Shopping

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 -- such as Pandora's Box (tel. 239/472-6263), a treasure trove of great vintage jewelry, fabulous cards, beautiful art, and gorgeous children's toys and books, and Sanibel Day Spa (tel. 239/395-2220; www.sanibeldayspa.com), where you can get massages; pedis; manis; and a slew of body, hair, and skin care products -- 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.

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.