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Paddleboarding at Causeway Islands Park in Fort Meyers and Sanibel Island

By , About.com Guide

Fort Myers and Sanibel Island on the Florida Gulf Coast attract people from all over the United States to its beaches and shores. While fishing, shelling, and beaching are huge attractions here, paddleboarding is increasing in its popularity in the area. This is partly because its new and fun and partly because there's no better way to see fish and sea-life than from a paddleboard. Perhaps one of the most convenient locations to launch your paddleboard is from Causeway Islands Park, in between Fort Myers and Sanibel Island.

Getting to Causeway Islands Park

Causeway Islands Park Sign on Island APhoto © by George E. Sayour

Traveling to Causeway Islands Park to go paddleboarding couldn't be easier. Here's some information for you to plug into your G.P.S. or Google Maps.

  • Address: 19931 Sanibel Causeway Road, Sanibel, FL 33957
  • Where: On the Sanibel Causeway (SR/CR 867), the road connecting Fort Myers to Sanibel Island
  • Directions: When heading West from Fort Myers you’ll go through a Toll Booth en route to Sanibel Island. The two islands you cross over are known as

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Launching You Paddleboard

Paddleboarding in Pine Island SoundPhoto © by George E. Sayour

As you can see, the water is clear and shallow all around these islands. It won't take long at all to drive around both Island A and Island B to see where you'd like to launch your paddleboard from. Island A might be more convenient to where you want to paddle, but bear in mind there are no amenities on Island A. Island B has restrooms, water fountains, and picnic tables.

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Learning to Paddleboard in Fort Myers and Sanibel Island

Paddleboarding with ChildPhoto © by George E. Sayour

Both Fort Myers and Sanibel Island are great places to learn to paddleboard and to rent paddleboards. There are even paddleboarding and kayaking outfitters that will deliver and pick up your rental gear free of charge (with the price of the rental, of course). The shallow waters around the Causeway Islands Parks also make it ideal for kids to play in and to even take on the paddleboard with you.

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The Great Caloosa Blueway Paddling Trail

Great Calusa Blueway Paddling SignPhoto © by George E. Sayour

The Great Caloosa Blueway Paddling Trail is 190 miles long and widely considered to be one of the best paddling trails in the country. By putting your paddleboard in at the Causeway Islands Parks you have immediate access to the Blueway trail. To connect with the trail from Island A, paddle out away from the bridge toward the mangrove islands across the way. You'll see the signs there. The trail also runs along the Fort Myers side of the bridge and toward Fort Myers Beach.

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Heading Back to Causeway Islands Park

Paddleboarding View of Sanibel CausewayPhoto © by George E. Sayour

Here's the view looking past a mangrove island out toward the Sanibel Causeway. Island A, which connects to that bridge in the background, is off in the distance to the right. Once out this far on a paddleboard, the currents and wind can be strong. As paddleboarders know, this can make us wish we were in a kayak. You should therefore plan your trip around the tides and develop a trip plan that gets you back safely.

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More Paddling Around Fort Myers and Sanibel Island

Fort Meyers KayakingPhoto © by George E. Sayour
There are plenty of options for paddling around Fort Myers and Sanibel Island. Here are some related articles that might be of interest to you on the topic.

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