How to Enjoy Sanibel Island on a Bicycle

Sanibel Island is a bikers paradise. Visitors can bike almost anywhere and have hours of fun on 25 miles of paved paths through this exotic destination. This article explains the rules of the road, where to rent bicycles, the different kinds of bikes available, and some popular attractions that will delight the entire family.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Sunscreen
• Casual, comfortable clothing
• Bathing suit
• Good walking shoes

1. Know that one of the most pleasant ways to journey across Sanibel Island located on Florida’s southwest coast is by bicycle. Enjoy 25 miles of paved bike paths that meander through friendly neighborhoods where you’ll find the people as warm as the weather, beneath shady tree canopies, across wooden bridges and along quiet waterways. Biking on Sanibel Island can be fun for the entire family.
2. Keep in mind that in the State of Florida, bicycles are vehicles, able to travel on the roadways with the same guidelines that apply to motorized vehicles. Bike riders under age 16 must wear helmets. Dedicated bike/pedestrian paths keep you separate from the often bumper-to-bumper car traffic.
3. Use designated bike paths where available. If you ride on a roadway, stay in single file on the far right side of the road and ride with the traffic. Observe traffic laws and signs. Stop and yield as you would in a car. Use hand signals.
4. Most island resorts, hotels and motels have bike rentals on the premises. Bike shops rent anything from a single speed cruiser to the latest high-tech bike. In addition to solo bikes, there are bicycles with cabooses, bicycles made for two, little tike's bikes, and one-speed, wide-tire bikes with coaster brakes.
5. Appreciate that there are plenty of trails to enjoy on your vacation. The Rabbit Road Trail, runs behind homes and along a canal. Early in the morning you are likely to see plenty of the small gray marsh rabbits that give the road its name. Wading herons and alligator snouts are common sightings along the quiet one-mile stretch between West Gulf Drive and Sanibel-Captiva Road. If you’re looking for a wilder adventure, head up the Sanibel-Captiva Road bike path to the main entrance of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The new Education Center is worth a visit. Dixie Beach Road, a long, straight, easy stretch of 1.5 miles, takes you from Periwinkle Way near Heart of the Islands shopping center, to San Carlos Bay. If you turn right where the road meets the bay you can gaze at beautiful bay front homes. Turn left and follow a contorted shell road to an undiscovered place where the past meets with the present.

Tips & Warnings

• Getting to Sanibel is easy—you can drive across the causeway from Fort Myers. If you are flying to Florida, the island is just one hour from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Ft. Myers. Once on the island, though, you may want to park your car and take to a bike. Just two roads cross its length: Periwinkle Way provides a straight shot from the lighthouse on the east, and Gulf Drive, which carries less auto traffic as it passes the resorts and motels that line the shore.