Introduction
14 miles W of Fort Myers; 40 miles N of Naples
Sanibel and Captiva are Florida's unfussy cousins. They don't need lip gloss and eye shadow to make them pretty. Leave the clown makeup for Miami and Orlando. Here you'll find none of the neon signs, amusement parks, or high-rise condominiums that clutter most beach resorts in the state. Indeed, Sanibel's main drag, Periwinkle Way, runs under a canopy of whispery pines and gnarled oaks so thick they almost obscure the small signs for chic shops and restaurants. This wooded ambience is the work of local voters, who have saved their trees and tropical foliage, limited the size and appearance of signs, permitted no building higher than the tallest palm, and allowed no WaveRunner or other noisy beach toy within 300 yards of their gorgeous, shell-strewn beaches. Although they haven't yet banned cacophonous cellphones, don't be surprised if they eventually do. It's that peaceful here.
Nevertheless, the islands have wildlife: More than half of Sanibel Island is preserved in its natural state as a wildlife refuge. You can ride, walk, bike, canoe, or kayak through the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, one of Florida's best.
Legend says that Ponce de León named the larger of these two barrier islands San Ybel, after Queen Isabella of Spain. Another legend claims that Captiva's name comes from the captured women kept here by the pirate Jose Gaspar. The modern era of the islands dates from 1892, when a few farmers settled here. One of them, Clarence Chadwick, started an unsuccessful Key lime and copra plantation on Captiva; many of his towering coconut palms still stand, adding to the little island's tropical luster.
