Sanibel Cottages Resort

Sanibel Cottages Resort is on Sanibel Island, which is on the West Coast of Florida across from Miami, near Fort Myers. On my last visit to the area, I went to Fort Myers and spent some time there and I look forward to going back.

Video by  Jennifer Ruiz

Day One Travel and Arrival at Sanibel Cottages Resort

My travel this time was easy since I had just flown into town for business in Miami. I met a client whom I had completed some web design and copywriting for who wanted another project completed.

So after a good meeting and lunch, I grabbed my rental car and headed to Sanibel Island. It was less than an hour’s drive this time of year, likely more during the prime weeks. Once I made my way out of Miami, the traffic was light and the drive was relaxing.

I enjoy the work that I do and the idea that a client would pay to meet with me in person when digital meetings are so easy now was a huge compliment. If I did not have the amazing relationship with TZort, I likely would not have pulled it off, however, because flying round trip on the same day is not in my personal playbook anymore. As it is, I will stay at nearby Sanibel and meet with the client again after a long weekend on Tuesday then fly back home after that meeting.

This means for me I have the entire weekend to myself, well, myself and a friend from Miami. We recently stayed together at resorts on nearby Captiva Island and had fun, so we are doing it again with this resort on Sanibel.

Here the cottages are large 1,400 sq ft 2-bedroom suites that are really cottage sized and lovely. Here you have beachfront access, pools, golf, and the best sunset views that the gulf is known for. Really, when it comes to sunsets, there are few better places to enjoy them. Maybe Hawaii, or Tahiti, but in this part of the world the Gulf is where it is at. Also, my flight to Miami took about 2 hours. The flight to Hawaii would be a day, I will take this anytime.

After checking in I was not only impressed by the size of the suite but also by the way they laid it out, and the whirlpool tub in the master bedroom. That was just a nice touch that the last 5 resorts I had stayed at did not offer. It is not needed, but nice to have when you can get it.

You also have to like the full kitchen and the washer and dryer in the unit. I will probably type about it every time, but I really value being able to wash my bathing suit when I come back from the beach and having it dried and warm for my next use. It is a small thing, but meaningful to me.

Villa Amenities

Resort Amenities

You will love how the cottages sit around a lake and share views of the beach and gulf beyond. This park-like setting is peaceful while being romantic at the same time. The cottage buildings themselves flow with a South Florida grace that seems unique to the area, and that tends to relax me the moment I see the white paint and flowing porch-like exteriors.

I made it to the area on time for check-in and now I want to figure out dinner. I chose Mudbugs for dinner. The name just made the place sound fun, so I headed to see if my guess was correct. For the meal, I picked JAMBALAYA which I really like and I was happy with their take on it. A neat thing they offer here is to cook your own fish you caught and provide two sides for you as dinner. It is a neat offer that is rare to find on the menu somewhere. It is just $12 per 10oz cleaned filet you provide, which I thought was reasonable since they provide the sides, and ingredients for blackened or whatever you like.

After dinner, I returned to the room to rest for the night and hit that whirlpool tub.

Day Two of Fort Myers

While there is plenty to do on the island, I wanted to see a few things from my last trip to Fort Myers. At first, I considered renting a Ferrari for the day, but then I realized that my fitting into one unless it was owned by a basketball player or NFL star, was not likely.

So, instead, I got my hands on tickets at Fenway South to watch the Red Socks in spring training. Not an MLB game, but I like it as more informal and local, anyway. The park is nice and while there is a crowd, it feels much more like going to a minor league park to see a local game. The ballpark is near the airport and easy to find.

Some beer, peanuts, and a hot dog later, we left there and headed back toward our resort. On the way, we went to the Sandbar on Sanibel for dinner. The setting felt like a family restaurant, but it was more than it included an interesting menu and a bit of a wine list.

We shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed our entrees. I had the Mahi Mahi, and my friend chose the Filet. Both were outstanding, and the Cabernet we enjoyed was a solid option. The food here was very good and our waitress was great. I think my friend thought I was flirting with the waitress, but I was really just laughing at her sense of humor.

When a gal laughs, it might be flirting. As guys, we are not that complex. We just laugh when it is funny. Now if we look on with a lost puppy look in our eyes with not noticing then that might be flirting. For the record, I had no such look in my eyes.

Day Three Planetarium and Sunset on the Beach

 Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium for a morning show were how we started the day. We wanted to see it yesterday, but the baseball game took its place. Today there was rain in the AM so we headed back to Fort Myers for the Planetarium. There are few things as neat as seeing space to get that feeling of insignificance in the grand scheme of things. I mean that in a very positive way. I think space and nature can humble us and make us appreciate things much more.

We made it to the first planetarium show of the day. When we came out, the rain had stopped, so we looked around some more, then headed back to Sanibel and the beach.

You can’t stay on an island like this and not spend at least a nice day on the beach. I think there is a written law to that effect somewhere in Florida. Sanibel Island has a wonderful beach, and good shelling if you like to look for that perfect shell. We headed to the LIGHTHOUSE BEACH & FISHING PIER, SANIBEL ISLAND just to check it all out. But then headed back to the resort and our almost private beach location spot near the resort. It is amazing how uncrowded the beaches are here. I think they may be say 20% busier than Captiva because of added parking and beach access options, but near the resort, there are fewer here than in other parts of the beaches.

The beaches here are wonderful and the best is right at the resort. The hours we spent in the 80-degree sun were pleasant and the water was crystal clear and clean. That is one thing about the gulf it always looks so clear compared to the East Coast. Again the showstopper in the area is the sunsets. They are dreamlike and well worth the cost of your entire stay.

Make sure you book through TZort to get a great rate on this resort and enjoy the beach as we did.