Sometimes you just need a getaway, and that’s exactly what I desperately needed a few weeks ago when I went to join my family in Ft. Myers and Sanibel for a long weekend.

My family has been going to the Ft. Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Island area since the late 70’s, and it’s become a tradition to make the trip down there once a year since then. When my parents and aunt and uncle were working, we’d usually go over winter break, and I have fond memories of spending Christmas and New Years on the beach (usually with cake from The Bubble Room in hand!). Now that they’ve gotten to the point where they’re all retired, my family usually spends 2-3 weeks down in Florida to escape the brutal snow and cold in the Midwest. Luckily, I’m usually able to join them for a long weekend so a few weeks ago I hooped on a plane to Ft. Myers, just in time to miss one of the most brutal snow storms Chicago’s had in years. Pretty good timing, huh? 🙂

Since my family has been going down to the area for so many years, it’s been fun to see how much the areas has grown, but also how much of it has stayed the same. There’s something nice and familiar about going down to Sanibel and Captiva island and visiting our favorite restaurants, beaches, shops and coffee spots – and knowing that not much has changed. And that’s just the way I like it!

I firmly believe that everyone deserves a long getaway (especially for those of us who are stuck in the Midwest for winter!), and I can’t recommend the Ft. Myer’s/Sanibel Island area enough if you’re looking for beautiful beaches, seafood, cocktails and the perfect laid-back environment. It’s a place very near and dear to our hearts – especially because it’s my 92 year old grandpa’s favorite place to go for a vacation. He’s happy spending the full two weeks on the dock fishing, but I promise – there’s a whole lot to squeeze into a long weekend vacation. Here are a few of my favorite places to stay, what to eat and drink on the island, and other gems you have to add to your itinerary if you’re planning your great winter escape!  Where to Eat and Drink: 

While you might be on an island, there’s definitely not a lack of restaurants in the area to enjoy. The area is (of course!) known for their seafood, so between crab claws, Grouper sandwiches, boiled fish baskets, and blackened Snapper – you’ll be sure to get your fill of all the seafood you could possibly want. Since there are so many restaurants in the area – here are a few of my favorites.  The Lazy Flamingo: 

I love the Lazy Flamingo in Sanibel for what’s (in my opinion!) the best seafood on the island. I was visiting over my birthday, so I justified splurging on the crab legs for lunch one day and they did not disappoint. They’re famous for their Grouper sandwiches, Caesar salads (with a side of garlic bread!), and boiled shrimp baskets – but everything on the menu is pretty darn delicious.

 The Bubble Room: 

Another area staple, The Bubble Room is one of the most famous restaurants on the Island. It’s known for their over-the-top decor, rainbow exterior and world famous cakes that you can get to go by the slice. Since their cakes are my favorite part (the White Christmas and Orange Crunch are my go-tos!), I usually get a slice to go while staying on the island – and it saves me a wait in line since the weekends get pretty busy at the Bubble!

The Mucky Duck: 

Another island staple, the Mucky Duck has been around for years and is known to have some of the best food and sunset views on the island. Since my trip was so short this year I wasn’t able to make it for my yearly Grouper sandwich, but I did have a glass of wine on their back patio that overlook the sunset on the beach. It’s another busy spot, but well worth the wait (especially if you can have happy hour on the beach while waiting!).

Island Cow: 

Another restaurant standby, Island Cow is known for their delicious food and having the largest menu on the island. Although I’ve been going to Sanibel for years, I hadn’t been back to the Island Cow since I was a little, and it did not disappoint! They start off your meal by giving you their famous muffins to start that are essentially cookie-like muffins (they’re real delicious).

Sanibel Bean Coffee: 

I’ve been going to Sanibel Bean since I was a little girl with my dad (well before I started drinking coffee), and now that I need my daily latte I spend a lot of morning walking to “The Bean”. They have the best iced coffee and lattes on the island, as well as ice cream and a full menu of breakfast and lunch items. Other Favorites: 

• R.C. Otters for more seafood and their delicious black beans and rice
• Ft. Myers Brewing Company for delicious, local microbrews
• Doc Fords for more tasty seafood and the best live music on the weekends
• Latte Da for local lattes and coffee drinks on Captiva Island

What to Explore: 

Between Ft. Myers and Sanibel – there’s a lot of places to see and different things to explore. Whether you want to spend the whole time on the beach (totally fair!) or if you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous. After going to the area year after year, these are a few of my favorite spots to explore!Bowman’s Beach:

For the best shelling on the island and one of my favorite beaches, spend the afternoon at Bowman’s beach on Sanibel island. I’ve found some of the best shells at Bowman’s over the years during low tide, and the beach is the perfect place to spend the afternoon reading or lounging.

Billy’s Bike Rental (and biking through Ding Darling): 

Every year I spend an afternoon with my family renting bikes on Sanibel and biking around the island. One of my favorite places to visit is Ding Darling, a national wildlife refuge on the island that has an incredible array of wildlife (sometimes alligators…), gulf coast birds, mangroves and pretty natural vistas of the island.

Kayaking Tours in Tarpon Bay:  

While I’ve explored Sanibel six ways from Sunday, this year was the first time I’d ever kayaked around Tarpon Bay! For my birthday this year, I went on the kayak tour that explored the mangroves around the island, and it was the most calming, fun adventures we’d done on the island. If you’re into kayaking (or even if you’re not, it’s perfect for beginners!), it’s definitely worth going on the tour.

Sunset Cruises with Captiva Cruises: 

I mean, who doesn’t love a sunset cruise? It’s the perfect way to wind down after a day exploring the island, and they even have cocktails to boot 😉

Where to Stay: 

I have to preface by saying that I’m a little biased because I’ve been staying at the same place with my family for over 20 years, buuuuuuuuuut, there are a ton of amazing places to stay around Ft. Myers and Sanibel/Captiva islands. Here are a few of my favorites for a long weekend, or even a few weeks.

Jensen’s Twin Palms Marina: 

Jensen’s is my favorite place to stay in Captiva, and it’s been around since the late 70’s when my family first started visiting the area. Jensen’s has the cutest cottages that all have access to a beautiful marina – and they’re complete with kitchens so you can make meals on those nights you don’t want to go out. What I love most is that the Jensen family owns the cottages, and since we’ve been staying there for so long, we’ve become friends with the brother who own it (and they’re so lovely they bring us homemade limoncello, honey from their personal beehive and homemade ice cream…mmm…)

South Seas Island Resort: 

If you’re looking for a resort experience, South Seas is another amazing place to stay on the ocean. Also on Captiva Island, South Seas has a 300 acre nature preserve, plenty of activities (tennis, boat rides, beaches, etc.) and some tasty restaurants on property. We usually sneak onto the walking path and walk around the property each morning because it has so many pretty views of the island.

Sanibel Island Marriott Resort:

There are tons of amazing options of resorts in the Sanibel/Ft. Myers area, we stayed for a night at Sanibel Island’s Marriott resort and loved having a night to lounge by the pool, drink wine (at least for me!) and completely relax for a few days before heading back to work. I mean, how nice does that pool look right about now?  It was well worth spending a few extra bucks and days to kick back and relax in the sunshine.

Not a bad way to spend a long weekend! Here’s my cute family (and look at my sweet grandpa!) on our last day in Florida. They’re pretty incredible, and I’m so happy they started this tradition of visiting Ft. Myers/Sanibel over 40 years ago. Now I just need to wait one more year to go back – I’m already counting down the days!

A big thanks to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel for sponsoring this post (and helping me join my family on their Florida getaway!). As always, all opinions are my own – thanks for supporting the brands and organizations that make Charmingly Styled possible.