Sanibel Island is twelve miles long, three miles at its widest, and peaks around four feet above sea level. It's a barrier island, which is to say that it sits entirely on shifting sands, three miles off the coast of southwest Florida.
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Though the island is open to the public as of January 2023, local officials are warning visitors that much of the island's attractions and businesses remain closed. For the most up-to-date information regarding the island's recovery, visit the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce website.
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.
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.
Hurricane Ian destroyed several portions of the Sanibel Causeway, the series of bridges that connects mainland Florida to Sanibel Island — which is home to some 6,500 people and located just south of where the storm made landfall. Officials have characterized the extent of the damage as beyond simple repairs.
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.
The goal is to finish that by the end of 2023. The rest of the repairs and Lee County Causeway Island improvement projects will be done sometime in 2024. Right now the price tag is nearly $340 million. It's mostly funded by The Federal Highway Administration, but Lee County is on the hook for about $51 million.
Fort Myers Beach is open and inviting travelers to support our community after the devastation of Hurricane Ian. Many of our restaurants, attractions, activities, and accommodations have reopened and are ready to welcome guests back to our beach town.
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.
Most homes on Sanibel and Captiva islands are still standing, but appear to have sustained some form of roof damage, in addition to certain storm surge and flooding damage. Near the Casa Ybel Beach Resort, large scars in the sands are seen – the surge eroded much of the beach and dunes.
The Cape Coral Yacht Club Beach is now open: Officials and residents rejoice. Cape Coral officially reopens the Yacht Club Community Park beach on Saturday, more than a year after Hurricane Ian shuttered the park, and residents are already taking advantage of it.