Most shops are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm, Sunday from noon to 5pm. You can burn up a rainy day and lots of credit at Sanibel's numerous upscale boutiques carrying expensive jewelry, apparel, and gifts. Many are in Periwinkle Place and Tahitian Gardens, the main shopping centers along Periwinkle Way. The larger Periwinkle Place sports mostly high-end men's and women's clothiers, while Tahitian Gardens has some excellent gift shops, including the Cheshire Cat (tel. 239/482-8697), which sells nature toys and other unique items for kids.
More than a dozen Sanibel galleries feature original works of art; pick up a gallery guide at the chamber of commerce's visitor center. On Captiva, the treehouselike Jungle Drums, on Andy Rosse Lane (tel. 239/395-2266), has the area's most unique collection of wildlife art.
Founded in 1899, Bailey's General Store, Periwinkle Way and Tarpon Bay Road (tel. 239/472-1516), is still going strong, with a supermarket, deli, salad bar, hardware store, beach shop, shoe repair, and Western Union all under one roof. Bailey's is open daily from 7am to 9pm.
