Bicycling at the Island Inn
Biking on Sanibel Island
Sanibel and Captiva islands are a great place to give your car a rest and go for a relaxing bike ride along the trails.
Sanibel Island’s 23-mile bike path takes you just about anywhere you want to go. With an average elevation of four feet, the island’s geography makes biking practically effortless.
Isn’t it time to saddle up into island mode? Take your explorations to the trails and paths for the quintessential island experience. It’s the ultimate green way to get around.
Island Inn Bike Rental Information
Island Inn offers bikes rentals for adults and children. Adult bikes can be outfitted with child trailers, child tandems and baby seats. Youth helmets are available at no additional charge. Choose from our great selection and start exploring the island.
Sanibel Island Safe Biking Video
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Sanibel is a beautiful, sub-tropical barrier island in the Gulf of America, blessed with sunshine, beaches, lush vegetation, abundant wildlife, quiet streets and 25 miles of paved shared use paths and over 8 miles of natural surface paths.
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Sanibel has been designated a “Bike Friendly Community” at the Silver Level by the League of American Bicyclists. Only three other Florida communities enjoy the “Silver” designation.
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Watch this new educational video designed to promote safer cycling and to educate visitors about the ins and outs of riding the Sanibel Shared Use Path.
Tips For Biking Routes on Sanibel
Explore Sanibel Bike Trails on Google Maps“Ding” Darling Refuge, try two-wheeling for a close-up encounter.
The entire loop from the Education Center, through the Refuge and back to the center via the Sanibel-Captiva Road (a.k.a. San-Cap Road) bike path, is about 8 miles, all paved. Or you may want to follow the unpaved shortcut on the Cross-Dike Trail near the Refuge’s entrance.
Nature-lovers bike the “conservation corridor” path paralleling San-Cap Road, which leads to “Ding” Darling, SCCF and other environmental attractions. Here there are few cyclists and driveways, which makes biking more pleasurable than on some of the well-traveled path sections along Periwinkle Way. Try the loop off Sanibel-Captiva Road that runs parallel to Rabbit Road on the backside of its homes, ending at West Gulf Drive. From there you can turn left and circle around on Tarpon Bay Road, past the beach and Bailey Tract (where bikes are allowed, but must be walked in parts), then back to San-Cap Road.
Another favorite by-bike destination along San-Cap Road is Bowman’s Beach, north of the Refuge. At the Blind Pass Bridge to Captiva Island, the bike path ends and pedaling can become a bit treacherous on Captiva’s twisty road, especially in the busy winter season. But if you’re staying in Captiva Island’s “downtown” area, by all means rent a bike to explore the nearby sights and shopping.
Visitor Reviews
A Sunny Return We returned to The Island Inn for our first visit since Hurricane Ian and was heartened to see construction underway and Sanibel rebounding. We had a beautiful ocean-view room for six nights in the Matthews Lodge, which was extremely quiet and included a screened in balcony patio and a fully equipped kitchen. The staff was very attentive and friendly. We encourage you to support this historic property. 
Biking on Sanibel Island FAQ
How many miles of bike paths are on Sanibel?
About 25 miles of paved shared-use paths run from the lighthouse to Blind Pass, plus more than 8 miles of natural-surface trails. The island is flat, so the paths suit riders of every age.
Where can you rent a bike on Sanibel?
Island Inn rents adult and kids’ bikes on site, with child trailers, tandems and baby seats, and youth helmets at no extra charge. On the island, Billy’s Rentals and Finnimore’s Bike and Beach Rental, both on Periwinkle Way, rent bikes too.
Can you bike from Sanibel to Captiva?
Yes, but the bike path ends at the Blind Pass bridge. Captiva has no dedicated bike path, so riders share a narrow, winding road shoulder with traffic. It is best for confident adult riders, and quieter outside the busy winter season.
Can you bike through Ding Darling?
Yes. Cyclists pay $1 to ride the 4-mile Wildlife Drive, which is closed on Fridays. A loop from the refuge’s Education Center through the refuge and back on the San-Cap Road path is about 8 miles, all paved.
