With the approaching two-year anniversary of the devastation wrought on Sanibel and Captiva Islands by Hurricane Ian, it seemed like a good idea to spend a week exploring the islands to see, first-hand, how the recovery efforts are progressing.

Our home base for the week was the delightful Driftwood Inn which provided everything we needed for a comfortable stay including a pair of trusty bikes that served as our go-to means of transportation for the week.

To see more about the Driftwood, see our feature article here: In the Heart of Sanibel: The Driftwood Inn

In this post, you'll be able to join us as we check out how Sanibel and Captiva Islands are doing today, two years after Hurricane Ian (August 2024.)

Sanibel is Waiting for You

Our biggest takeaway from our week in paradise was that, though a little rough around the edges and with still much more work to be done, Sanibel is as beautiful as ever.

 There is no need to wait.  If you have a history with Sanibel and Captiva, don't miss the present opportunity to see the islands, now, in the midst of their renewal and play a vital role in their recovery.

Though many of the larger condominium and resort complexes are not quite ready, there are still plenty of accommodation options available.

We made the trip over the causeway in early August 2024; taking in all the sights and sounds while soaking up the sun as we visited many of the places that have meant so much to us over the years.

Early in the week we covered the entire east end of Sanibel Island.

Mid-week we drove out to explore Captiva and Redfish Pass.

Then we finished out the week by biking out Middle Gulf to Casa Ybel and then up to and through Ding Darling Preserve and then finally back to the Driftwood.

We covered a lot of ground which makes for a very long post, so we've got a table of contents you can use to jump to what you are most interested in seeing.

The Day After Debby

As it turned out, we arrived on Sanibel the day after Tropical Storm Debby came surging up through the Gulf of Mexico, and although there was a lot of standing water everywhere, there was, thankfully, no significant impact.

One place that did get affected was Ocean's Reach. Their office got flooded so they had to temporarily move their operations up to the second level.  More on Ocean's Reach down below.

We arrived late in the day on Monday, so we checked in and then hopped on a couple of the bikes Driftwood provides and headed to Wickies for dinner.

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant

Wickies is a new restaurant that is a collaboration between the owners of The Mad Hatter and The Island Cow.

It opened in April of 2024 in the space that, for many years, was occupied by The Lighthouse Cafe.

The food was fantastic, and the service was spectacular!

But the best part was the conversation with new friends and fellow Sanibel fanatics Katie, Mack, and Keith & Sue.

Jerry's Foods

After dinner, we stopped at Jerry's to grab some coffee and supplies for the week.

Mucky Duck Sunset

Then we drove out to Captiva to catch the sunset at the Mucky Duck, known for the being the best place to watch sunsets on the islands.

Biking to the Lighthouse

For our first full day on the islands, we started by biking to the Lighthouse.

Tuttle's Sea Horse Shell Shop

As we opened the door, we were greeted by the one and only, Bob Tuttle.

Originally from Detroit, Bob and his wife Pauline came to Sanibel in the early 70s following his service in the United States Air Force.

When I asked Bob if he ever thought about not coming back and starting again, he said, "Maybe for a minute. But not really.  This is our home. This is where we raised our family. "

His optimism and determination are remarkable!

Like so many of the Sanibel business owners, not only was their business wiped out by Ian, but their home as well.  

When we first walked in, my initial impression was that the shop looked just like I remembered it from before Ian.

But on closer inspection, it was evident that Tuttle's used the setback as an opportunity to remodel the wall display structure and upgrade much of the merchandise.  

I especially appreciate the selection of maps mounted on various types of wood and canvas - very cool!

And there is a really nice selection of jewelry; handmade by Pauline.

You will also find that Tuttle's has expanded their hours of operation and are open until 9pm, or as Bob says, "We'll stay open as long as there are people here."

From Tuttle's we set a course for The Lighthouse Cafe but took a brief detour through the Marina.

Sanibel Marina and Gramma Dot's

The Marina looks great, and Gramma Dot's has been open since February of this year.

The Lighthouse Cafe 

"Memories and Tradition"

One of our traditional first stops anytime we return to Sanibel is The Lighthouse Cafe.  

And we can happily say that The Lighthouse Cafe is still one of those must-visit destinations when visiting Sanibel Island.

On this visit, we had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Dan Billheimer, the owner of The Lighthouse Cafe.   Within the next few days, we will be publishing a separate article focused on Dan's report, so be on the lookout for that article soon.

But the bottom line is that The Lighthouse Cafe is back!

The official reopening was April 26th, 2024 at its new location on Periwinkle just west of Baily Road.

Though it's a new location, it has the same great menu and the same great people!

Dairy Queen

One of the saddest things to report is that the Dairy Queen is no more.  

The beloved Sanibel DQ will not be back.

The Lazy Flamingo

The Lazy Flamingo on Periwinkle was the very first restaurant we experienced on our very first stay on Sanibel many years ago.

I remember that it was in the midst of College Basketball tournament season, and the games were being shown on the Lazy Flamingo televisions, and the place was packed!

We had grouper sandwiches and watched our home team, cheering them on to victory along with a crowd of fellow Buckeye and Sanibel fans.

Many great memories made at the Lazy Flamingo!

I hope they are back soon!

Sanibel Island Beach Resort

One of the Resorts that does appear to be back and operating at full strength is Sanibel Island Beach Resort at Donax and Middle Gulf.

Traders

For dinner we hopped back on our bikes and headed to Traders - just a 5-minute bike ride away from The Driftwood Inn.

Traders was one of the first restaurants to reopen following Ian looks just as we remembered it.

We were welcomed in by Patrick at the front desk and proceeded to sit down to a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing conversation at the bar with Drew.

We stopped into the gift shop after dinner and talked with Lisa who was managing the shop.  She wanted us to let you know that the only thing they are missing is you!

Captiva

The next day we drove out to Captiva and spent the day on the beach up near South Seas and Redfish Pass.

Public Parking

Just a heads up that the public parking lot just north of the entrance to South Seas uses an online payment system that required me to install an app on my phone to make the payment.

The day we were there parking was $25 for two hours or $40 for the day.

Walk to Redfish Pass

RC Otters

RC Otter's is always a fun place to eat and they frequently have live music.

The Bubble Room

The Bubble Room is not yet open.

And although there is a sign out front that says they're reopening in 2024, and there was work being done on the roof, the Bubble Room looks like it has a ways to go before reopening.

Boops by the Bubble Room

Even though the beloved Bubble Room on Captiva is not open yet, Boops, the ice cream shop next door, is!
Enjoy Famous Bubble Room Cakes, Illy Brand Coffee, Love Boat Ice Cream, pastries, doughnuts and Old Fashioned Soda Fountain!

Check out our post What Restaurants are Open on Sanibel after Hurricane Ian? (2024) to see what restaurants have reopened since Ian.

The Crow's Nest

At Tween Waters on Captiva, in addition to the resort, Old Captiva house and the Shipyard are two great dining options, but the newest addition is The Crow's Nest.

The Crow's Nest provides up-scale, fine dining with spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico.

To end the week, we got more ambitious and took off on our bikes from the Driftwood and headed west.

Starting from the Driftwood we rolled along Middle Gulf Road to check in on the Sundial Resort and the Sand Dollar Condos where we had stayed many times. 

Sundial Beach Resort and Spa

Sundial looks fabulous inside and out!

As we walked through the front door and into the lobby, we ran into General Manager, Becky Miller, who gave us a brief tour highlighting all the progress that has been made.

The Sanddollar Condominiums

At the Sanddollar, stone and masonry work were actively underway and there were a team of technicians that appeared to be working on installing new elevators.

From the outside, the restoration project appears to be nearly complete.

Ocean's Reach

When we got to Ocean’s Reach, we saw that the office had been flooded from Tropical Storm Debby, so we headed upstairs to the temporary offices and caught the General Manager, Andy just as he was headed out the door.

 Andy gave us a quick update to let us know they were on target to reopen November 30, 2024.

Ocean's Reach contracted with Clermont Properties for the restoration project and have been very happy with their work.

The exterior restoration work on all 64 units is complete and they are now working on landscaping while interior finish work is progressing, according to Andy, "at an excellent pace."

Casa Ybel

Earlier in the week, we had taken some pictures of the entrance to Casa Ybel,  but needed some from the other side. So, when we left the Ocean's Reach office, we walked out and up the beach to get a view from the Gulf-facing side of Casa Ybel.

Bailey's General Store

It is astonishing to see what once was Bailey's, and all of Bailey's corner, completely gone.

The incredibly good news is that they will be rebuilding! The targeted open date is the end of 2026.

Doc Ford's

No trip to Sanibel is complete without at least one trip to Doc Ford's for some Buffalo Shrimp.

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

From Doc Ford's we headed out Sanibel Captiva Road for Ding Darling's Wildlife Refuge.

Peaceful and serene, one of the highlights was getting to see a group of Manatee near the observation tower frolicking about.

On this day we definitely had bitten off more than we could chew.

By the time we got all the way through Ding Darling, biking in the middle of the hottest part of the day, we weren't sure we were going to be able to make it all the way back to the Driftwood.

But just as we thought we couldn't pedal a single pedal more, we had vision of an oasis up ahead.

Were we hallucinating?  Was it just a mirage?

No! It was Rosalita's up ahead in the old Doc Ford's location on Rabbit Road.

Rosalita's Cantina

Revived and refreshed, thanks to Rosalita's, we headed back home to the Driftwood.

This was our first time at Rosalita's and the Enchiladas and Chimichangas were delicious.

And the complimentary chips and salsa are awesome!

Island Cow

As we ended our week, a few of the last photos we captured were of the Island Cow sign and the place it used to stand.

Check out our post What Restaurants are Open on Sanibel after Hurricane Ian? (2024) to see what restaurants have reopened since Ian.

The Secret Mermaid Mailbox!

Sanibel is a magical place like no other. Did you know that there is a secret mermaid mailbox hidden on the island? 

Yes! It is a fun scavenger hunt with clues to find the secret location!

I didn't know about the mermaid mailbox until I saw a Facebook post with the clues. I was so excited I made hubby go find it with me before we went to dinner. He is such a trooper!

We followed the clues and found it! I can't tell you how much that made my day.

The mailbox is full of treasures. Pick one to keep and replace with your own gift to bless someone else.

Sanibel is a place like no other. Did we already say that?  
It is #sanibelstrong, and is on its way back to the place we all know and love. 
We will keep coming back to Sanibel, our favorite place in the world. 💗

The only thing missing is YOU!

This article was sponsored, in part, by The Driftwood Inn.