Located off the beaten path on the road less traveled, Sanibel's historic old cemetery is a must see if you love history. Sanibel's cemetery can only be reached by using the bike path.
To reach the graves from the bike trail on Middle Gulf Drive, you will see a fork in the path with the southern fork going into a wooded area. To reach the cemetery coming from Casa Ybel, go to Gulfside Park sign at Algiers and follow the path south until it splits off the road into the woods. You will bike a short distance before reaching the grave stones on your left.
The photo at top taken in 2015 shows the Rutland tombstone, and the photo at the bottom also taken in May 2015 is the Baby Wiles grave adorned with small toys and a Teddy Bear.
Originally the Barnes homestead in the late 1800s, the land was donated around the 1900s as a public burial ground. Some grave site historical registries list 26 interments at the Sanibel Cemetery. The land is no longer used for burials but remains a symbol of the early pioneers to the island.
A few of the families interred here include the Reeds and the Redingers.