The last time we were here -- more than ten years ago -- there was no tram or drive through. They…read moreonly had dirt trails and as it had rained recently, we walked through some very muddy areas. This time, we decided to take the 4 mile drive. The drive costs $10 per car. You drive quite slowly. And you can stop at any point on the right side of the one way drive. There are scenic overlooks, and canoe launching sites, and places where folks fish. This wild life preserve did not have much of anything to see however! And definitely almost no wildlife. We saw one fish jumping -- a mullet -- and an osprey getting ready to dive down into the water . And one crow and one dove. No turtles or alligators. All we saw was basically trees and bushes and some water. All in all , it was rather a boring and disappointing experience.

We were happy with our first visit here over 10 years ago and wanted to try again to see anything…read morewe may have missed during our first visit. Ŵe took the 4 mile drive through tour where you can stop and pull off to the right at any you want to look around. There were several others with the same agenda, including bicyclists. We saw a dove, a crow, an Osprey, two Cardinals, mullet jumping to evade their predators during our trek, not much else. Sad to see that the Indian midden was closed off.

Blind Pass is the beach name, but could also describe how easily on could simply drive past this…read moresmall beach and never pay it much mind, and it would be fair to do that. I can tell since Hurricane Milton how hard this beach was destroyed which is devastating. But i'm not entirely sure it was a ton nicer even prior. One of the parking lots did get wiped out, so now the amount of parking available is awful, maybe 10-12 spots so if you don't get there quite early good luck getting a spot. And once you park, to get to the actual shoreline you have to walk up and around the giant valley/ pond just beyond the parking lot- lots of decay and damage still there, not sure if they're looking to fix it or not. We also love coming to Sanibel for shelling, and you could find some decent shells along Blind Pass here and there, but pretty underwhelming. There's plenty of other beaches stretching the island with more opportunity, better parking and overall much easier access.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, clean, and stunning beach! We found tons of shells, saw dolphins, the water…read morewas clear, and we had a wonderful time. Highly recommend!

This is a simple passive park with a little bit of waterfront and some open grass area with picnic…read moretables and grills but no shelter. Fishing is permitted from here and you can also launch a canoe or kayak. There are only a few street parking spaces available but trailers are not allowed. There is a lovely view of the Matlacha Pass here, but that's to the east so you will be getting sunrise rather than sunset. [Review 16757 overall - 1484 in Florida - 270 of 2022.]

So happy to revisit the Sanibel Island Beach Lighthouse and see the Lighthouse…read more Some of the surrounding areas around the base of the Lighthouse are still restricted due to hurricane Ian damage. The beach is well maintained and there is public parking available.

You can't tour or climb the lighthouse, but it makes its dramatic presence known. It's been here…read moresince the late 1880s. It was one of the first on the gulf coast. When we parked nearby, the area surrounding the lighthouse was blocked off for construction. You could not get very close to the structure. We did get to walk a bit on the sandy beach that carries its name. It was quite busy on the weekend. The beach is maintained by the city and as mentioned is very popular. There's a lot with paid parking spaces. There are rest rooms and drinking fountains but not much more. The pier is closed since Hurricane Ian. So plan on sunning, swimming, and shelling if you come here.

Alison Hagerup Beach is the most northern beach on Captiva Island. The beach is named in honor of…read moreAlison Hagerup who was a dedicated administrator for the Captiva Erosion Prevention District for 20 years. She championed refurbishing the coastline and lobbied for beach re nourishment. She was known for being able to get people to join together for the benefit of the beaches. Alison Hagerup passed away in 2008 and she is buried in the nearby historic Captiva Cemetery where friends and family lay shells on her grave in honor of her love of the beach and her work as a public servant. There are only two roads that run the length of Sanibel all the way to the end of Captiva where this beach is located. It's 14 miles from the causeway four way stop to the beach but the ride is one of the most beautiful you will ever take. Once you arrive the beach has pay parking open from dawn to dusk and port a potties. There is signs everywhere reminding you to pay. The beach is adjacent to the private South Seas Islands Resort. It faces west making it the perfect place to watch the sunset. I arrived a few minutes too late this time but there is now denying the beauty of Captiva and this pristine beach. Thanks to Alison Hagerup it is preserved for all of us. ,

What a beauty! This beach is divine and a hidden treasure in Southwest Florida! As a native…read moreFloridian, I'm mad I've been missing out all these years as this was my first visit. I've been driving farther south to experience a lot less. Sad. The views are picture perfect, the water is great, there's absolutely nowhere to park, but make it happen and prepare to get your entire life via beach day a la Captiva!

A true piece of heaven right here. We got there just in time to park and enjoy the beach. The water…read morewas simply beautiful. I only wish there were some sort of bathroom facilities besides port a John's.

There are dozens of vacant lots on Sanibel due to the hurricanes. Any one of them would be a…read moreperfectly good staging ground to park your equipment. Ridiculous that Sanibel has to close half of the public parking so they can refurbish private beaches. More FEMA tax dollars for millionaires.

Peaceful and relaxing . Just sit back and enjoy the day but come early for parking . This was at1…read morepm of the day

Cape Coral's most south and west park, Camelot Park is close to Chiquita and El Dorado but…read moresurrounded by homes and condos. Horseshoe pits (which I generally don't see in parks up north), picnic shelters, playground equipment, a permanent structure with restrooms and TWO lighted tennis courts. Decent parking and some shade. [Review 12347 overall, 2133 of 2019.]

Finally made it back to this park. We came perhaps almost 2 years ago. My issue with this park is…read morestill the same although I still consider it a very solid park. Let's start with the good! This park continues to be well kept and clean. The landscaping is nice but you don't notice anything off. It's just well done. There is sufficient space for playing and it just a playground. They have big field areas for sports or just all out running with the kids. The playground(s) themselves are quite fun but lack a covering. Some sort of shade. Without it unfortunately somethings continue to be way too hot or get beat up by the sun. We went on a hot winter day and even then my daughter avoided some of the playground because of it being too hot. I was sweating just pushing them on the swings. Why is there no shade ? Also on one of the playground pieces, the kids just sit on top of it and I imagine some teens have also started carving words into it. I didn't see any profanity but still...it doesn't look good.

Great beach! Amazing views. Not too crowded beautiful sea shells perfect area with family to go.read more

Bowman's Beach is a beautiful beach on the tip of Sanibel Island that's left greatly untouched by…read morehuman hand. You'll also definitely get your steps in here as the parking lot of property ~.5 miles to the actual beachfront & water, disclosing walking around to stake out a spot. The biggest reason to come here is for the shelling, which can be fortuitous during the right time of year and even the right area on the shoreline. Honestly, were it not for the shelling it probably wouldn't be a beach I'd come back to. It's nice, of course, but doesn't have that gorgeous cerulean water and ultra soft sand that some of the gulf coast beaches are known for. It does have a lot of amenities on the walk between the parking lot & beach shore, such as bathrooms & changing rooms, rinse stations, a picnic area, educational signs, and even a playground. You also have to pay for parking- and the lot has quite a lot of parking, but if you don't get there early enough on the wrong weekend it could still be tough to find a spot.

Plenty of parking, but no restrooms. Leashed dogs allowed. There's a dog station and a water…read morefountain. The path is about half a mile long--took us around 15 minutes at a relaxed pace. Paved walkways with a few short trails branch off. Educational boards along the path, and there are a few benches and covered picnic tables throughout. The only downside: the flies were extremely annoying.

This nice park has a great little walking trail. There are a number of shady spots and benches…read moreabout if you'd like to make a rest. Eight acres of pine flatwoods and slash pine trees, surrounded by palmetto prairie, salt marsh and mangroves. There are two trails. The Pine Loop is paved and ADA accessible, about one third of a mile long. The other is Holly Way and is a bit less accessible and around a quarter of a mile long. Please use caution and always bring a friend. I didn't see any wildlife today but there's no reason that something could pop out since you've "brought lunch." It's also rather secluded so be on the lookout for two-legged bandits. There are a small number of parking spaces at the entrance and a water fountain. [Review 13270 overall, 588 of 2020.]