Lee County is home to Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs

and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. It is the most populous

county in Southwest Florida. The county seat is Fort Myers and

the largest city is Cape Coral. The Gulf of Mexico has a huge

influence on the area and the three rivers: the Caloosahatchee,

the Estero and the Imperial, provide fantastic recreational

opportunities.

 

Fort Myers accommodations are plentiful; choose a resort, a hotel or a motel, Fort Myers and Lee County have it all.

 

Natural Florida beach sand and warm waters invite you to relax, read or

partake in a favorite beach activity – shelling. Each beach has a

personality all its own.  Families will find soft, white sand great for kids. Couples

can experience solitude and exceptional sunsets. And active types

can enjoy volleyball, picnicking, shelling, cycling and skim boarding.

• Lee County offers annual parking stickers for $60 per year.

• Bonita Springs residents pay $5 for an annual parking decal

which allows parking at Bonita Beach Park, Access #1 and Little

Hickory Island Beach Park for free.

• Sanibel Island beaches have metered parking. Property

owners and long term visitors may obtain A & B parking permits;

A/property owners/$12/year; B/ visitors/$90/year.

• On Sanibel, the police will arrange for delivery of a

handicapped wheelchair for 4 hours at no charge. Call 239-472-

3111.

 

Bonita Beach Park

Location: 27954 Hickory Blvd.,west end of Bonita Beach Blvd.,

Bonita Springs

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: sunrise to sunset

Parking: $2/hour

Amenities: 3 miles of beach, restrooms, picnic shelters with tables

and grills, playground, sand volleyball courts, food concession,

showers, restaurant

Activities: swimming, fishing, shelling, sunbathing, walking

Pets: no

Of Special Interest: Bonita Springs is a small coastal community

with beaches that are quite beautiful and less harried than Fort

Myers Beach to the north.

 

Bonita Beach (Accesses)

Location: 10 accesses along Hickory Blvd. #1 is located just north

of Bonita Beach Park, Bonita Springs

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: sunrise to sunset

Parking: limited, Access #1, $2/hour, Accesses #2-9, limited and

free

Amenities: 3 miles of beach, no facilities

Activities: swimming, sunbathing, shelling, fishing, walking

Pets: no

Of Special Interest: The beachfront is residential; a mix of high

and mid rise condominiums and individual homes.

 

Little Hickory Island Beach Park

Location: 2 miles north of Bonita Beach Park on Hickory Blvd.,

Bonita Springs

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: sunrise to sunset

Parking: metered parking

Amenities: 3 miles of beach, picnic tables, restrooms, showers

Activities: swimming, fishing, shelling, canoeing, kayaking,

sunbathing, walking

Pets: no

Lovers Key State Park

Location: 8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach. 10.5 miles west of

I75 at exit 116

Phone: 239-463-4588

Hours: 8 AM to sunset

Parking: $8/vehicle

Amenities: 700 acres, 2 miles of beach, 5 miles of bike trails,

bike rentals, boat ramp, food & equiPMent rental concessions,

playgrounds, picnic shelters with grills, restrooms, nature trails,

pavilion, outdoor showers, guided ranger tours

Activities: birding, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking,

biking, shelling, swimming, wildlife viewing

Pets: Yes, on 6’ leashes. State parks do not permit pets on beaches

or playgrounds, or in bathing areas, cabins, park buildings or

concession facilities

Of Special Interest: A haven for wildlife, the islands and their

waters are home to West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins,

roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits, and bald eagles. The two mile

long beach is accessible by boardwalk or tram and was selected as

the #4 beach in Florida by the Travel Channel.

 

Fort Myers Beach

Location: Accesses #11 thru #35 are on Estero Blvd. from Big

Carlos Pass to the south to Matanzas Pass Bridge to the north.

Colored banners designate their location, number and have symbols

indicating whether they have amenities, accessibility or parking

(fee required) #37 through #41 north of the Matanzas Bridge on

Estero Blvd. allow for foot-traffic only-no parking.

Phone: 239-765-0202 Town of Fort Myers

Hours: dawn to dusk

Parking: Metered parking is located on Old San Carlos Blvd., Estero

Blvd., Center St., and Fifth St. $2/hour, 2 hour limit. On Fifth St.,

the spaces are $1/hour. Long term parking is available on all beach

access streets and in the lot under the Matanzas Pass Bridge. $1/

hour, no time limit. In season, get there very early to find a spot or

park on the mainland and take the trolley over.

Amenities: Lynn Hall Memorial Park (Pier): restrooms and Times

Square with beachfront restaurants and shopping

Activities: fishing, swimming, shelling, handicapped access,

sunbathing, walking

Pets: yes, on 6’ leashes

Of Special Interest: Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island) boasts miles

of white, sandy beaches, where the ocean floor slopes gently

towards the horizon with no sudden drop-offs or big waves. All

of the beaches are “natural beaches”, meaning that they are

not raked or otherwise groomed. This allows beach visitors to

enjoy all of the coast’s amenities while preserving its native

environment. The busy intersection of San Carlos Boulevard

and Estero Boulevard is packed with bars, beach-apparel shops,

restaurants, and motels that draw singles and families. It’s a

Coney Island atmosphere that is referred to as “Times Square.”

 

Lynn Hall Park

Location: 1050 Main St., Fort Myers Beach, in the heart of

downtown

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: sunrise to sunset

Parking: $2/hour, 100 spaces

Amenities: licensed fishing pier with bait shop, picnic shelters

with grills, playground, outdoor showers, restrooms, shopping

Activities: swimming, shelling, fishing, sunbathing, walking

Pets: no

Of Special Interest: Located just north of the foot of the

Matanzas Pass Bridge, next to “Times Square” in the heart

of downtown Fort Myers Beach, this lively gulf front park is

adjacent to shopping and restaurants.

 

Bowditch Point Regional Park

Location: 50 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: 8 AM to ½ hour past sunset

Parking: $1/hour, 75 spaces

Amenities: day docks for boats up to 28 ft, paddle craft

launch onto Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, walking trails

through preserve area, picnic tables and grills, food concession,

restrooms and changing facilities

Activities: boating, swimming, fishing, sunbathing, walking,

handicapped access

Pets: no

Of Special Interest: Located on the northern tip of Fort Myers

Beach, this park has access to the Bay and the Gulf and provides

a much quieter experience than the beaches in town.

 

Bunche Beach (Preserve)

Location: 18201 John Morris Road, Fort Myers

Phone: 239-533-7275 Lee County Parks and Recreation

Hours: sunrise to sunset

Parking: free lot

Amenities: none

Activities: swimming, photography, sunbathing, walking

Pets: no

Of Special Interest: This 731 acre preserve is a natural tidal

wetlands area. It is pristine and completely natural offering a

sandy beach, mangrove forests, salt flats and a wide variety of

wildlife for viewing.

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