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Cayo Costa State Park, photo 1 of 4

Photo: Andrea Pauline / CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Beaches

Cayo Costa State Park

Boca Grande, FL · Southwest Florida$$2 per person; honor box, bring exact change

About

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. Private boats can land on the Gulf-facing beach from 8 a.m. to sunset, away from any area signed closed. On a Captiva Cruises half day you get about two hours on the sand while the boat, bathroom and all, waits at the island, and you climb on and off by a four-step ladder in knee-deep water.

Highlights

Getting there

Island south of Boca Grande, Boca Grande, FL 33921

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Secluded Florida Gulf Coast Beaches9 places

Secluded Florida Gulf Coast Beaches

Cayo 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.