Sanibel Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouse Beach sits at the eastern tip of Sanibel beneath the 1884 cast-iron lighthouse, with a Gulf-side beach for swimming and gentler San Carlos Bay water around the point. The island's east-west shape brings in a lot of shells, so water shoes help. Parking is $5 an hour around the clock, and the park page warns that hurricane debris may still be buried along the shore.

Directions

Photo: Eeviann · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 88/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 29°C, wind 5 km/h, waves 0.3 m, UV 6. Updated 23 Sept, 18:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: City of Sanibel beach park at 110/153 Periwinkle Way, at the island's eastern tip; open 24 hours a day, year-round. The fishing pier is closed until further notice.
Parking & transport: 162 spaces at $5 per hour, enforced 24/7 via mobile payment; Sanibel A/B permits accepted; $150 citation for nonpayment.
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Lighthouse Beach' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70.
Season: Open year-round, 24 hours a day.
Watch for: City notes ongoing hurricane recovery and possible buried debris along the shoreline and in the water
Red tide (Karenia brevis): FWC says blooms occur in the Gulf almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall, most often between Clearwater and Sanibel Island
Facilities: Restrooms · Outside showers · Drinking fountains · Picnic areas and grills · Bike racks · Mobi-mats (ADA access) · Nature trail and boardwalk

Sources: mysanibel.com, mysanibel.com, floridahealth.gov, fdoh.maps.arcgis.com, myfwc.com