Cayo Costa State Park & Beach | Simply incomparable
White sandy beaches, turquoise waters and untouched nature – the Cayo Costa State Park is an insider tip for adventurers and nature lovers. Only accessible by boat, this island on Florida’s Gulf Coast offers a unique experience with wild charm, secluded bays and fascinating wildlife in a shellfish paradise.
I always thought I had found my favorite beach in Florida – until the day we took the boat to Cayo Costa. The fine, white 14 km long sandy beach is surrounded by 10 square kilometers of pine forests, oak palms and mangroves. It is particularly idyllic and stands out among Florida’s dream beaches.
Perhaps it also plays a role that the park can only be reached by boat and is therefore less frequented. The variety of shells and their splendor is just as impressive as that of Sanibel Island to the south, which of course has slightly more visitors.
Cayo Costa is located south of Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island, 19 km west of Cape Coral and north of North Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The island can only be reached by boat tour, private boat, ferry or helicopter and is also an excursion destination from Punta Gorda and Fort Myers. Cayo Costa Island is one of a series of barrier islands located off Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound.
When we were on Cayo Costa, countless, hand-sized Giant Atlantic Cockle Dinocardium robustum from the Cardiidae family were being washed ashore. The great variety and abundance of mussels went right under the radar.
Sea turtles under protection
Picture-book dunes in Cayo Costa State Park
There are four species of sea turtles on the island, whose nests are checked and documented by volunteers along the beach every morning from March to October during the nesting season. There are raccoons, which are a problem during the nesting season because they are keen on the turtles’ eggs. In the water you can see dolphins again and again, and if you’re lucky, manatees. And in the air, there are pelicans, great egrets and the beautiful, rather chatty ospreys.
At the northern end of the island is Cayo Costa State Park, to which several ferries run, for example from Bokeelia on Pine Island and Captiva. They dock on the backwater side. Small hiking trails lead through the beautiful flora to the sea. There are several picnic areas and sanitary facilities in the park. You can also fish, snorkel, swim, camp and enjoy the sunset. There are simple accommodation options for this. There are no restaurants.
Information Route Planner
| Size | 10 km² |
| County | Lee County |
| Coordinates | 26° 40 “19 ‘N 82° 14’ 49” W |
| Approach | by boat only |
| Info | Ranger Station |
