View of pool beach, and Gulf of Mexico at Marriott Hotel, Marco Island, Florida photo: marriott.com
There are so many things to do for summer fun in Naples-Bonita Springs-Marco Island beaches, and Sanibel/Captiva! You will want to buy a home and stay for the winter fun.
Go to the beach!
This one is easy. Pack up a picnic, grab your sunscreen and head west. If you go late in the day, stay for a spectacular Gulf of Mexico sunset.
Bowditch Point Regional Park, Estero, north end of Estero Island. San Carlos Blvd south across Matanzas Pass, turn right on Estero Blvd. to the point. Catch the trolley in the Main Street Park & Ride lot, just north of the Matanzas Pass Bridge. Picnic and barbecue facilities, pavilion, showers, restrooms, bike and hiking paths and handicap accessible boardwalk. Map
Lynn Hall Memorial Park at the north end of Estero Island, take San Carlos Blvd to Estero Blvd, turn right, the park is on the left. Fishing pier, bathhouse, picnic & barbecue facilities, rentals, refreshment stand, swings, volleyball and parking area. Map
Lover’s Key Johnson Park – Bowman’s Beach, Estero is accessed off County Road 865 at the north end of Black Island (just south of Estero Island). The park has picnic facilities, boardwalks, nature trails, restrooms and a tram to the beach. Call 239-472-6477 for more information. Map
Lover’s Key State Recreation Area, Estero is south of Big Carlos Pass on County Road 865 at the north end of Black Island (south of Estero Island), 1 square mile state park. Map
Barefoot Beach Park/Preserve, Bonita Springs Bonita Beach Road west from US 41 to the guardhouse on the left at Lely Beach Blvd. This is a large park with 365 acres of beaches and trails. There is plenty of paid parking. Amenities include vending machines, a restaurant/bar and clean restrooms. Map
Bonita Beach Park, Bonita Springs Bonita Beach Road west from US 41, curves to the right and becomes Hickory Blvd. The park is on the left just past the intersection of the roads. This beach park has picnic shelters, volleyball courts and a bathhouse. The surf fishing is pretty good and the sand is great. There are several “beachy” places to eat within walking distance of the park. Bring quarters for parking. Map
Delnor-Wiggins State Recreation Area, Naples Immokalee Road west from US 41, it becomes Bluebill Avenue after the bridge, the beach is at the end of the road. Hours are 8 a.m. to sunset and there are lifeguards on duty. Lots of parking close to the beach. You can enjoy great sand and 166 acres of nature trails, woods and beaches with lots of trees and wildlife. There is an observation tower, picnic areas, grills, large clean restrooms and showers. Admission and parking fees. Call 239-597-6196 for more information. Map
Vanderbilt Beach, Naples Take Vanderbilt Beach Road west from US 41. This beach is next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and within easy walking distance of several casual restaurants. Facilities include lifeguards, picnic areas, grills, tower, boat ramp, restrooms and showers. There is limited parking a few blocks east and handicapped parking is right at the beach entrance. Map
Clam Pass, Naples Take Seagate Drive west from US 41, the beach entrance is next to the Registry Resort. There is lots of parking. You can take a tram or walk (10 to 15 minutes) through the mangroves, along the boardwalk to the beach. Chaise lounge and equipment rentals are available on the beach from the Registry Resort. There is a lots of parking, snack bar, outdoor showers and restrooms, water-sport equipment rentals. Map
Beach Parks, Gulf Shore Boulevard North, Naples Park Shore or Harbour Drive west from US 41 to Gulf Shore Blvd. North. There are three beach parks accessible from Gulf Shore North, Horizon Way, Vedado Way and Via Miramar. These are pretty, serene beaches perfect for sunning, walking, shell collecting, surf fishing and watching shore birds. There is a stone jetty at the south end of Via Miramar beach, making it a good place to find shells and other sea life. There are hoses for rinsing off but no other amenities. Parking is limited, the meters take quarters. Map
Lowdermilk Park, Naples Banyan Blvd. west from US 41 to Gulf Shore Blvd. Loads of parking, a snack bar, vending area, picnic tables, volleyball courts, and decent restrooms. There are restaurants and a deli in a small shopping center across the street. Map
Beach Parks, Gulf Shore Blvd. South, Naples Mooring Line Drive west from US 41 to Gulf Shore Blvd. South. There is beach access at every Avenue from 8th Avenue North to 18th Avenue South. There are no restrooms or other amenities, just beautiful sand beaches, gulf breezes and gentle surf. Outdoor showers or foot showers. Parking is very limited, the meters take quarters. There are no restrooms or other amenities. You will also find public access to the beach on Gordon Drive at 32nd and 33rd Avenues South. Map
Naples area attractions are numerous and varied enough to suit everyone. There are almost too many things to do in the Sanibel – Bonita Springs – Naples – Marco Island area. From shopping and dining to nature walks and bird watching you will find something to enjoy every day. And don’t forget the beautiful beaches, and golfing, water sports, sunsets…almost too many things to do. And definitely something for everyone. Check out the fun on Sherpa Guides.
Revisit our post about things to do with kids.
From realtor.com by Yuqing Pan | January 11, 2016
To figure out which of these towns were drawing would-be buyers, we aggregated page view data on realtor.com® in December 2015 to pinpoint where people are actually checking out houses online. With the homes in Hawaii and Southern California busting most people’s budgets, all eyeballs are now on the Sunshine State.
The housing market in Southwest Florida has been red-hot for the past few years, but Sarasota (No.1) is getting blistering.
Here’s the full list and median list prices:
Hottest waterfront real estate markets
Sarasota, FL: $339,000
Naples, FL: $479,000
Myrtle Beach, SC: $168,950
Delray Beach, FL: $248,950
Vero Beach, FL: $309,000
Miami Beach, FL: $569,000
Jupiter, FL: $489,000
Lake Worth, FL: $210,000
Venice, FL: $265,000
Palm Harbor, FL: $235,000
Of course, coastal communities vary as widely as the people who vacation in them. That’s why we crunched the numbers further to come up with the top 10 beach towns for four types of vacationers (Best Outdoor Activities, Cleanest Water, Best Weather, Nightlife). So slip on the Havaianas, slather on some SPF 50, and let’s get to the beach!
Read the complete article here.
Wondering what to do over the long weekend? Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather in Southwest Florida! Take a picnic and head for the beach. Lovers Key State Park is one of the most spectacular natural beach parks in Florida.
“Lovers Key State Park stands out as one of the finest examples of subtropical, coastal habitat remaining in Southwest Florida. This area of the Gulf Coast of Florida is home to dolphins, manatees, bald eagles and roseate spoonbills, in addition to thousands of migratory wading birds, shorebirds and other waterfowl in season.
The 712-acre Florida State Park embraces Lovers Key and three other barrier islands—Black Island, Inner and Long Key. Visitors can hike or bike along the trails, comb the beaches, swim, kayak, fish or watch wildlife.
However you decide to explore the park, you will experience one of the most beautiful and tranquil nature parks in the country.
From the north, you cross Big Carlos Bay to Black Island; from the south, you come over the New Pass into the pristine habitats on the south end. Either way, you’ll pass hiking trails, picnicking, bike and canoe trails, boat ramps and more on your way to Lovers Key. A tram is available to take you there. Once on the beach, look for shorebirds! Get directions here.
Amenities
Lovers Key State Park is one of the top three most visited state parks in Florida. The park has environmentally friendly restrooms, a concession with canoes, kayaks and bicycles and a courtesy tram provides convenient access to the beach and pavilion.
Beyond the two-mile long beach on Lovers Key, Black Island has over five miles of multi-use trails, a gazebo, picnic areas, a boat ramp, and two playgrounds.”
From Friends of Lovers Key State Park.
“Number two on Dr. Beach’s list this year is Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, Florida, which moved up, after re-evaluation, from its number six slot in 2013. Located in a 342-acre county park, the beach is 8,200-feet-long and has small waves, shallow water “and if you like seashells, there are millions of them,” said Leatherman.” See the complete list.
Number 2 – Barefoot Beach, Bonita Springs, Florida
Take Bonita Beach Road west from US 41 to the guardhouse on the left at Lely Beach Blvd. This is a large park with 342 acres of beaches and trails. 356 parking spaces, one-mile nature trail, showers, picnic area and a concession area where equipment may be rented and food and drink is available for purchase.
Number 10 – Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
Take 111th Avenue west from US 41, it becomes Bluebill Avenue after the bridge, the beach is at the end of the road. Hours are 8 a.m. to sunset and there are lifeguards on duty. There is lots of parking close to the beach. You can enjoy great sand and 166 acres of nature trails, woods and beaches with lots of trees and wildlife. There is an observation tower, picnic areas, grills, large clean restrooms and showers. Admission is $1 per person on foot or bike, $4 per single person in a car, $6 for up to eight in a car. Boat launch $5.
More About Beaches:
Romantic Southwest Florida
What is there for kids to do in Naples? In July?
Beautiful white sand beaches offer front seat views of spectacular sunsets. Take a picnic, relax and watch the show, or enjoy the sunset before going off to dinner at a fine restaurant. Enjoy one of the many beaches along the Gulf coast from Estero to Marco Island.
Bowditch Point Regional Park, Estero at the north end of Estero Island. Picnic and barbecue facilities, pavilion, showers, restrooms, bike and hiking paths and handicap accessible boardwalk.
Lynn Hall Memorial Park at the north end of Estero Island. Fishing pier, bathhouse, picnic & barbecue facilities, rentals, refreshment stand, swings, volleyball and parking area.
Lover’s Key Johnson Park – Bowman’s Beach, Estero has picnic facilities, boardwalks, nature trails, restrooms and a tram to the beach. Call 239-472-6477 for more information.
Lover’s Key State Recreation Area, Estero is south of Big Carlos Pass on County Road 865 at the north end of Black Island (south of Estero Island), 1 square mile state park.
Barefoot Beach Park/Preserve, Bonita Springs is a large park with 365 acres of beaches and trails.
Bonita Beach Park, Bonita Springs has picnic shelters, volleyball courts and a bathhouse. The surf fishing is pretty good and the sand is great. There are several “beachy” places to eat within walking distance of the park. Bring quarters for parking.
Delnor-Wiggins State Recreation Area, Naples is open 8 a.m. to sunset and there are lifeguards on duty.You can enjoy great sand and 166 acres of nature trails, woods and beaches with lots of trees and wildlife. There is an observation tower, picnic areas, grills, large clean restrooms and showers. Admission and parking fees. Call 239-597-6196 for more information.
Vanderbilt Beach, Naples is next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and within easy walking distance of several casual restaurants. Facilities include lifeguards, picnic areas, grills, tower, boat ramp, restrooms and showers. There is limited parking a few blocks east and handicapped parking is right at the beach entrance.
Clam Pass, Naples is next to the Registry Resort. There is lots of parking. You can take a tram or walk (10 to 15 minutes) through the mangroves, along the boardwalk to the beach. Chaise lounge and equipment rentals are available on the beach from the Registry Resort. There is a lots of parking, snack bar, outdoor showers and restrooms, water-sport equipment rentals.
Beach Parks, Gulf Shore Boulevard North, There are three beach parks accessible from Gulf Shore North, Horizon Way, Vedado Way and Via Miramar. These are pretty, serene beaches perfect for sunning, walking, shell collecting, surf fishing and watching shore birds. There is a stone jetty at the south end of Via Miramar beach, making it a good place to find shells and other sea life. There are hoses for rinsing off but no other amenities. Parking is limited, the meters take quarters.
Lowdermilk Park has loads of parking, a snack bar, vending area, picnic tables, volleyball courts, and decent restrooms. There are restaurants and a deli in a small shopping center across the street.
Beach Parks, Gulf Shore Blvd. South, Naples -There is beach access at every Avenue from 8th Avenue North to 18th Avenue South. There are no restrooms or other amenities, just beautiful sand beaches, gulf breezes and gentle surf. Outdoor showers or foot showers. Parking is very limited, the meters take quarters. There are no restrooms or other amenities. You will also find public access to the beach on Gordon Drive at 32nd and 33rd Avenues South.
More About Beaches:
2 Southwest Florida Beaches on Top 10 List
What is there for kids to do in Naples? In July?
