Cayo Costa State Park
Boca Grande, FL · Southwest Florida$
A 30-minute boat ride from McCarthy's Marina on Captiva Island puts you on Cayo Costa's nine miles of white-sand beach. It's day trips only, and the island has no drinking water…

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The quarter-mile walk from the lot to Bowman's Beach, on Sanibel's western end, crosses a footbridge over Clam Bayou, where you might spot a manatee or an alligator. People come for the shelling and the quiet, and dolphins sometimes surface offshore. There's no lifeguard and no food for sale, so bring lunch for the grills. The city still warns of buried hurricane debris along the shoreline; wear shoes when you wade.
Others worth the drive in this corner of Florida.
Beaches
Attractions
Attractions
Gardens & wildlife
Gardens & wildlife
Gardens & wildlife
20 placesStart here if you haven't picked a coast yet. The wild beaches and the busy ones are mixed together on purpose; the separate Gulf and Atlantic lists split them out once you know which you want.
9 placesCayo Costa, Caladesi, Anclote Key and St. Vincent Island have no road to them, so you go by ferry or your own boat. You can drive to the other five, and none of the nine has a high-rise on the beach. Pack water and shade either way.