Sanibel & Captiva: A Guide to the Islands

We visited Sanibel and Captiva islands for the first time in June 2004. It was everything we hoped it would be thanks to this book. I must have read the book 15 times front to back before we left. I loved the given itinerary- it made organizing our time in order to experience everything so easy and we never felt rushed. I am a huge fan of Frommer's guidebooks. Since they offer little information regarding the islands, I purchased this book instead which came highly recommended. It was really neat to get an actual islander's point of view but I did occasionally miss the to-the-point opinions of Frommer's guidebooks. The book is occasionally generic when recommending dining options. However, I have to say that you should NEVER visit these islands without first purchasing this book. It taught us how to appreciate island life and we had a wonderful relaxing vacation. There are descriptions of each shell found on the island as well as each bird, turtle, etc. It was fun to open up the book at the end of the day and find the names of both the shells we had collected and the birds we had seen. Have a great time in Sanibel!!

This book was my "secret" to planning my family's 1st trip to Sanibel. I would have been completely lost without it! We have already recommened it to several friends and family members who are now planning their trip to the island. Very informative, beautiful pictures, easy to read... they even give you a few itineraries of things to do depening on your length of stay! You won't be disappointed!

Our family has been visiting Sanibel and Captiva for more than 30 years, and this book is the most complete guide we can imagine. The writing is so good (I'm a freelance writer myself), the information is well-organized, and the photography is excellent. We bought it while we were vacationing on Captiva and have already recommended it to cousins and aunts and uncles who also fish and shell there.

I have read every book on Sanibel and the gulf coast that I have been able to get my hands on over the last four years. This book is by far the best, most comprehensive, and thorough book on Sanibel and Captiva that I have found. The chapters are easy to read and very informative. The pictures are beautiful, and I love the personal touches with the photographs of people who live and visit Sanibel. I wish I would have had this book before we went to Sanibel the first time! I definitely recommend it to all who will be visiting Sanibel in the future.

We are really enjoying this book. There's so much information, and I love the photos. My husband and I have never been to Sanibel or Captiva (we're planning a trip later this year), but reading about the islands is relaxing and helps us escape our stressful jobs.