Sanibel Lighthouse

One of the first lighthouses on Florida's Gulf Coast, this station on the island's eastern end used to light the entrance into San Carlos Bay. Now, this iconic Sanibel Island landmark doesn't fare so well with travelers. "I love lighthouses," starts one Virtual Tourist writer, "so when I saw a sign for the historic Sanibel lighthouse, we headed that way despite the rain. Sadly, this is a truly ugly lighthouse and not much to see." A TripAdvisor traveler states, "I felt like it was extremely over hyped. After 2 minutes looking at the lighthouse and not being able to go inside to get any additional history, my husband and I went to the beach, which was dirty and not very pretty when compared to other beaches on the island (like Bowman's)." Our suggestion would be to snap a few photos from afar and then keep it movin' to the shops along Periwinkle Way (less than a mile away).

The grounds of the nearly 130-year-old Sanibel Lighthouse are always open to the public. For more information on visiting, check out the official website.