For most people, a sandy shoreline with shimmering, blue water is more than enough to quench their thirst for a tropical paradise. Add to this, an enormous variety of beautiful shells to collect, as well as an abundance of wildlife, like dolphins, manatees, pelicans and sea turtles, and it’s easy to see why Southwest Florida beaches consistently rank among the most popular in the world.
We’re not here to talk about the over-crowded, ‘serve you frozen cocktails while you sit in a rented lawn-chair’ beaches, though. No, today we’ll be checking out 5 of the most beautiful beaches in Southwest Florida where you can escape from the crowds. No boat? No problem. These beaches are all accessible by car.
5.) Tigertail Beach- Marco Island, Florida.
This beach is undoubtedly one of Marco Island’s most stunning. Aptly named, Tigertail Beach is a thin peninsula that wraps around the Northwest corner of Marco Island, somewhat resembling a Tiger’s tail.
As you cross the boardwalk from the parking lot, you’ll find a thin, explorable section of mangroves and shallow back-water—here you can find shells, see small fish and usually lots of birds. To get around to the beach side, simply turn left, walk a short-ways, and you’ll soon see the Gulf of Mexico.
4.) Bowditch Point Park- Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Drive about an hour and a half North of Tigertail Beach, and you’ll find Bowditch Point Park. Bowditch is located at the very North tip of Fort Myers Beach—one of Southwest Florida’s largest barrier islands spanning approximately 7 miles.
The positioning of Bowditch Point Park allows for some spectacular views of Estero Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, Sanibel Island and Sanibel Causeway—not your typical Southwest Florida beach view!
3.) Turner Beach- Captiva Island, Florida
Now, we’ll hop two islands North of Fort Myers Beach, to Captiva Island. Once you arrive on the island via a small, two-lane bridge, the very first beach access is Turner Beach.
Nestled between Captiva Island and the mainland is Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve. This protected bay is constantly filtering water and pushing it back out to the Gulf of Mexico through Captiva’s two passes, Blind Pass and Redfish Pass. Located right next to Blind Pass, this process gives Turner Beach, arguably, some of the best shelling in Southwest Florida.
2.) Delnor-Wiggins State Park- Naples, Florida
From Turner Beach, head South for about an hour, and you’ll eventually come across Delnor-Wiggins State Park—one of Naples’ Northernmost beaches.
Being a State Park, the Delnor-Wiggins park staff doesn’t clear the beach of fallen trees and tree limbs after a hurricane or tropical storm, and that’s the best part! The park contains over a mile a coastline, half of which is littered with uprooted trees and old, weathered driftwood. With complimentary charcoal grills and plenty of places to find some natural shade, Delnor-Wiggins State Park is also a terrific picnic destination.
1.) Little Hickory Pass- Bonita Springs, Florida
Just North of DelNor-Wiggins State Park, is Little Hickory Pass. This hidden oasis requires a ten-minute walk on the beach to find, so you may want to pack light.
To get to Little Hickory Pass, you’ll park at Little Hickory Island Beach Park—this is where most people situate their beach chairs for the day. Walk North (when the Gulf is to your left—that’s North) for about a half-mile, and you’ll stumble upon two rock jetties. Just past these jetties is Little Hickory Pass.
Once you arrive at the pass, you’ll be greeted by clear, shallow waters with a soft, sandy bottom—perfect for wading around and looking for shells and other sea critters. On the far side of the pass is nothing but untouched mangroves where you can usually spot a wide variety of South Florida’s diverse bird species: Egrets, Blue and White Herons, Pelicans, Anhingas, Cormorants and more. Depending on the time of day, Little Hickory Pass also has tidepools which can host an array of small fish and shellfish.
