Sanibel Expands Joy of Biking To and On Island

As we published in a previous blog post, Sanibel Island, Florida is crisscrossed by over 25 miles of bike paths, making it easy for you to thoroughly explore this jewel of an island, and its neighbor Captiva.

These paths mostly run alongside Sanibel's main streets, although there are a few that cut through the island's more undeveloped areas. Sanibel's bike trails will take you to the island's many major points of interest. We have encouraged our rental guests and blog readers to explore on foot or by bike, to get in touch with the island in a way you could never experience in a car.

Now, the unique biking experience offers residents and guests off island and residents and guests on island to discover and explore "the other side" of the cause way.

In mid August, after months of construction and $320,000 of stimulus money, Lee County elected leaders cut the ribbon on the widened bike lane, added to the Sanibel Causeway through the toll plaza, giving bikers and pedestrians an easier and safer way to traverse to the Island. Changes included a widened bike-lane and shoulder, and elimination of forcing cyclists to merge with traffic at toll plazas on either end of the bridge, an often times dangerous act.

County officials’ overall mission for the newest bike path was to encourage visitors to keep their gas-guzzling motor vehicles on the main land, and help reduce traffic along the Causeway during busy seasons, all while promoting a more active lifestyle. Given the quaint setting that is Sanibel and Captiva Island, exploring the area by bike can often times be a much more rewarding and consecutive form of transportation, especially if you're just visiting for the day.

Have you taken a biking or walking trip over the new and improved Causeway? In and of itself, it's a lovely experience.

It's a long and elevated road flanked on both sides by palm trees and blue green waters.

Some may call it a causeway, but we call it the pathway to heaven.

And now you can enjoy the view and breezes by the seat of your bike!