Things to Do at Sanibel for the Perfect Family Weekend

Traveling to Sanibel Island? Check out these best Things to Do at Sanibel for the Perfect Family Weekend. Post is sponsored by Holiday Inn Brand as a Holiday Inn Influencer. All opinions are my own #JoyofTravel

Things to Do at Sanibel for the Perfect Family Weekend

Labor Day Weekend, the perfect time for a little family getaway!

With a few weeks of school underway I could tell that our family needed a break from our normal routine.

And our family happy place? Sanibel Island.

Sun, sand, and shelling, it had been years since our family had traveled to one of our favorite Florida locations. Our bags packed, we headed to our Florida home away from home. Check out our top things to do for the perfect family weekend and how we capture the Joy of Travel!

Discover Sanibel Island Beaches

Think you’ve seen all that the Florida beaches have to offer? Sanibel Island beaches are very much filled with family adventure! From exotic sea creature discovery to calm ocean waters, Sanibel Island is a great place for families to enjoy a unique west coast beach. In just one afternoon we:

Lounged in the sand.

Found a few sea friends, including live conch, hermit crabs, fish, sand dollars and sea sponges!

And played in the warm Florida waters.

Go Shelling

Every Sanibel Island adventure needs to begin and end with the famous Sanibel shelling. Famous as one of the best places in the world to find beautiful shells, Sanibel Island is covered in thousands and thousands of shelling treasures. A perfect keepsake to your family Sanibel getaway, our family’s favorite shelling spot is right at Blind Pass Bridge between Sanibel Island and Captiva Island.

Here we found buckets full of conch shells, colorful scallops and many different kinds of shells we can’t find on our east coast beaches.

Explore the Sanibel Lighthouse

Turn left off of the causeway and take yourself to the very tip of the island. There will stand one of the tallest attractions on the island. Made of steel, this more unusual lighthouse is a draw for families around the world. The Sanibel Lighthouse is a great place for families to explore rich Sanibel history, perched on Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Park.

Enjoy Gourmet Sanibel Island Ice Cream

There’s ice cream. And then there’s Sanibel Ice Cream. You haven’t LIVED until you’ve tried home churned Sanibel Island Ice Cream. Where’s our favorite afternoon hangout? Pinocchio’s. With famous flavors like the Sanibel Krunch and the Dirty Sand Dollar and topped with their signature animal cracker, you are definitely get a taste of the island life! Our family is always making stops here…daily. My personal favorites included the Purple Cow and this Mango Sorbet 🙂

Take a Scenic Bicycle Ride

You’ll find that cars do not rule the roads here in Sanibel Island. Bicycles do. Winding bicycle trails and clever family sized vehicles make pedaling an adventure across this small island. A charming town and natural wildlife preserve offer so much scenery on your tour across the island. You never know what you may see!

Relax at Your Favorite Family-Friendly Resort

The best way to take in the amazing family activities on Sanibel Island? Staying on the island, of course! But looking for a family-friendly hotel can be a stressful task. That’s why we trust the Holiday Inn hotels. Tucked directly on the beach and only steps from the middle of town, the Holiday Inn Sanibel was the perfect location for our family getaway. With everything geared towards a family-friendly atmosphere and a name that I trust, I knew that our vacation was in good hands.

Kids Eat Free

I cannot emphasize enough how much we appreciate those three words. Family vacation prices seem to be on the up and up these days. With the famous Holiday Inn hotel’s Kids Eat Free program, our kids can enjoy a delicious meal that’s catered just for them with a price that I love.

BONUS, they enjoyed these sweet finger puppets with their meals! 🙂 The Holiday Inn brand Kids Stay & Eat Free Program is something I look for every time that we travel. It is such a relief to be able to focus our vacation efforts on FUN instead on stress.

Pool

One of my kids’ favorite words. The gorgeous Holiday Inn Sanibel pool overlooks the inviting beach. And with a poolside Grille and Bar area, we didn’t go hungry either. Play time at it’s best, a seaside breeze and sounds of the ocean waves made this pool area one of the highlights for our family.

Direct Beach Access

Want to get to the Sanibel beach quickly? All we had to do was walk outside. Having direct beach access from our hotel is so important for our family. And with Holiday Inn Sanibel, we were only footsteps away from another family beach adventure!

Family Comforts of Home

Our room had everything we needed for a relaxing family vacation! Plenty of towels, fridge, microwave, table and chairs, comfy beds, 2 sinks and a big shower/tub for the kids’ baths, we felt right at home.

Check out my video tour of our room so you can get a first hand look at our stay at Holiday Inn Sanibel.

Comfortable amenities, kid-friendly atmosphere and family memories. We found the #JoyofTravel. Our family’s Weekend Getaway was perfection! Let Holiday Inn hotels be your next family-friendly vacation destination! From relaxing weekend getaways to exciting family adventures, we rely on family-friendly hotels like Holiday Inn brand to be our home away from home.

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What would your family love to discover on Sanibel Island?

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