Beach Guide of Southwest Florida
Bonita Beach Park
This beautiful beach front park is on the northern tip of Bonita Beach at 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs. The park offers a variety of amenities. You will find restrooms, shelters with tables and a grill, playground, and sand volleyball court. Parking is available for $1 per hour. Open sunrise to sunset.
South Marco Beach
Located on South Collier Boulevard, Marco Island, this beach is known for shelling, and dolphins and manatees have been spotted there. The beach is open from sunrise to sunset, has 70 parking spaces, but no facilities. A $3.00 Parking Fee is payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit is required. To obtain a pass to Sarazen Park South Beach, you may contact the Marco Island Civic Association (MICA) at 642-7778 or visit the group's website at www.marcocivic.com
Collier County residents may also obtain a free Collier County Beach parking sticker at Mackle Park (239-642-0575) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. You must show proof of Collier County residency.
Tigertail Beach County Part
Located on Marco Island, Tigertail Beach offers the public everything from natural resources to beachside amenities that make your visit a rewarding one. Tigertail Beach offers a bathhouse, five boardwalks leading from the mangrove lined parking area to the white, sandy beach. As you are standing on the beach looking over the Gulf of Mexico, you will see sand Dollar Island. This area is a nesting area for many birds, some that are threatened species. The Least Terns and Black Skimmers nest here in the spring along with various species of Sandpipers. The tidal bay between Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island is generally an area where a variety of birds feed. We see Herons, Egrets, ibis and many kinds of Terns, Sandpipers, plovers and Gulls. You may even see birds of prey such as the Osprey, gliding overhead. A trip to Tigertail is not complete without a stroll along the beach for shells and other beach items. Collection of live shells is not permitted within county parks, but should you walk the shorelines, you will find a variety of shells and maybe even a sand dollar.
For you convenience, there are restrooms at the beach. In addition, a concession offers beach equipment rentals, food, and drinks. A handicapped beach wheelchair is available at this site. There are 190 parking spaces. Should you have comments, concerns or any questions, please contact a park ranger. $3.00 Parking Fee payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit required. The Beach is open from sunrise to sundown.
Residents Beach
Residents Beach is a members-only beach located on Collier Boulevard at the intersection of San Marco Road on Marco Island. The beach is very wide, white and soft, providing plenty of sunbather space.
The Sessions Pavilion contains brandnew restroom facilities as well as a large deck for dining, partly shaded.
A shell kiosk, at the end of the boardwalk to the beach, educates beachgoers on the types of shells found here and what they look like.
The Snack Shack at the pavilion serves breakfast and lunch.
The beach closes at sunset.
Cape Romano/Kice Island
Cape Romano can only be accessed by boat. The closest public ramp is at Caxambas Pass Park at the south end of Marco Island. Cape Romano and Kice Island are within reach of canoe and kayak paddlers as well as powerboat owners wanting to see an undeveloped Southwest Florida shoreline.
Barefoot Beach County Park
In order to preserve precious natural resources in coastal Collier County and to provide passive recreational activities to residents and visitors alike, Collier County Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to manage Barefoot Beach County Park for your enjoyment. The park is comprised of 342 acres on a barrier island. It is separated from the mainland by tidal creeks and mangrove swamps. The mangrove area is extremely important as it provides a breeding area and nursery for sport and commercial fish and shellfish. In addition to the rich vegetation in the park, wildlife abounds. The protected Gopher Tortoise lives within the hammock. Shorebirds can be seen in or near the surf, searching for food. During the summer months, sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and after hatching, thousands of young make it to the water. Southern bald eagles are frequently seen hunting or perching near the beach.
To learn more about plants, wildlife and the ecosystem in Barefoot Beach County Park or to get information on joining "The Friends of Barefoot Beach," please contact a Park Ranger at 353-0404. Guided nature walks and off site interpretive programs are available to interested groups upon request. For your convenience, there are restrooms and showers at the park. Additionally, a concession offers food, drinks and limited beach equipment. A handicapped beach wheelchair is available at this site, as well as two hundred and fifty six parking spaces.
Clam Pass County Park
In Clam Pass County Park, natural resources abound. The Park consists of 35 acres of mangrove forest, coastal dunes and 3200 linear feet of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a boardwalk that provides access to the beach through a mangrove forest. The boardwalk is about three quarters of a mile long and can be walked or ride on a free tram that runs continuously throughout the day. Should you decide to stroll down the boardwalk, you will see three species of mangrove trees, red, black and white. These trees protect and stabilize low lying coastal areas and play a vital role in coastal fishery food chains. For these reasons, mangrove trees are protected by federal, state, and local laws. Mangrove trees are very unique because they are salt tolerant.
For your convenience, there are restrooms at the beach. Additionally, a concession offers beach equipment rental, food and drinks. A handicapped beach wheelchair is available at this site. There are 182 parking spaces available. Clam Pass was voted as one of the top 20 beaches in the United States. $3.00 Parking Fee payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit required. The Beach is open from sunrise to sundown
Vanderbilt Beach County Park
Located at the end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, Vanderbilt Beach County Park borders the Gulf of Mexico near plenty of shopping and restaurants. There is ample car parking, with easy handicap accessibility to the beach, rest rooms and showers. Bicycle racks are located close to the beach. Don't miss out on great shelling in the early morning and bird watching at all hours. Within the park is a tropical Coastal Hammock where you can see lots of subtropical vegetation and native wildlife. There are 152 parking spaces.
$3.00 Parking Fee payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit required. The Beach is open from sunrise to sundown.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area/Beach
Located at 11100 Gulf Shore Drive, N., Naples, the facilities include: Five parking areas, picnic tables, BBQ's, boardwalks, showers, bathhouses, picnic pavilion, observation tower, boat-launching ramp, swimming, boating and fishing, and restrooms.
Hours: 8 am - Sunset Daily
Lowdermilk Park
Lowdermilk Park is one of Naples' premier beachfront parks, with metered and unmetered parking, concession stand, sand volleyball courts, restrooms, showers and a gazebo.
Keewaydin Island
A boater's paradise on the south side of Gordon's Pass on Marco Island. It abuts the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, an untouched and pristine coastal wilderness. Keewaydin is a mostly undeveloped shorline that's home to an exploding population of invasive iguanas. The island is also the domain of many area boaters and fishermen. Dozens of vessels can be found anchored off the beach whenever weekend weather permits.