Why was Sanibel so busy in July?: Some good guesses on Island popularity

While we do not have the statistics on the number of visitors to Sanibel in July of 2012, we are certain the number was up from past Julys.



A day at the beach, still not what you would call crowded, definitely revealed that there were more people on the sand and in the water. And the people on the beach were not just sitting in chairs and under umbrellas, many had their own little tents, creating "beach living rooms" for themselves.



The water activity was also a departure from the norm. Of course there were the usual swimmers, but there were also a lot of kayakers and people floating around for hours in tubes and on rafts.



July, was, a mild month. No big storms and the rains that passed through, did so with gusto but in the blink of an eye. That left the Gulf calm, very waves and accompanied by low tides on most days. Even little children could walk out a long way before getting into deep water. And the mirror like surface of the Gulf was ideal for the kayakers and tubers.



We are certain the word got around that the Gulf this July was particularly warm and welcoming and many families traveled down in their own cars from places such as Georgia, South and North Carolina and even from other parts of Florida.



And, air fares were also very affordable in July, making it easier for those from further locales to grab a plane. In fact, looking at our registers, we had a record number of guests who traveled from the west coast, particularly California, as well as the interior western states such as Colorado.



In addition, while foreign visitors were not in abundance last summer, they certainly were in July. Rental guests from Germany, the UK and the Scandinavian countries rounded out the roster. Listening to the beach chatter, it appeared that many were commenting how good the value is on Sanibel for European travelers. And that would appear to be true if guests were able to find competitively priced air tickets. Remember, summer is our low season and for far less than $1,000 a week, a family can have a spacious, well appointed and well supplied apartment, some times right on the beach and certainly a close walk to the beach.



So the calm climate, the tranquil sea, the lower air fares and the intrinsic value of an accommodation on Sanibel Island all helped to drawer travelers to the Island in July.



We can only hope that August proves to be as good a month!