Sanibel Island Light, or Point Ybel Light, was built on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island to mark the entrance to San Carlos Bay for ships heading to Punta Rassa, an important cattle-shipping port before railroads reached the region. Though local residents sought a lighthouse in 1833, construction was not funded until 1883, and the light was first lit on August 20, 1884, after divers recovered nearly all of its ironwork from a sunken ship. One of the earliest Gulf coast lighthouses north of Key West and the Dry Tortugas, it remains an active aid to navigation. After Hurricane Ian badly damaged the station in 2022, the tower was relit in 2023 as a sign of Sanibel Island’s recovery.