Top 11 Best Beaches in Southwest Florida
Florida is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States and you can find some of the best beaches in the Southwest region of the state. Much like the rest of the state, Florida’s west coast is known for its white sandy beaches, warm ocean temperatures, and year-round sunny skies. Florida is home to hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, so whether you're visiting with friends or family these Southwest Florida beaches can't be missed. Additionally, Florida's all-inclusive resorts are the perfect destination for those looking to get away and relax.
I lived in Fort Myers for two years and visited my fair share of beaches and I'm finally sharing my list of the eleven best beaches in Southwest Florida, which also happen to be some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed most beaches I’ve visited, but there’s something special about Gulf Coast beaches. The waters are calm with waves rarely present, and typically clear with a greenish-blue hue. Gulf coast beaches are great for spotting marine life like manatees, dolphins, and stingrays, and are the perfect place to try your luck at shelling! Now that I’ve moved out of Florida and live on the completely opposite side of the country, I miss these beaches dearly. If you love the beach as much as I do, then you should check out the company called Beachly. It’s a subscription box filled with tons of beach-themed products from sunscreen to body scrubs to coverups and will have you looking forward to your day at the beach. In the meantime, let’s get into the list of top beaches in Southwest Florida!
The most popular tours & tips when visiting Southwest Florida beaches
- Grab a Florida State Parks Annual Pass for $60 if you plan on visiting multiple state park beaches.
- This shelling boat tour will be the highlight of your beach vacation as you hunt for unique seashells on Marco Island.
- Learn to paddleboard on this guided tour near beautiful Bonita Beach.
- If you're visiting one of these Southwest Florida beaches between August - December, check for red tide before going in the water.
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Lighthouse Beach Park
This popular 45-acre beach on Sanibel Island is a quick drive from Fort Myers and is home to the beautiful Sanibel Island Lighthouse. There’s a $6 toll to drive over the causeway from Fort Myers, but it’s well worth it since you can easily spend an entire day or weekend on the island. The park is located on the South end of the island at Point Ybel and has a u-shaped beach with views of the Gulf of Mexico, the Sanibel Causeway, Fort Myers Beach, and downtown Fort Myers. It’s the second largest park on Sanibel and has a whopping 152 parking spots, which is very rare for beaches in Southwest Florida! Parking passes are $5 for the day and pro tip – if you don’t end up staying all day, pay it forward and give your parking pass to a fellow beach goer in the parking lot. Because Lighthouse Beach Park is so large and has ample parking, it typically gets crowded by mid-morning. If you’re looking for a quieter beach experience, I highly recommend arriving at 8am when the park opens for a relaxing morning on the sand.
Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Park
Cayo Costa Beach State Park
Visit once and immediately fall in love with the untouched 9-mile stretch of shoreline that makes up Cayo Costa State Park and Island. Cayo Costa is only accessible by boat or kayak, making it the tranquil beach goers paradise! To visit this natural island, book a ride with Captiva Cruises, who have daily half-day and full day trips to Cayo Costa leaving from Captiva from $45 per person. The half-day cruise is the option I went with, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment from hearing fun facts about the area and history on the boat to shelling and exploring the beaches on the island. Captiva Cruises offers tours to other locations such as Cabbage Key and departs from both Captiva and Boca Grande for convenience.
*Cayo Costa State Park is currently closed due to damage sustained from Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and Captiva Cruises is also running on a limited schedule, but I will update this article as these special places reopen.
Lover’s Key State Park
This is my personal favorite and the beach I visited the most during my time living in Florida. Lover’s Key State Park is located South of Fort Myers and North of Bonita Springs and Naples, near Estero. Since this two-mile stretch of beach is within a state park, there is an $8 entrance fee per vehicle, and it’s well worth it. Lover’s Key State Park has walking trails, kayak rentals and launch sites, a gift shop, and a concession stand, clean bathrooms, and estuaries, so there are lots of options when visiting besides lying on the beach. Lovers Key, like most others, can get crowded on the weekends or around holidays, but if you walk all the way to the right once you reach the beach, you’ll find a more secluded area with beautiful driftwood and shells that’s the perfect place to relax and read a book.
Barefoot Beach Preserve
Barefoot Beach is another favorite and it’s located just South of Lover’s Key State Park in Bonita Springs and right down the road from Bonita Beach Park. The water at this beach is consistently a dreamy blue, green color and typically very clear. Barefoot Beach Preserve is a natural, undeveloped barrier island spanning 342-acres. Entry into the preserve is $10 or free if you have a Collier County Resident Beach Parking Permit. To get to the preserve, exit off of Bonita Beach Rd SW onto Barefoot Beach Blvd where you’ll drive through a beachfront community until you reach the parking station. Once you pass through the parking station, you’ll find ample parking across three parking lots. The first two lots fill up faster, so I recommend heading straight for the last parking lot to avoid crowds, meaning less crowds on the beach as well. The facilities and showers at Barefoot Beach are always well-maintained and clean, and you can find a few drink vending machines and bike racks here as well. Since this barrier island is heavily preserved, you can find all types of wildlife here, including turtles that like to hide in the shade under your car so keep an eye out before leaving the park. I’ve seen pods of dolphin many times at Barefoot Beach Preserve, which is another reason why it’s one of my favorites!
Gasparilla Island State Park
Gasparilla Island is located on Boca Grande, just North of the island of Cayo Costa. The waters of Boca Grande are most well known as a world-famous fishing destination due to the tarpon and other species that inhabit those waters, and the Boca Grande Pass itself is actually one of the deepest natural passes in the state of Florida with a depth of 80 feet. Gasparilla Island State Park is on the South end on Gasparilla Island and has a $3 per vehicle entry fee with five parking lots, making this a great option to visit on weekends. The beaches at this state park are pristine and it’s a great place to snorkel or even scuba dive. There are tons of marine life here as well, including the smaller animals like seahorses and starfish! You can easily spend all day at Gasparilla Island State Park soaking up the sun, swimming, and even learning about the history of the area at the museum inside the Boca Grande Lighthouse which was built in 1890.
Nokomis Beach
You can find this hidden gem between Sarasota and Venice, and it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss! Nokomis Beach on Casey Key hands down has the prettiest water I’ve seen at any of the beaches southwest Florida has to offer. The water is a very bright blue and it’s so pretty that you won’t want to blink, let alone leave the beach at the end of the day. Casey Key is another barrier island in Southwest Florida, located just south of popular Siesta Key, and Nokomis Beach is situated towards the southern end of the island. Fun fact: this beach is the oldest public beach in Sarasota County and was built in the 1950’s. The facilities at Nokomis Beach are immense and have everything you need from restrooms and showers to boat ramps, kayak launch, and a fishing pier – and tons of parking! Once on the beach, take a stroll further south to North Jetty Beach and watch the boats go out into the ocean and see if you can spot any dolphin pods playing in their wake. After a day in the sun, take a quick drive over to downtown Venice for a bite at The Soda Fountain and ice cream at Ciao Gelato.
Beer Can Island on Longboat Key
You really can’t go wrong with any beach on Longboat Key because they’re all absolutely stunning. Longboat Key is a barrier island just West of Sarasota and connects to Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island. Public parking for beaches on Longboat Key is limited so if you don’t have access to a boat, I recommend renting a stand-up paddleboard or kayak for the day from Happy Paddler Kayak Tours & EcoVentures, or signing up for one of their guided tours. They offer Coastal & Mangrove Tours that start at $65 per person and even offer a Sunset Tour from $75 per person. The Coastal Tour will take you to some of the clearest waters in the area, and can include a stop at Beer Can Island, which is only accessible by boat. Along the way, your guide will point out marine life such as dolphins, manatees, seahorses, urchin, and more! If you’re an experienced SUP rider and want to explore on your own, opt for the daily rental and paddle under the bridge to Beer Can Island. Here, you can set your board on the sand and wade into the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Manasota Beach
Sarasota is one of most popular towns on Florida’s West Coast and its’ beaches aren’t any different, but have you heard of the lesser-known beaches on nearby Manasota Key? There are four really great options on Manasota Key; Manasota Beach, Englewood Beach, Blind Pass Beach, & Stump Pass Beach. Both Blind Pass and Stump Pass have very limited parking so head straight to Manasota Beach for a relaxing day on the Gulf Coast. Manasota Beach also has more facilities than Blind Pass and Stump Pass, including a boat ramp and kayak launch. The waters are calm enough here where you can kayak or paddleboard which may increase your chances of seeing manatees or even sea turtles.
Bowman’s Beach
Another popular beach on Sanibel Island is Bowman’s Beach which is located on the Northern part of the island, on the opposite end of Lighthouse Beach Park. Bowman’s Beach is much more isolated than Lighthouse Beach Park and is an excellent place for shelling or paddleboarding. Parking is $5 and there’s about a five-minute walk from the parking lot to the beach. The trail to the beach cuts through mangroves where you can typically spot manatees floating through the canals from the boardwalk. Once you arrive at the beach, you’ll have miles of isolated coastline to settle into and explore.
*Bowman’s Beach is currently closed due to damage sustained from Hurricane Ian in September 2022. I’ll be updating this post as beaches reopen.
Clam Pass Beach
Clam Pass Park is one of the more popular beaches in Naples and you can usually find parking in one of its 171 public parking spaces. This park is made up of about 35-acres including mangroves and white sandy beaches. There’s a 0.75-mile boardwalk to the beach and Clam Pass Park offers a free shuttle for those unable to make the journey on foot. Nearby Vanderbilt Beach is another popular option in Naples, but I always found Clam Pass more enjoyable and more secluded, except on holiday weekends of course. The beach is tucked away behind the Naples Grande Beach Resort so if you’re not a local, you may think that this beach is only for hotel guests, but in reality it’s open to the public. The water here is almost always a bright blue and calm enough that you can bring a float to lay on in the water.
Tigertail Beach
Tigertail is a fantastic white-sand beach on Marco Island that’s great for shelling, bird watching, fishing, and catching a breathtaking sunset. Parking is $10 for the day and this beach offers full facilities and a playground making this a top choice for families with younger children. Marco Island is a popular destination for beach lovers and water enthusiasts so you can easily find jet ski and paddleboard rentals nearby. One very unique thing about Tigertail Beach is that the developed part of the park where the concessions, rentals, and facilities are actually face a lagoon, and while many people that visit the park stay in this section, the real beauty lies across the lagoon. To reach the undeveloped part of the park, you have to cross the 50-yard lagoon. Once you reach the other side, you’ll be welcomed by 3 miles of unspoiled white-sand beaches!
This list includes some of the best beaches in Southwest Florida. If you're going to be visiting from out of town, all of these make great weekend destinations, and if you're a local then treat yourself to a day trip. Southwest Florida is full of stunning beaches, and I hope this guide helps you find the best fit for you. Now go out there and soak up the sun and be sure to check out my other articles on Florida!
Happy travels!
-Tess
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Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
