Updated 9/27/2020 There are a lot of Sanibel Island condo rentals, but they aren’t the typical high rise condos you see on Fort Myers Beach or Marco Island.  Most are only 2 or 3 stories tall.  There aren’t any condos that are brand new on Sanibel, so it’s important to know which ones to avoid and which ones to target.  The complexes we have listed on this page are all excellent choices and are available to book on VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner).  If you’ve never used VRBO, this is the time to try it. 

I can’t stress this enough though, Sanibel Condos BOOK UP FAST.  During high seasons they are often booked a year out.  If you see a place you like, book it while it is available.  Most offer free refunds so if plans change you can always cancel it later.

The majority of Sanibel Island condo rentals are privately owned.  Most owners use Royal Shell Vacations as a booking and cleaning agent.  This makes check in a breeze.  There is a Royal Shell Vacations office on your way into the island where you simply pick up your keys and head to your rental unit.  It really is simple, and after you’ve rented like this through VRBO once you will wonder why you hadn’t done it earlier.  The deals through VRBO are much cheaper than renting a Sanibel Island hotel.

5. Villa Sanibel

The Villa Sanibel condo complex is small (only 20 units) and most units are very close to the beach.  Because of its small size availability can be somewhat limited, but if you can find a unit here on VRBO it is a great choice.  This complex is located on the easternmost end of West Gulf Drive, adjacent to the Sanibel Cottages Resort.  Villa Sanibel’s rentals are unique because they have a separate loft area above the kitchen.  As you can see in the picture above, they are some of the closest units to the beach.  You can check the availability of the Villa Sanibel Unit 1G picture above here: Availability Listing Villa Sanibel 1G

4. Gulf Beach

The Gulf Beach condo complex is another smaller complex located on East Gulf Drive on the east end of Sanibel Island.  You can walk down the beach to the Sanibel Lighthouse from this location, which is a must see.  Gulf Beach has a pretty large pool for the size of the condo complex.  The unit pictured above is the crown jewel of this complex, recently renovated in Pottery Barn furnishings.  This is a very tough unit to book, but they do only allow bookings a year out.  This allows someone who is staying there now to have the first chance to book for next year.  The current review rating on VRBO is 4.9/5.0 with 36 reviews.  You can check out the reviews for yourself here: Gulf Beach Unit 207 Reviews

3. Island Beach Club

The Island Beach Club is without a doubt the best Sanibel Island condo rental complex for a fantastic view.  The design of these beachfront condos gives you a floor to ceiling window view in almost every room, as well as a screened in patio.  There simply isn’t a condo on Sanibel that beats the views from these units.  The downside is they are priced accordingly, but that’s about the only downside.  Island Beach Club would be my #1 pick if cost was not a factor in this list.  The common areas and pools here are top notch as well.  The unit pictured above has another amazing 4.9/5.0 rating on VRBO, check out the listing page here: Island Beach Club P6D Reviews and Availability Be warned, at the time of posting they were 100% booked for the next 5 months.

2. Sanibel Surfside

The gulf front units at the Sanibel Surfside condo complex strike that perfect balance between value and quality.  The units are extremely close to the beach, the pool is good, the units are renovated and the views are great.  This complex is located on Donax Street, which is quiet road.  The beach in this area is less busy than a lot of the areas on the island, it helps that it isn’t close to a public beach access.  There really isn’t much not to love about this complex, it is just an all around great value.  The unit pictured above actually gets a full 5.0/5.0 on VRBO.  You can check the reviews and availability for yourself here:  Sanibel Surfside Condo Unit 105 Reviews and Availability

1. Sand Pointe

I really struggled to even post this, afraid that it might make it even harder to book the units I love at this complex.  Without question, I’ve spent more time at Sand Pointe than any other Sanibel Island condo complex.  So many memories, so many wonderful Sanibel Island vacations.  If I had to narrow it down, after all of my travels to islands across the globe, this just might be my favorite place in the world.  Before I wax poetic more about this place lets get down to just what makes it special.

Sand Pointe is a small condo complex on a very quiet stretch of West Gulf Drive, away from any public beach access or large resorts.  It is a serene area of the beach.  The parking for the units is under the first floor, so the first floor of condos is actually 1 story up.  This makes the 3rd floor condo’s have an amazing view, since they are really 4 stories tall.  Every single unit at Sand Pointe has a great ocean view.

The screened in patios (called Lanai’s) are absolutely massive in all the Sand Pointe units.  The pool (while small) is one of the cleanest and nicest of any Sanibel Island condo complex.  The owners who live in some of the units long term are all wonderful and friendly.  Most of the units are completely renovated, and the renovations were done to a quality you rarely see with condos.  The best part though?  Value.  You simply will not find a better deal for a really nice condo with great amenities and a fantastic view in any other Sanibel Island condo complex.  The unit pictured above has a 4.9/5.0 rating on VRBO (are you sensing a trend here?) and here’s the link to check the reviews and availability: Sand Pointe Condo Unit 137 Reviews and Availability

There’s an extremely good chance that Unit 137 might be booked for your selected dates, so I put together a VRBO search page for ALL the available Sand Pointe units, you can check that here: Check Availability for All Sand Pointe Condo Units

Happy Islanding!