Sanibel Island Tourism Booms Even Though Only Half of Hotels Are Back After Hurricane Ian

Hotel rooms on Sanibel Island remain filled at 90% capacity, with only half the island's pre-hurricane lodging restored after Hurricane Ian hit in 2022. At Sundial Beach Resort, pool day passes have been sold out for two weeks straight, showing just how popular the place has become.

Michigan tourist Will Bowling chose this destination for its relaxed atmosphere, different from other beach destinations. "This is our first time here, and we were going to go to Panama City Beach, but we wanted to do something a little more exciting, so we went to this little island," said Bowling to Gulf Coast News. "I'm not a huge fan of, you know, like, super big, loud areas, but everyone is really nice here."

Local restaurants are bustling. Mudbugs is experiencing large crowds, with some guests having to wait up to two hours after 4 p.m. for a table.

Due to the surge in visitors, traffic may back up for an hour on the causeway during busy times. Locals suggest going to the island after 10 a.m., leaving before 2 p.m, or waiting until after to dinner to leave.