Is Sanibel ready for visitors?


Is Sanibel ready for visitors? Sanibel Island is open and ready to receive visitors to our island paradise. Please come for the day, spend time on our beaches and enjoy a meal at one of our restaurants. Even better, stay with us if you can.


What is the 50 50 rule for Sanibel Island?

The FEMA 50% rule is a minimum requirement for participation in the NFIP. It limits the cost of improvements (additions, alterations, and/or repairs) to non-conforming structures to less than 50% of the “market value” of structure prior to the start of work.


Is Sanibel Island fully open?

The City of Sanibel is excited to announce that all public access beach park locations in Sanibel are now open to the public. The city announced on Thursday that the following areas are set to open Friday, June 30: Bayside parking lot at 110 – 153 Periwinkle Way for Lighthouse Beach Park.


When can people go back to Sanibel?

By consensus, the Sanibel City Council supported the decision to end the requirement for reentry passes on January 2, 2023. The City of Sanibel asks that non-residents respect and understand the fact that Sanibel is still actively working to recover from Hurricane Ian.


Has Captiva recovered from Ian?

By TIFFANY REPECKI - | Oct 2, 2023. It has been one year since Hurricane Ian brought the islands to a halt with its devastating damage and the recovery of the Sanibel-Captiva business community has been a slow one — but it is returning.


Is the bridge to Sanibel reopened?

By Staff | Jan 3, 2023 The Sanibel Causeway reopened Monday but the city of Sanibel government is asking non-residents to wait a while longer before visiting the storm-damaged island.


What is the 50 rule for Sanibel Island?

The FEMA 50% rule is a minimum requirement for participation in the NFIP. It limits the cost of improvements (additions, alterations, and/or repairs) to non-conforming structures to less than 50% of the “market value” of structure prior to the start of work.


Are Captiva beaches open after Ian?

At least 13 beaches in the Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva area are already open, and two more parts of Fort Myers Beach are expected to open this month, Bowditch Point Park and Crescent Beach Family Park. We're getting there, Visit Florida CEO Dana Young said about the area's recovery.


Did the Turtle Club survive Ian?

Founded in 1998 on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Beach Resort on the Gulf shore in North Naples, The Turtle Club was destroyed by storm surge. “It's pretty much toast. I hate to say it,” says co-founder Peter Tierney, who was in North Carolina when Ian hit the coast.


Is Captiva island ready for tourists?

Yes! 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva Island is open to the public and you can drive across the Sanibel Causeway or arrive by boat to the resort.


Is anyone still living on Sanibel Island?

An estimated 6,400 people lived in the City of Sanibel as of April 2021, according to the US Census Bureau. The island is also home to a number of hotels and resorts and sees a significant amount of tourists each year.


Was Sanibel damaged?

The Sanibel Causeway that once welcomed residents and visitors to the island was also partially destroyed. With no access to the island, residents were left wondering what remained of their properties and hometown. An aerial picture taken on September 30, 2022 shows the collapsed Sanibel Causeway.


Is Captiva island gone?

Although the islands remain sundered, things are a bit quieter now. Today the southern island, still known as Captiva, is a beautiful and pricey tourist destination reachable by car over a causeway from the mainland near Fort Myers.


Is there red tide in Sanibel right now?

Red Tide. At this time, there is no sign of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, in our area.


Did anyone stay on Sanibel Island during hurricane?

On Thursday evening, Sanibel officials said that 200 households reported staying on the island during the storm. Two people were confirmed dead, 14 medically evacuated and another 40 rescued without injury on Thursday.