Sanibel and Captiva Islands lie just across a bridge from Ft Myers. They are unique – really two islands now connected by a sandbar/bridge and a closed pass – and definitely a place that has its own character.
Both of these legendary islands are known the world over. They’re perceived as hard to buy into (nobody wants to leave, and Real Estate can be very expensive), but they are in fact accessible to all.

In Florida the beaches belong to everybody, so beach access is always the real issue. The Town of Sanibel has made a point of supporting a number of limited-parking access points, and two big ones at Bowman’s Beach and the Lighthouse.
And there is also great parking for the shopping and galleries and restaurants, and for the world class andworld-renowned wildlife refuge, Ding Darling. Sanibel-Captiva should be on everybody’s list of why to go to Southwest Florida, and what to do when you get there.

Sanibel means shelling, beaching and swimming in the totally placid waters of the Gulf of Mexico, birding trails and drives, great golfing and tennis and biking, incredibly diverse dining and shopping, and terrific galleries. There’s even decent theater. It can also mean kayaking, motor boating, tarpon fishing, and exploring the myriad islands of Pine Island Sound. There are lots of places to rent a boat or kayak.
The Sanibel experience, whether in private quarters, the large number of timeshares, or an excelent choice of hotels, tends to be a resort experience, albeit a very laid-back one.
There is also a quiet, very upscale residential experience, that features good government, great small town amenities, good schools, easy access to excelent health care and off-island shopping, etc.; but relatively few people see that side of it. Which is too bad—some parts of Sanibel are more affordable than people realize.

A few statistics
Demographics

Population: 6000 plus, and 3-4x seasonally
Median age: 60, younger with seasonal population
Median income: $80,000
Housing

As of Sept 2005, per an MLS search, a 2/2 home in Sanibel starts at $495,000. The same 2/2 in Captiva starts at $549,000.

Employment

Sanibel, like the mainland, is chiefly if not exclusively a services economy.
Many employed residents work on the island, since there is a reasonably good local economic base on Sanibel.
But obviously there is a much deeper job market and broader range of potential employment on the mainland, and that’s where most employed Sanibel residents work
More people come to Sanibel from Ft. Myers to work, than the other way round, so a lot of the service folks you encounter in the stores, etc., are not actually residents
Industries providing employment on Sanibel
· Tourist related (21.2%),
· Retail trade (13.9%),
· Business, Real Estate (13.5%),
· Professional, management services (12.6%).
In conclusion
if you can afford it, and love nature and yet want the additional amenities of a big city just a bridge away, this would be an incredible place to live. Here you really can have your cake and eat it too.

Here’s a suggestion for you. If you think you would be interested in relocating to Sanibel-Captiva, either full-time or seasonally, or perhaps opening a shop on the islands, try renting one of the many beautiful timeshare properties for a week. They are very reasonable, and it’s a terrific way to learn about the island, the world of real Estate there, and what it would be like to live there. My wife and I stayed with friends in the relaxed Sanibel Beach Club 1 this past June, and I can definitely recommend this approach.

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