Night Life

Sanibel is a wonderful vacation paradise with all the sunny pleasures that an island can give – white sand beaches, world famous shelling, great boating and fishing and whatever outdoor fun you like plus whatever indoor doings that move your spirit. But Sanibel also has a rousing nighttime scene as well. It offers many pleasures that make your nighttime a fun time for you and your entire party. Here are some suggestions.

Dinner and Dance

There is ballroom dancing encouraged at three restaurants – the Thistle Lodge (239 472 9200) and the Jacaranda (239 472 1771) on Sanibel and the Crows Nest Lounge (239 472 5161) on Captiva. They tend to be a little more formal than most but offer good food, friendly service and those special cheek-to-cheek times.

The Sports Bars

Two sports bars are particularly popular – Doc Fords Rum Bar (239 472 8311) and the Sanibel Grill (239 472 4453). Both have really good bar service, a tasty menu of local favorites and they’re open later than most restaurants so your chances to party on is better.

Other Restaurants

There are many other great restaurants on the islands that can give you a good time, good food and a fun way to enjoy your evening. Check them out on our restaurant page. Most have live music and all of them have friendly service.

Island Theatres

If you want the pleasure of a live theatrical performance Sanibel has it covered. The Strauss Schoolhouse Theatre (239 472 0862) is the only professional theatre on the islands and presents drama, comedy and musical events of a high professional standard. If you want to go to the movies there are two theatres – the Island Cinema (239 472 1701) in the Bailey Center that shows first run movies and Schein Hall at BigArts (239 395 0900) that shows select films on Monday nights during season – November through April.

Off Island

There are also nighttime entertainment opportunities in the surrounding communities. Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach are only a short distance away and can offer a variety of things to do. Fort Myers is a large metropolitan area and has many things to do – one is the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on Colonial Boulevard (239 278 4422). They present a tasty dinner and popular shows that have been hits on Broadway with their professional travelling cast. And there’s the Beach Bowl and Pelican Arcade (239 466 3033) on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach only ten or fifteen minutes from the bridge. You can bowl on one of their 12 lanes and they have a pro shop, full bar, pool tables and pizza. There is also the arcade with a full range of games. A good time for all.

When you plan on coming to Sanibel or Captiva for your vacation you can be sure that David Schuldenfrei will help you find the perfect vacation rentals but he will also see that you have as much information as possible about what you might have fun doing. So call David. See what a difference a Dave can make!

nightlife on Sanibel Island