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LOCAL BEACHES
We are very proud of our beaches and want to ensure that they
remain beautiful for generations to come. Our most local beaches
are listed below,
BAREFOOT BEACH state preserve, this is a
long unspoiled beach perfect for nature lovers and walkers,
you can walk all the way to Wiggins Pass. Turtles nest on
Barefoot beach and the birds fish next to you. To get to barefoot
beach take Bonita Beach Road west and turn left at the traffic
lights for Barefoot Beach. You will pass a gate house, drive
down the boulevard for a few hundred yards until you reach
the end, there will be an entry to the preserve and you will
PAY $4 to park for the day.
Bonita Beach, is 100 yards past the traffic
light for Barefoot Beach on the left hand side. This is a
busier beach with café and great to take the family.
Parking can be difficult here, although there are several
access spots along Bonita Beach Road.
Lovers Key State Park is a beautiful place
to visit all year round. There are natural trails and cycle
tracks as well as some of the best shells in Florida on another
perfect white sand beach. To get there, it is about 8 miles
west on Bonita Beach Road from the junction of US 41. There
are great facilities for the whole family.
Vanderbilt Beach is at the end of Vanderbilt
Beach Road. It is a great sunbathing beach and is lined with
some very nice hotels and private homes. Parking can be an
issue and it can get expensive.
Delnor-Wiggins state park is at the north
end of Vanderbilt Beach and you can get to it from 111th Street.
There is parking available here, although it can get very
busy on Sundays. There are great picnicking area and other
facilities here including a public boat ramp.
Doggy beach, is a dogs dream, this beach
is for the exclusive use of dogs! It is a sandbar in beautiful
New Pass bay. It really isn’t the place to go if you
want to lie down and relax, because most of the dogs run around
off leash, chasing balls, other dogs, swimming and generally
socializing. If you do take your dog here, relax, once off
a lead the dogs play together, it is no ones territory and
once you’ve released them they don’t have the
responsibility of looking after you, so they relax too. The
only spats I’ve ever seen there are caused by neurotic
owners!
Like parents owners tend to stand around talking to each other,
watching dolphins swimming off shore and the occasional manatee.
Across the pass is a preserve where you can watch a variety
of local birds, Roseate Spoonbills being the most fascinating.
A shy beautiful bird that looks like a hybrid of a pelican
and a pink flamingo. There are no bathrooms or facilities
for humans here. And like most beaches, the rule is ‘pick
up your mess’.
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