Finding Quiet Corners on Sanibel in High Season

If you could hear our phones ringing, you would know for certain high season has arrived!


Most of our vacation rental houses are booked solid for that February/March/April period.


And many of our vacation rental condos are booked as well.


There are some last minute specials to be found, but all things point to a fully booked high season.


While the ringing phones and cash registers (metaphorically speaking) are music to our ears, we totally understand how our guests on the Island may see things differently. After all, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores and shops in general are popping during high season. And though our beaches are never crowded, there will be people sunning themselves all through winter. (and why not when it's a beautiful 78 degrees here right now?) The pools will have even more activity, and the bike ways and walkways will have their share of cyclists and pedestrians. Never crowded or crammed, the Island's popularity can be measured most easily in winter months.


So what's a person to do to escape, if not the crowds, then the gatherings on Sanibel Island during this expanse of perfect weather and southern retreat from winter climes?


You might want to consider a walk or bike ride off the main paths. These residential neighborhoods are beautifully kept and there is little car or even bike traffic to contend with. You can pause in your ride to watch the boats going up and down the canals. In fact, before you even reach the Island, there are numerous places you can stop your car to take in the vistas. Ding Darling Nature Preserve is never crowded and that opens up even more opportunities to walk or bike with little intrusion.


You can charter your own boat, and set sail to enjoy the open waters, you can hire a canoe or kayak to explore the little known bayous, or you can stop at the Sanibel library and browse the shelves. In all these instances, you will be enjoying the best of the Island in wonderful ways where human interaction, while possible, is not absolutely necessary.