Finding those free souvenirs is part of the fun of a tropical vacation. At the right beach you can find tons of treasures from the sea or still in the sea. Bermuda and South West Florida, Sanibel Island in particular seem to be the best places to find sea shells and other treasures along the shore. Though shells and other treasures can be found just about anywhere there is a beach.

In parts of northeast United States, California, northwest England, Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Nova Scotia, Australia, Italy and southern Spain are famous for a particularly rare find called Sea or beach glass. This is weathered glass that has been made smooth by water, sand and other natural forces to create what looks like gem stones. Many people like to collect sea glass to use in jewelry. The legend is this glass comes from bottles left behind from Pirates and other sea faring ancestors.

In Southwest Florida along the beaches you will find a bounty of sea shells, sand dollars, sear urchins and other treasures to add to your collection. If you fish you will also be able to add photos of those prized catches to your vacation collection. We have seen everything from baby hammerhead sharks to sea bass and everything in between pulled from the waters around Sanibel and Captiva island. You may even spot a dolphin or two. One word of caution, if you decide to wade out into the water to get those prized possessions keep a eye out for the other inhabitants of the ocean. On a recent trip my youngest daughter had waded out with her brother and a new friend to get sand dollars. Suddenly they came running back yelling frantically after a Shark passed within a couple of feet from where they were in the water.

If you are a diver Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island and the surrounding area ofter offer a bounty of wreck dives and other treasure to find and get pictures of. Many have found coins, dishes and other artifacts left behind, besides seeing some incredible wrecks and scenery and sea life.

Remember to have some bleach and a bucket handy so you can clean your finds and make sure they don’t smell a day later. There are many ways to clean your sea shells and sea life such as burying them until they are cleaned naturally, boiling or even microwaving (not recommended). The best thing to do is to just put them in a bucket with some fresh water and bleach and let them sit over night. In the morning rinse them and put them in a plastic baggie with some baby oil to shine them up a bit and then enjoy.

If you want some of the really prized gold treasures and coins many of the local beach shops in Ft. Myers Beach and the surrounding area offers coins from Mel Fishers finds and other treasure hunters.

So have fun combing the beach and the waters making it a long weekend life and relaxing to the sounds of the crashing waves while finding some cool treasures.