sanibel. Everything exceeded our expectations! From the beginning, we spoke with Ken and then we were greeted by him upon our arrival. So welcoming, warm and knowledgeable about things to do and places to visit. We stayed in the Matthews Lodge Gulfview Luxury Suite of the Inn and our suite was AWESOME. The private beach had chairs, umbrellas, grills, cornhole and yes--PRIVACY. Perhaps it was the time of year (Sept 12-14), but there were no crowds and quiet surroundings. We are traveling construction superintendents working in Venice FL, just less than 2 hours from Sanibel. We hope to visit again before our work sends us to another place.
Amazing Anniversary Getaway We had an incredible stay at the Island Inn for our anniversary, and we can’t say enough about how wonderful this place is. Ken and the entire staff went above and beyond to make our trip truly special, and their kindness and attention to detail made us feel right at home.The rooms were very comfortable with breathtaking beach views, and the hotel provided so many thoughtful free amenities—like beach chairs and umbrellas—that made our days by the ocean even better. The screened porch was perfect for relaxing (citronella candles from the store were a lifesaver for the no-see-ums), and we loved how welcoming and friendly everyone was throughout our stay.
Even with parts of the property still being rebuilt, the Island Inn already feels like a slice of paradise. We can’t wait to see it fully restored and will definitely be making all of our future Sanibel stays here. Highly recommend this gem to anyone visiting the island!
