Beach Sand
Beach Sand How would a glass object produced with common beach sand look? I wonder what glass made from Coney Island Beach sand, for example, would look like. Are the impurities such that one cou...
Beach Sand
East Coast or West, Florida Beaches are the Best – check out Fort Myers, Florida Beaches!
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.
About the Author
Maria Norton is the creator of Florida-Retirement.Net, a website designed for those who are considering retiring to Florida or buying second homes there. She is a licensed Real Estate Broker and a 20 year veteran of the Relocation Industry. She provides comprehensive, personalized & free, Florida Relocation Services. She has also published 4 eBooks: A Guide to Establishing Florida Residency, The FLORIDA BEACH BOOK, How to Create the Perfect Retirement & How to Buy a Second/Vacation Home in Florida. The FLORIDA BEACH BOOK is a Guide to over 350 Florida Beaches and the Best Restaurants On or Near Them, and includes OVER $750 in restaurant gift certificates. The Guide also contains Florida Beach Maps. The information in the article above is excerpted from The FLORIDA BEACH BOOK. TO GET YOUR COPY visit her website at http://www.florida-retirement.net.