🏖️ Beaches

Naples Beach

Naples, FL · Southwest Florida

About

This broad sweep of soft white sand is the downtown Gulf beach that built Naples' reputation, where families spread out by day and everyone drifts toward the waterline at dusk to watch the sun drop into the Gulf, dolphins often working the surf just offshore. The landmark Naples Pier is closed while the city rebuilds it after Hurricane Ian, but the beach itself is as wide and easy as ever, with plenty of room to walk the shore. Best of all, Fifth Avenue South sits a few blocks back, so dinner and a cocktail are a barefoot walk from the sand.

Highlights

Getting there

25 12th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102

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Bowman's Beach Beaches

Bowman's Beach

Sanibel, FL · Southwest Florida

Fifty acres of pale, shell-packed sand stretch wide and quiet here, reached only by a footbridge over Clam Bayou where manatees, herons, and the odd alligator drift below. The shelling is some of the finest on the Gulf, the low dunes run to sea grape and sea oats, and there isn't a resort in sight. Come at low tide with a mesh bag and the Sanibel stoop, and the shelling will keep you long after the day-trippers head back.

Cayo Costa State Park Beaches

Cayo Costa State Park

Boca Grande, FL · Southwest Florida

There is no bridge and no road, so you board a boat off Pine Island or Boca Grande and motor across the pass, usually trailed by dolphins, to nine miles of barrier island on the other side. Powder-white sand, sea oats bending on the low dunes, and a Gulf tide that keeps laying down fresh shells, sand dollars, and the occasional whole conch. Walk the tram path from the bay dock over to the Gulf and the beach mostly empties out, about as close as Florida gets to having a stretch of coast to yourself.

Fort Myers Beach Beaches

Fort Myers Beach

Fort Myers Beach, FL · Southwest Florida

Seven miles of soft white sand run the length of Estero Island, and the busiest stretch is right at the foot of the bridge, where Times Square meets the water and the beach bars and shrimp shacks pick up where the sand ends. This is the Gulf Coast beach that earns its crowds: shallow warm water for wading, room to spread out a towel, and dinner a barefoot walk away. Hurricane Ian took the old fishing pier in 2022, and a longer one is on the way, with construction set to start in 2026 and open in 2027. The beach itself never went anywhere, wide open and as lively as ever.

More in Southwest Florida

Others worth the drive in this corner of Florida.

All of Southwest Florida
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Gardens & wildlife

J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Sanibel, FL · Southwest Florida

Spanning more than 6,400 acres on Sanibel Island, this refuge protects one of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems in the United States. Its four-mile Wildlife Drive winds past tidal flats and estuaries teeming with roseate spoonbills, herons, ibis, and alligators. The refuge is renowned among birders and is best explored by car, bike, kayak, or on foot.

Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Gardens & wildlife

Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Naples, FL · Southwest Florida

Managed by the National Audubon Society, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest in North America. A 2.25-mile raised boardwalk loops through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, and ancient cypress stands, offering close encounters with wading birds, alligators, and rare orchids. It is one of Florida's premier spots for quiet, immersive nature walking.

Bowman's Beach Beaches

Bowman's Beach

Sanibel, FL · Southwest Florida

Fifty acres of pale, shell-packed sand stretch wide and quiet here, reached only by a footbridge over Clam Bayou where manatees, herons, and the odd alligator drift below. The shelling is some of the finest on the Gulf, the low dunes run to sea grape and sea oats, and there isn't a resort in sight. Come at low tide with a mesh bag and the Sanibel stoop, and the shelling will keep you long after the day-trippers head back.

Cayo Costa State Park Beaches

Cayo Costa State Park

Boca Grande, FL · Southwest Florida

There is no bridge and no road, so you board a boat off Pine Island or Boca Grande and motor across the pass, usually trailed by dolphins, to nine miles of barrier island on the other side. Powder-white sand, sea oats bending on the low dunes, and a Gulf tide that keeps laying down fresh shells, sand dollars, and the occasional whole conch. Walk the tram path from the bay dock over to the Gulf and the beach mostly empties out, about as close as Florida gets to having a stretch of coast to yourself.

Fort Myers Beach Beaches

Fort Myers Beach

Fort Myers Beach, FL · Southwest Florida

Seven miles of soft white sand run the length of Estero Island, and the busiest stretch is right at the foot of the bridge, where Times Square meets the water and the beach bars and shrimp shacks pick up where the sand ends. This is the Gulf Coast beach that earns its crowds: shallow warm water for wading, room to spread out a towel, and dinner a barefoot walk away. Hurricane Ian took the old fishing pier in 2022, and a longer one is on the way, with construction set to start in 2026 and open in 2027. The beach itself never went anywhere, wide open and as lively as ever.

Lovers Key State Park Beaches

Lovers Key State Park

Fort Myers Beach, FL · Southwest Florida

Two miles of quiet, sugar-white beach stretch across four barrier islands here, reached by a short tram from the parking lot or a walk over the bridge. Manatees and dolphins work the passes at either end, and the back-bay trails on Black Island are good for spotting roseate spoonbills, ospreys, and the occasional gopher tortoise. Rent a kayak to paddle the mangrove estuary, or just hunt shells on a shoreline that stays calm and uncrowded even in season.

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Curated guides that feature Naples Beach.