Sanibel Island Light, Historic lighthouse on Sanibel Island, Florida, US

Sanibel Island Light is a brown cylindrical metal tower set inside an open framework of four straight legs with horizontal and diagonal braces, rising from the roof of a white wooden building with a brown shingle roof. A glass-paneled lantern room with a gallery tops the tower, and a central spiral staircase begins about 10 feet above the ground. The structure stands 98 feet above sea level at the eastern tip of Sanibel Island.

Sanibel Island residents petitioned for a lighthouse in 1833, and the Lighthouse Board recommended one in 1856, but Congress acted only in 1883. The foundation was finished in early 1884, yet the ship carrying the ironwork sank two miles offshore; hard-hat divers from Key West recovered all but two pieces. The light was first lit on August 20, 1884, marking the entrance to San Carlos Bay for ships bound for Punta Rassa.

The light marks the entrance to San Carlos Bay for ships bound for Punta Rassa, the port across the bay that shipped Florida cattle to Cuba from the 1830s until the Spanish–American War. The grounds at Point Ybel are open to the public, but the tower itself is not; the City of Sanibel owns the tract while the U.S. Coast Guard keeps the light operational.

The grounds are freely accessible for walking and exploring, though the tower structure itself is closed to visitors. Plan to visit in early morning or around sunset when the light is best for photography and the area is less crowded.

The tower's ironwork sank two miles offshore before assembly; hard-hat divers from Key West recovered all but two pieces. The station lost one leg to Hurricane Ian in 2022, and the light was relit on February 28, 2023.