Thinking this is just a museum dedicated to the circus wrong. of course there is circus memorabilia in two buildings that take you back to your childhood, but there is also the mansion from John and Mabel Ringling, and there is also an art museum with some of the most incredible paintings You have seen in the most amazing building. The property is lush and beautiful. I highly recommend a visit.

My husband and I visited here earlier in the year it was such a cool experience. So much beautiful art, history, lovely gardens, and so much more. This is the kind of place you wander around all day long. The banyan trees are the largest we’ve ever seen in FL. It was kind of disappointing that the rose garden was under construction but I guess we’ll just have to come back again. The staff were all helpful and shared lots of cool information. The cafe was cute but a little over priced so we decided not to eat there. Thank you for an amazing time. This is a great spot to take cool pictures. We were very impressed by the miniature circus.

This place has so much richness to offer! Ensure to leave yourself ample time to enjoy the entire 65 acres of this Museum. The garden is beautiful and so is the 🎭 🖼️ building. The circus 🎪 history. Great place if you're an arts enthusiast. Bonus: catch the sunset on Thursdays they close at 8PM last photo!

The museum and grounds are stunning. The lovely art is displayed in beautiful grand rooms. Docent Larry was ever so knowledgeable about the history of John Ringling . Jody, another kind docent, a true look a like to Julia Roberts, the actress , was so friendly , as well. The museum has so much to see and read about the art, a true memorable experience. A must “ go to” if you are in Florida… bring the kids, let them view art and learn some history, then they can run around on the playground near the rose gardens. Try to go near sunset, like on Thursday’s 5’O Clock deal… and capture a picture as the sunsets with the Greek garden sculptures are in full view.

Loved this place. There is a lot to do here. We ran out of time. It is set in a beautiful garden but there is a lot of renovation going on at the moment. Our favourite bit was the circus. It was fun to learn about the history and the miniature circus was just amazing.

Beautiful 66 acre property with museum, art gallery, castle and manicured grounds. Bring your walking shoes because you will definitely get all of your steps in for the day. To see it all plan to spend at least 5 or more hours here. Highly recommended. 👍🏽 🤡 🎪🤹🎠

We were there for 3 hours! So much to see! Amazing 🤩. The only let down was the Ca' d'Zan house. They charge extra to go there but you cannot go to the second floor currently, and they don't say it upfront....you find out when you get there! Charging full price to see half the house is dishonest...let people know upfront and let them decide. Despite that, the grounds were beautiful, the museum art was stunning ✨ and the circus museums were so fun and interesting to look at and learn the history of the circus 🎪.

I'm not sure what to write about this place. Not much to do or see. This is a 4 mile one-way road. We didn't see any animals. The viewing towers were nice, but nothing impressive. The ten dollars fee would have a better use when paying for beach parking space.

They’re open every day except Friday. We stopped in on a Monday afternoon on our way to the Bubble Room, and it wasn’t busy at all. Jim at the booth was welcoming and very knowledgeable—he suggested we take the path closest to him and check out the tower, which was a great tip! We saw tons of birds, manatees playing in the water, a gator, and even a bald eagle. A few trails were closed, but it was still well worth the drive through.

Beautiful place! Quiet and very well kept! You can walk, bike ($1) (although was too hot in June) or take your car ($10) It is only 4 miles with 15 mile speed limit. You can fish or take kayak. Really worth it!

I had an amazing time visiting the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. I was able to spot a variety of wildlife, including a manatee, a majestic bald eagle, an osprey, and a beautiful yellow-crowned night heron. I also came across several other birds throughout the area. This place is definitely worth a visit, especially if you enjoy photography. If you have camera gear, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to capture incredible shots. It’s also a peaceful and calming spot to walk around and enjoy nature. There are some insects here and there, but nothing that takes away from the experience. I’ll definitely be coming back.

The Ding Darling Wildlife drive is well worth a visit and you never know what you will see along the way, there are many stop off points where you can see different things or just have a walk, my advise is to take it slowly and pull over to the right when you want to look at something and don't be intimidated by the cyclists that overtake you. Photo 1 is a green iguana that was on the side of the track and photo 2 was some fishermen at the end of the power line walk. Things to note, The reserve is not open on Fridays. There is a small fee to go on the drive. There is a toll to go over to the island. There are washrooms at the visitor center and some chemical type on the drive. Binoculars would be useful.

I had a fantastic experience using the drive-thru recently! From start to finish, the service was fast, efficient, and friendly—everything you hope for when you're on the go. The line moved quickly, and the staff member taking the order had a clear, upbeat tone and repeated my order back to make sure everything was accurate. When I got to the window, I was greeted with a warm smile and my order was ready without delay. Everything was fresh, hot, and exactly as I ordered it—no mistakes, no missing items, just great service. The employee even took the time to double-check my drinks and included plenty of napkins and condiments without me even having to ask. You can tell the team working the drive-thru is well-trained and truly cares about delivering a great customer experience, even during busy times. It’s little things like this that turn a routine stop into a pleasant part of your day. Highly recommend this location if you’re looking for quick, reliable, and friendly drive-thru service!

During our 2 week stay on Sanibel, we drove through Ding Darling six times! We love it so much. It’s the best at low tide in the evenings in our opinion, but we have been at all hours and all tides! We saw: an otter, anhingas, cormorants, pelicans, osprey, spoonbills, herons of all kinds, egrets, ibises, and a family of raccoons!

Beautiful place to visit. The grounds are just gorgeous. I enjoyed the museum portion the most. There were old cars, lots of history information, inventions, so much to see and read about! I love seeing the miniature of the laboratory and then the laboratory itself. I wish we were able to actually walk through the homes as you could only look through the doorways/windows, but it was still very neat to see the history there.

This is a great place to visit and educate you about some history. The place is well kept and clean. Not so crowded so you can walk easily around the premises. There's clean bathrooms and a souvenir shop with cute items to purchase. The young woman at the ticket information was extremely helpful, she was so charming and courteous and professional. She answered our questions with a smile, when we return again to purchase tickets I will update her name. We were just visiting at this time, so you can freely walk around the buildings and shop if you like.

We had a great time at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates! It was just me and my fiancée on the guided tour — we were the only two people there, which made it feel really personal. The guide was super friendly and knowledgeable, even though it was funny that she still used a megaphone for just the two of us! Overall, it was a great experience — beautiful property, rich history, and definitely worth visiting.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers is an absolute gem! Wandering through the beautifully preserved winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, amid lush botanical gardens and manicured grounds, was both inspiring and peaceful. The gardens are stunning, the history is rich and well-communicated, and the museum adds depth and context. Truly a must-visit if you love history, innovation or simply a gorgeous place to explore.

This was our third visit to Edison & Ford Estates, and it never disappoints. I would suggest visiting the museum first to get more of the background story before walking the grounds. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous. They are so well-kept. My favorite thing about the grounds is that so many trees and plants are labeled with their names and information. That alone is worth the visit if you are interested in that type of thing.

Did the self guided tour so we could walk and look at our speed! Tour group was just ahead of us a little. Learned a lot and great stuff to see

We’ve been here a couple times but most recently for the fall fest. Despite the road construction going on around the area everything was very well organized. Lots of craft vendors food trucks and activities. We loved the pumpkin patch, and the flower cart was a wonderful addition to that. The estates themselves are wonderful to walk-through and view. It’s such a blast from the past but so well maintained. I highly recommend coming here, especially when they do the Christmas decorations. It’s even more festive at that time!

Very nice aquarium! Loved the renovation. The food court had an excellent range of food options. The manatee, penguins and otters were my kid's favorite.

I had a really great time at this aquarium, and I definitely would come again. There are two main buildings, the building with fish and other attractions like a preserved giant squid and a virtual reality experience, and a building with mammals like manatees and turtles. Once you pay for a ticket, you can enter both of these buildings. I suggest starting at the main building, and when you finish, follow the path marked with paintings of fish, and you can find your way to the mammal building. There's also a bird sanctuary, which is free entry. You can spend a decent amount of time there, so if you don't want to spend any money, it's a great option. This place is great for anyone of any age, and the elevators for accessibility make it a very open experience for anyone of any demographic. I highly recommend this place if you want to learn about marine life or just enjoy your day viewing interesting sea creatures.

Super cute little aquarium, I heard they're expanding recently as well? (I went a few years ago). Have a focus on sea turtles and rescue/rehabilitation of them. Can also see dolphins, manatees, a variety of fish and marine life, and a VERY NICE otter exhibit, the otters have a nice waterfall, clear clean water and lots of toys!

I’m very happy to know they are moving to newer and nicer / larger building soon! This will be amazing for them since you always have to walk to the building across the street. People are so friendly and so nice, we Love the people working and volunteering here! There was an older gentleman who took the time to explain to us how their giant squid ( found dead and now being preserved ) came to the facility. He was an amazing story telling and so knowledgeable about these creatures! We can’t wait to come back but now to the new facilities!

Was hoping to see the new aquarium. However, this one open til July 6th. It is inside and out and allows us to see some amazing sea life. Worth a visit. However, the new place should be awesome. This takes a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Does have a café.

We took our grandchildren here during a vacation. We enjoyed the educational experience. It is kid friendly and a great place for them to explore the wonders of the sea. Staff are knowledgeable and approachable. They enjoy educating the visitors, especially the children. There are hands-on activities for the littles. It is not overwhelming big, the perfect size for the children. The bird sanctuary and manatees are a short walk and worth it.

Every Monday during summer your child gets to learn about conservation while touching, catching and releasing different sea creatures. No fee but must be registered and needs to be with a parent. Mote has a hidden gem behind the building where they host weddings etc. this is where they are hosting their educational conservation series. Mote used to also honor SNAP discounts but I haven't tried since they moved to the fancy new location. This is such a great place and so important for Florida for the animals and for the next generation.

This lovely garden is worth a visit if in area, peaceful and quiet. There’s many water exhibits w/ waterfalls and water lilies of all colors, my favorite part. There are a few unpaved trails to walk, we didn’t have the proper shoes, definitely a sneaker walk along the water. We stopped into the Fogg cafe which had sandwiches, salads and drinks. Go check it out, it’s probably beautiful in the cooler months.

Absolutely stunning, these gardens are just beautiful, such a wide range of flora and fauna from all over the world. Definitely worth a stop for a few hours.

What a lush and serene garden! Our visit was in early October, so it was very warm but there's lots of shade. We spent several hours walking through interesting architecture and views with large established plantings. The large pool full of lilypads 🐸has an infinity edge that cascades as a gorgeous waterfall⛲. This grand waterfall can be viewed walking up a path to the pool, so there is a fun discovery feeling as you tour. The garden club "idea garden" 💡 is quite whimsical - I can imagine the fun & collaboration by the members to plan and complete the many projects it encompasses. Nice job, club members! The Fogg Cafe has excellent choices with a lovely patio. I had a black bean burger 🍔 yum! Thank you to the creative hard working people who keep this place a beauty.

I really love Naples Botanic Gardens, it is such a calm and interesting place. I love the trail walks that are within the gardens there is always lots to see including different birds and reptiles. The cafe does great food and the prices are extreme. In short this is a beautiful place to spend a day.

Lovely way to spend a few hours! Great place to stroll, stop for a glass of wine, enjoy the sounds and smells. Great cafe and Gift Shop as well. Orchids were spectacular.

I have visited this botanical garden about then years ago. I just found my pictures of somebeautiful plants. I do photography full time and I think these beautiful plants deserve to be shared. This place is simply awesome. I wish we would make the whole world like this, not just a little square block.

Visited Naples Botanical Gardens, an amzing 170-acre garden in Naples, FL It displays tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, including Brazil, Asia, and the Caribbean. It also features a large native Florida preserve with walking trails and wildlife, that are Great for families , have shaded paths and are Beautifully designed with vibrant flowers, water features, global themes. It has educational & relaxing tours, workshops, café, gift shop, wheelchair accessible Check out the photos as it’s a top-rated spot for nature, photography, and quiet exploration.

We loved the Naples zoo! It's not overly huge, but they have a good number of animals in the space, and they have some experiences that make it even better. The primate cruise is a fun way to see the monkeys, while not just walking, but riding on a boat around a man-made lake. It was so fun to learn about each of the individual monkeys on this ride. The other thing they offer is giraffe feeding! For $5-20 you can get different amounts of food and feed the giraffe right there. My daughter loved it! The walk through the rest of the zoo is very beautiful, it's well maintained, doesn't smell poorly, and highlights life in southwest florida. I also felt that the postings and information near the animals (and the viewing spot signs) really helped enhance the overall experience.

I haven’t been here in many years and wasn’t expecting it to be very impressive. Boy, was I ever wrong! This is one of the nicest zoos ever. They have a very nice selection of resident critters as well as greenery. The staff members were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. It’s a great way to spend a couple hours! Check it out!

Who doesn’t like a zoo, this place was beautiful, it felt more like a tropical forest walk, most of the animals weee sleeping when we came through but it was enjoyable just to walk around. The grounds are clean and well organized, the staff were friendly and informative. As we entered there was a wonderful lady at a table showing and explaining the alligator skins. They say you learn something new every day, well I did learn a lot that day. We were there during the day in early November, it wasn’t crowded and the weather was perfect.

This is a beautiful zoo. It is not very big, but is a perfect size. The boat tours through islands of monkeys and lemurs was awesome! Lots of shaded areas and sitting spots. Staff were very friendly and informative. I would definitely visit again.

The zoo is full of beautiful greenery. All big trees around help to cool down when the weather is sunny and hot. The animals look healthy and everything is well maintained.

This local Zoo is a fun place to visit. A half day will get you through the entire place, but it has a lot of exhibits. Many cats, birds, reptiles and yes Monkey islands best viewed by the boats which are included. Wanna see huge Florida Alligators? They're here, and yes very big. (No close encounters). 😃 Here's a small sample of what's in store for your arrival. Btw, there's lots explanations about the 7 million plants here too! Hint: There's some really old trees. Have fun!

Naples Zoo has a great range of animals, all in spacious and very well maintained habitats. The primate cruise is amazing, especially as something included in the price of the ticket. The zoo has enough refreshment and snack stalls and toilets. All round a great experience!

Airboat ride was a lot of fun and Captain Jack was wonderful. Felt very comfortable with him at the helm. He was very knowledgeable and had some great stories. The excursion was the best part. Ride was followed by an alligator show and the opportunity to hold a young alligator. There was also an area where you could view multiple gators. Felt as though some areas needed a little TLC. Gift shop had a lot of fun gator related items. Overall, had a fun and interesting time.

The tour itself was a lot of fun — riding through the swamp on an airboat with some nice sharp turns was a great experience. Unfortunately, we only saw one or two alligators. The driver was very knowledgeable about the area and clearly cared deeply about nature. What felt a bit contradictory, though, was the inclusion of alligator shows and where younger gators are brought out for petting. Their mouths were taped or tied shut (it was hard to tell which). During our visit, a young girl was allowed to hold an alligator, probably around 2 to 3 years old. It turned out to be heavier than she expected, and she accidentally dropped it — something that really shouldn't happen, in my opinion.

Part 1: Tony and I went on a Air Boat Ride at Wooten's off Rt 41 in the swamps of National Everglades! OurCapt was Clay and he did a fabulous job of showing us around the swamp and speeding through the Red Mangrove! We saw 3 Alligators total and one was about 12.5 feet long! Clay gave us some very valuable information about wildlife and the Ecosystem out in the swamp! Clay really made the trip and it was so nice that Tony Vanoy had a wonderful birthday present! Definitely highly recommend if your in the area!Ask for Capt Clay! Remember they work for tips! Only 4 people a our semi private boat adventure!

Had a great time. Opted for the private ride and just 2 of us. The captain was great and full of knowledge about the area. The animal park could use some help and painting. But we went for the airboat ride and it was great. The other stuff was extras.

Great first time airboat experience. We had a lot of fun and our captain was great… wish I could remember his name. Not many gators on our tour but that is comforting to know that it’s beyond their control. Customer service on the rest of their property was great as well. Getting to hold a small alligator was also very cool! Please please please wear any and all forms of mosquito repellent 😅

Good but underwhelming. Things I Loved: Airboat ride: Ride through the red mangroves is excellent. The area is peaceful and it's really amazing to glide via airboat through the narrow passages of the mangroves. 276 private acres of mangrove, adjacent to, but not part of the national park. The captain made sure it a fun ride-lot of turns that sprayed up water. Hearing protection: They provided earmuffs for hearing protection during the ride-air boat is extremely noisy. Holding juvenile alligators: Dutch, Jellybean, and Chompy were taken out of their container for us to after the "show" cool experience to get to hold an alligator. Things I would do differently: We did the extended combo tour. Having done it I would recommend the original tour which is cheaper. in terms of wildlife in the mangroves, 1 person saw one gar in the water and as a group we saw one bird which I think is a heron. The tour guide provides a little bit of history on how Wooten's was purchased and created, and the conflict with the national park and why they have white pipes is barriers and a little bit about the mangroves, but all of this could've been said in the 30 minute tour and we just rode around in the heat and sun a little bit longer. It was fun, but probably not worth the additional money. Skip the Swamp Buggy if it's an option -We were literally swarmed and attacked by mosquitoes (just part of the swamp experience) even though we were covered with deet. -This is advertised as a 30 minute swamp buggy tour but it ended up taking 12 or 13 minutes. This was good to the mosquitoes but again probably not worth the money. we were the last tour of the day and maybe the guy was just ready to go home. He did a nice job explaining the information he wanted to share, but the tour was very brief and probably not worth any additional money. -Riding the Swamp buggy was a really unique experience, but it was basically a short U shaped loop that would've taken about seven minutes if we haven't stopped to talk for 60 seconds three or four different times. Things that disappointed: The guy doing the alligator show was unprofessional and used more foul language than I prefer considering how many kids are in the group. What he did was OK but how he executed it came across as Tacky and unprofessional. He shared pretty good information as well Our tour guides seemed like they were on auto pilot. The info seemed very scripted and delivered in monotone that it came across a task vs tour. I prefer guided tours to learn about the culture and the background of a location. This information was just really not in depth and the delivery was underwhelming. I have a high expectation for both high-level information and especially when it says the captain's work for tips. Mosquitoes I understand they are part of nature, but the mosquitoes are really really bad and within two minutes of being in the restroom my daughter had about 15 mosquito bites. Maybe some better reminders or heads up for those not as familiar with the area could be helpful. No problem. We had brought mosquito spray and applied at generously we ended up running out and they sell it for nine dollars a can which is a little bit steep. they were almost unbearable on the swamp buggy tour. We were covered in date, but any part of your body they missed. The mosquitoes came after. The few folks who didn't bother to use bug spray were swatting and hitting themselves the entire tour. Feeling rushed We did our boat tour and returned on time, we walked right over to and alligator show. After that 20+ folks we had 10 or 12 minutes to hold the little alligators come on then we transferred over across the street for the Swamp buggy tour. Since we were the last tour of the day, everything was closed up immediately when we left. So if there was a gift shop, we didn't really have time to review that as we were busy with bug spray right after we checked in. Things I recommend On both tours they said to take the first tour of the morning Bath in Deet (high %) as soon as you arrive.

We have been to Wooten’s twice and have had a blast both times! Has become a tradition every time we travel to the Southwest Florida area! Captains are great and Carl made our grasslands boat tour amazing!!! Holding the alligators was awesome and my kids loved it! I would definitely recommend the full tour with the grasslands boat tour, the mangrove maze boat ride and the swamp buggy! This place is awesome!

This place is an absolute must see for anyone who likes the outdoors, especially if you are a birder. The swamp is amazing and it is so cool to get to see an old growth forest like this. The trail is very well kept. There are lots of activities that they offer. When we went it wasn't too crowded. Go early if you're visiting outside of the winter months to avoid the heat.

My first time at this beautiful place. I will be back. Lovely two mile boardwalk with gorgeous views and very friendly people that work there! Have a nice gift shop, clean bathrooms and I got water and snacks as well for the walk. Very accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Highly recommended checking out this wonderful preserve! Take your time and listen to Nature!

This place is gorgeous. The boardwalk is in great shape. There is a lot of shade so we were comfortable despite the Florida sun and heat. If you really want to take your time, you could easily spend about 3 hours at this place. We didn't see as much wildlife as we had hoped for but then we were on a tight time schedule. Even so just the relaxing nature of the place and the beauty made it worthwhile. If I had anything negative to say, I feel the $17 per person is a bit much for a place like this.

A great way to experience all of the ecotones of the everglades with a boardwalk. Move through the various habitats over the 2.25 mile walk to observe so much flora and fauna of Southern Florida. Great experience for our family.

Such an interesting park with a plethora of wildlife and plant life. Whether you enjoy a nice walk, plentiful wildlife or different plant life, this is an excellent destination. We will be back!

Corkscrew swamp is an amazing place. No matter what time of year you’re there, there’s a lot to see. The bird life here is great, and in the winter it’s a little easier to spot certain things because the plants are a little bit smaller and less obstructive. There’s good birds year-round, but especially in the spring and fall. Lately, I always seem to be here in the middle of winter.

Great experience even with the fact it was dry due to the weather. Lovely trail with lots to look at whilst you try to spot some wildlife. All team members were friendly and gave us some great pointers of what to look for where on the trail. We were lucky to spend a few minutes observing a raccoon going about this daily business. There were a few people on the trail who were louder than needed so worth making sure to take your time and be quiet to ensure you don’t scare the wildlife.

Amazing way to spend Mother's Day...any day really! Enjoyed the narrated boat tour...galloping gators, feral hogs, and fauna galore...something for everyone!

beautiful place for enjoy the nature and the real Florida landscape and animals!

Great for kids! Airboat tour with gators, birds, wild pigs in sight. Tram ride with excellent description of flora, fauna, and history. Great restaurant and gift shop. Camping facilities look nice and we'll kept. Many opportunities for walks and bicycle rides.

Excellent camp ground for youth scout camping and to the looks of it great for family camping. Gas stations within 15 min drive for ice and other things along with a Walmart about 20 minutes away. Great roads for bike rides and also plenty of good views with alot of alligator sitings. Make the 1 hr trip to peace river if you can and dig for some fossils when the water is low!

Wonderful campground with plenty of space.

The campsite was huge and well cleared with plenty of flat spots for tents; the water out of the spigot was delicious and clean and didn't have that standard Florida sulfur taste; the state park staff was extremely accommodating and helpful; and the site was secluded from other campers. Overall, a fantastic experience!

Its better just putting anything modern away and imagine it being 90 years ago. Get the real feel for the real Florida

Beautiful place to be. The parking is easy to navigate and there is a small gift shop below the garage. I explored the gardens and there were many butterflies out. There was a little cafe on the property and the women working the counter was very kind. There is a beautiful banyan tree with bridges and things for children to play with like musical instruments. There is a lovely gazebo where it looks as though wedding as held inside with stained glass above which was very pretty. A peaceful place to walk 🌺.

We went to see the orchids and were duly impressed. The display was very nicely done. When my wife and I went to the intriguing exhibit by Rebecca Louise Law unfortunately, being sensitive to fragrances, I could not enjoy the display. We toured the rest of the grounds at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the shade and cool ocean breezes. Absolutely amazing place. The flora is exceptional.

What a lovely hidden gem in a bustling city setting. So unexpected but so glad we discovered this beautifully designed gardens of native Florida plants, trees and flowers. You could spend hours waking through the scents and sights. This is a must for any nature lovers.

Beautiful way to spend the afternoon! Guided tour was very interesting. Gift shop and Orchids for sale were stunning. We were offered a reduced admission fee due to the museum was closed. Parking garage

So the grounds were beautiful, not up exactly to par with the Naples botanical garden. But a lot of great photo opportunities! The staff, I’m not sure if they are paid or volunteer but they were definitely not very friendly, not rude, but short which I felt was odd given the midday, early afternoon crowd was non existent.

What an amazing experience!!! The orchids were gorgeous and the at show was breathtaking. The ground are well kept and the staff is friendly and willing to answer questions. I had a wonderful time. There was ample benches to rest when I got tired. I'm so impressed!!

Absolutely beautiful gardens! The orchids and bromeliads were outstanding—some of the most stunning displays I’ve ever seen. The entire property is peaceful, well-kept, and perfect for a relaxing stroll. A must-visit!

Fantastic Beach, very clean, a lot of sea shells. Good for kids to play. Shower, restrooms everything available just before the beach area.

A bonnet Shark for my first Florida catch. So Happy! Beach was nice. Shells for days. Parking was easy. $5 an hr adds up quick when you having fun.

There are lots of amenities at this beach. It was clean and only picked up two pieces of trash. I love the fact that there are buckets to help beachgoers keep the area clean! Be aware that it is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the beach. It is well worth it with the beautiful dunes in the area!

Nice spot to look for seashells and have a beach day. Parking lot is a 7-10min walk to reach the sand. Nice amenities — changing rooms, restrooms, showers, playground, buckets to collect trash if you want. Make sure to pay the $5/hour parking fee or risk the $150 fine for violations (they check all day and night).

Bowman’s Beach in Sanibel is a sheller’s dream! 🐚 Absolutely loved this beach — it’s super clean, peaceful, and full of amazing shell finds. Tons of welks, tulips, and smaller treasures along the shore. The amenities are great too — clean bathrooms, outdoor showers, a diaper-changing area, and plenty of picnic tables for families. The scenic walk across the bridges to the beach is beautiful and not too crowded. 🌴 ⭐️⭐️ Important tip: The parking area isn’t obvious when you arrive — make sure you pay for parking right away or you’ll risk a $150 ticket. Totally worth the trip — a must-visit Sanibel gem!

This is nothing like the beaches we have in tx. It's so beautiful and peaceful. No one bothered you or your stuff. It is shallow far out, and the sandbars are so relaxing. The kids can definitely enjoy themselves without having to stay close. We got to see sea cucumbers and fish hiding out on the seaweed. We found a few conchs and got to collect a bunch of shells to take back home.

One of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever been to! We went snorkeling and found incredibly beautiful shells 🐚 – a true paradise for shell hunters. ✅ Parking – very close to the beach, but if you want more privacy, walk a bit farther down the shore – there are way fewer people there. ✅ Sea turtles – there are lots of marked sea turtle nests. I really hope to come back during the hatching season to see the tiny turtles making their way to the ocean – it must be magical! ✅ The island itself – small and cozy, with plenty of bike rentals, so no worries about availability. There are 5 beaches on the island, and each one is worth visiting – just pick your favorite. Highly recommend visiting Sanibel Island – it’s a place where you truly feel connected to nature. #BowmansBeach #SanibelIsland #ShellingParadise #SeaTurtles #TravelUSA

My husband saw somewhere that this was a good place to see spoonbills but I’m not sure if that is true. We did not see as much wildlife as we thought we were gonna see we went on the outside trail. I think it was called black something or I can’t quite remember. There was a couple areas that were caution taped off some of them made sense some of them didn’t make sense. The trail was eroding into the water a little bit, but not an excessive amount. The mosquitoes were kind of bad, but not the worst ever my repellent was not working. There was some very ancient in elevation by a couple feet on the trail so I thought that was kind of nice. We saw quite a few gopher tortoises, and that was pretty awesome. It was the first time I saw them in the wild. There was no one working the entry booth when we got there. And it was a Sunday so the discovery center was closed, but thankfully the bathroom was still open.

*Watch the snorkeling video I posted* This place has something for everyone. We were visiting family and they suggested coming here for the day. We loved it so much we went back for another day too. We biked, hiked and fished. The trails were so peaceful and we saw lots of wild life! We even had two wild dolphin experiences that will last a life time. I had dolphins come in within 2 feet of me while snorkeling along the beach. It was amazing! We fished from the bridge and saw lots of gar and red fish! We fished from the beach and caught ladyfish, jacks, lizard fish and more. It wasn't busy either time we went which was so nice because we felt like we had the place to ourselves. The admission only cost the two of us $8 and they have restrooms and outdoor showers available. We didn't rent any equipment for kayak tours but we saw a few people headed out on them. This place is special! Go check it out!

My family thought the beach was very nice. Lots of space and very clean. Easy 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot. The temporary store worked well so we could get ice cream. Coming back to rent kyacks tommorrow.

Well worth the trolley ride and Long Walk for a nice long simple not crowded beach with beautiful calm Florida gulf waters. There were some guys on jet skis that were irritating to the view. definitely takes away from a beach ambience but they were decently respectful, but close to the shore. Not all people can operate a jet ski, it seems like a bad idea to allow it, but if I had one it would be a cool place to bring it so.....other than that this is a great little beach, very chill

Great day at lover's Key. Went early in the morning practically had the beach to myself. Lots of great shells. Walked for about 3 mi.

We went on the black Island trail, which was beautiful, but had a lot of mosquitoes so be sure to prepare for that! The entrance fee was eight dollars, but there was plenty of parking when we went and it was easy access to the beach and they had beach showers :)

Had a great day here! While our favorite beach was Barefoot Beach, it has not quite recovered from Hurricane Ian. Lovers Key has. Parking spots ($8) were available at 11am on a Saturday. While it could be a long walk to the beach and tram makes regular loops and moves people nicely. We didn't take time to walk the trails, but they all seemed opened and maintained. The beach was clean and well maintained. It's amazing how well managed this place is over Barefoot Beach despite being only a couple miles away.

Pleasant Beach with powdery, white sand, lots of small shells, very simple lighthouse on the point. The beach seemed to have plenty of space even when the parking lot was full. It is a little bit crowded, but there is space to spread out. Parking is five dollars per hour as in most Florida Beach areas. Parking was busy and we had to make a few loops to get a spot, but we came toward the end of the day right before a thunderstorm so that helped out a bit. You pay a six dollar toll, pay by plate is OK if you do not have a toll pass. It's a pretty drive over the causeway and into Sanibel. This is very close to a scenic wildlife refuge Drive. On your way in and out don't forget to stop at EM Ocean and the magic bus sweets and treats shop. There are several leather beaches going in the other direction and I'd recommend checking them all out as Sanibel Island is pretty small.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sanibel Lighthouse Park and Beach is a true slice of paradise! The historic lighthouse, dating back to 1884, adds charm to a stunning stretch of coastline filled with seashells, soft sand, and gentle Gulf breezes. The beach is peaceful and well-kept, with beautiful views — perfect for sunrise walks, photography, or simply relaxing by the water. Plenty of parking, clean facilities, and easy access make it ideal for couples and families alike. A must-visit spot that captures the true beauty and serenity of Sanibel Island!

This Island is so beautiful! There on November 13 and the weather was beautiful. Dolphins came in and swam in front of us, beautiful sea shells and a survivor of a lighthouse was shining bright even after the hurricanes. Stayed for the sunset and it did not disappoint. Bring lunch and drinks with you as there is only the building that houses the bathrooms there. Parking is $5 an hour through a text to pay app. No smoking on the beaches, dog friendly. It was amazing.

Sanibel Lighthouse Beach is absolutely beautiful! The water is a stunning shade of blue, and the beach itself is clean, peaceful, and perfect for a relaxing day. The lighthouse adds a unique charm to the scenery. The only downside was parking—it was really limited, and we had to wait quite a while for a spot. But once we got there, it was definitely worth it. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait during busy times

You cant travel to the Fort Myers Beach area without a stop at the Sanibel lighthouse. Area is making so much progress. Glad to see GREEN vegetation again. Lighthouse isnt leaning,my photography is!!

This lighthouse got hit hard by hurricane Ian back a few years ago and lost one of its legs and was leaning towards the ocean but somehow managed to survive the hurricane. The leg was found and the lighthouse was restored. It's worth taking a visit to see this historical lighthouse continue to help navigate boaters at night or do some fishing by the pier that's still under construction

Nice beach, found a few shells. Parking is $5 and hour. This was our first time using the text and pay for parking. I messed up the process and it cost me $150. Hard lesson learned.

Nice location! Bathrooms could be maintained a little more but better than most locations! Very short waves made it too hard for skim boarding, but the sand was great and not too crowded.

One of the things in my bucket list is watching Sunset from Naples beach. Today we were able to fulfil It in this park. The sand is White, soft and has shells. The water is green, which is different from what we usually see, But still very clear. The parking is 5 dollars per hour, not too bad but the parking space is limited. We couldn't find parking in the beginning and was about to head out and Luckily We saw an empty spot by the exit.

Lowdermilk Park in Naples is the perfect spot to watch the sunset! The beach is clean, peaceful. Beach was crowded, but still plenty of parking and easy access make it a great choice. We came for the sunset and it did not disappoint—absolutely stunning!

Lowdermilk Park is a lovely beach in Naples, Florida. The sand is incredibly white and the water is crystal clear—perfect for a calm and peaceful day. It has a very family-friendly atmosphere, with facilities like showers and changing rooms, a small restaurant, and beach chair and umbrella rentals. You can also bring your own gear if you prefer. Parking is available at $5 per hour. The only downside at the moment is that there’s some construction going on nearby, so you might hear some noise from the building work. Other than that, it’s a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the beach!

The beach is great the bathrooms are OK. It has showers. I took 1 star because the parking cost is ridiculous 5$ an hour? Also not many spots, always a line to park 'if lucky'. That is crazy!

Nice and relaxing sunset at Lowdermilk beach. Wonderful color. Amazing! Parking a lot with many place available

Beautiful Sunset on the beach! Great access to the beach. Noticed they have chairs and wheelchairs for the beach.