Tarpon Bay

Located in the southern part of the Sanibel Island shoreline, Tarpon Bay Beach is a beach with white sand and nearby trees. Tarpon Bay Beach does not have lifeguards. However, it has a few other amenities including benches, restrooms, and showers. Dogs are allowed on leash in Tarpon Bay Beach. The City of Sanibel Police Department offers complimentary beach wheelchairs (based on availability) to visitors with disabilities in Tarpon Bay Beach. If you want a beach wheelchair, you can contact the City of Sanibel Police Department Dispatch at (239) 472-3111 hours before your visit. 

Tarpon Bay Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, surf-skiing, water-skiing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, parasailing, wakeboarding, and boating. The water near this beach has gentle waves, making it ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, and canoeists. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Tarpon Bay Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. The water here also occasionally has high levels of microbial contamination. Depending on the time of the year, you can watch many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including dolphins and sea turtles. The water near Tarpon Bay Beach is a great fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here including grouper, king mackerel, and snapper. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Tarpon Bay Beach, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations. The water currents of the Gulf of Mexico often deposit many kinds of shells in Tarpon Bay Beach and this makes this beach a great spot for beachcombing. 

Getting to Tarpon Bay Beach is easy - the beach is present near 111 Tarpon Bay Road, where a paid parking lot is located nearby. 

There are many attractions near Tarpon Bay Beach. The Sanibel Island Lighthouse was initially built in 1884 and is currently a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places. This lighthouse also has a recreational park adjacent to it which offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, boating, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and water-skiing. Causeway Islands Park is a recreational park which is composed of two interconnected spoil islands - this park offers many amenities including barbecue areas, picnic areas, paddlecraft launching areas, and restrooms. In addition, the park is also an amazing fishing spot. If you are looking for another attraction near Tarpon Bay Beach, J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge is spread over 6,400 acres and it has many kinds of habitats including mangrove forests, West Indian hardwood hammock forests, and marine seagrass beds - you can explore this refuge’s vibrant landscape via the hiking and biking trails. In addition, this refuge is also a fantastic wildlife watching spot and you can view many kinds of animals here including alligators, crocodiles, fish, bobcat, rabbits, raccoons, otters, and 245 species of birds. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Tarpon Bay Beach. The Mad Hatter Restaurant is an upscale waterfront restaurant that serves amazing New American cuisine. The restaurant’s menu often exhibits seasonal dishes with ingenious culinary influences. Sanibel Fish House is primarily known for serving amazing seafood. In addition, the restaurant also serves delicious salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, poultry dishes, and steaks. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Tarpon Bay Beach, Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory offers excellent salads, breakfast dishes, wraps, sandwiches, soups, chicken wings, and pizzas.  

If you are looking for a hotel near Tarpon Bay Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star South Seas Island Resort is a 25-minute drive away and offers many amenities including three pools, a spa, a marina, two golf courses, tennis courts, a fitness center, beach towels and chair loaner facility, and six restaurants. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa is a 20-minute drive away and offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, a spa with a pool, and a steam room, three additional outdoor pools, a gym, a tennis court, and a hot tub. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Sundial Beach Resort & Spa which offers two cafes, a sushi bar, a spa, access to a nearby golf course, and a poolside bar. The hotel also offers many other amenities for a resort fee including five swimming pools, access to tennis courts, and loaner facilities for kayaks, bicycles, and beach chairs. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Tarpon Bay Beach, the 2-Star Anchor Inn & Cottages Sanibel offers many amenities including a pool with a sundeck, horseshoes, a shuffleboard court, a picnic area, barbecue areas, bike rental facilities, and complimentary beach gear loaner facilities.