Cayo Costa State Park

Cayo Costa State Park
Cayo Costa State Park

Fort Myers Coast
Cayo Costa, Boca Grande, Florida 33921

Description

Cayo Costa State Park is a boat-only barrier island in Lee County — no cars, no causeway — with miles of Gulf beach, shelling, camping, and trails through scrub and mangrove. Reach it by ferry or private boat from Pine Island / Captiva-area launches; bring water, food, and sun protection. It is quieter and more undeveloped than Fort Myers Beach or Sanibel’s paved parks. Check ferry schedules and park fees before you go; primitive camping fills in season.

Amenities:
  • Restrooms
  • Campground
Activities:
  • Kayaking
  • Camping
Rentals:
  • Boats
  • Kayaks
Crowd Levels:

Remote and uncrowded, perfect for solitude.

Beach Access:

Boat access only; no direct car parking.

Sand Description:

Soft white Gulf sand mixed with shells — unraked and remote; some of the best shelling on this coast after weather.

Nearby Activities

Featured Nearby Activity

Your business could be here

We feature six local businesses on every beach in this coast — rentals, charters, restaurants, and water sports. One featured slot is $100/month.

Get featured on these beaches

Other Nearby Beaches

Lighthouse Beach (Boca Grande)
Lighthouse Beach (Boca Grande)

Lighthouse Beach

1.92 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Lighthouse Beach at Gasparilla Island State Park is the Gulf and pass shore at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse — the 1890 lighthouse museum at the south tip of Boca Grande, not Sanibel’s Point Ybel light. Expect a state park vehicle fee, restrooms near the lighthouse lot, picnic areas, and views of Boca Grande Pass where currents run strong. Swim with caution near the pass; calmer swimming is usually better at Range Light or Sea Read more...
Beaches
Placeholder image
Placeholder image

Sea Grape Beach

2.56 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Sea Grape Beach is a mid-park Gasparilla Island State Park Gulf access on Boca Grande between Range Light and Sea Wall — ramp/stair access, portable restrooms, and a natural buffer from oceanfront homes. Pay the state park fee; the lot is smaller than the lighthouse end. It is a straightforward swim and shell stop when you want park beach without the Port Boca Grande museum crowd. No lifeguards; watch flags and avoid swimming toward the Read more...
Beaches
Placeholder image
Placeholder image

Sea Wall Beach

3.21 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Sea Wall Beach is the Gasparilla Island State Park parking area on Boca Grande named for the coastal seawall stretch — between Sea Grape and the Dunes / lighthouse end, not Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic. Expect a $3 park fee, roughly 50 spaces, and Gulf access with more current influence as you move south toward Boca Grande Pass. Swim with more caution here than at Range Light; the pass tip is farther south at Read more...
Beaches
Placeholder image
Placeholder image

Dune Beach

3.88 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Dune Beach is a Gasparilla Island State Park Gulf access on Boca Grande — one of the park’s named parking areas between Sea Wall and the lighthouse / Sandspur end, with dune walkovers and a quieter natural strand than the village street-ends. Pay the state park vehicle fee; restrooms are stronger at the lighthouse and Sandspur lots than at every small access. Use it for a less crowded swim or shell walk when Range Light’s Read more...
Beaches
Boca Grande Beach
Boca Grande Beach

Boca Grande Beach

4.56 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Boca Grande Beach covers the public Gulf accesses through the village of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island — street-end and Lee County numbered accesses north of Gasparilla Island State Park’s Range Light lot. Expect a low-rise island town feel, limited parking, and calmer village swimming than the pass tip at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. There is a toll bridge onto Gasparilla Island; state-park beaches farther south have a separate $3 vehicle fee. Arrive early Read more...
Beaches
Range Light Park
Range Light Park

Range Light Park

4.56 miles
Fort Myers Coast
Range Light Park is the northernmost Gasparilla Island State Park beach parking area on Boca Grande — closest to the village — with picnic shelters and the Gasparilla Island Light (the metal range-light tower) above the shore. It is a Lee County / Boca Grande Gulf beach, not Stuart on the Treasure Coast. Surfers sometimes use this stretch; swimmers usually find it calmer than the pass tip at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. Pay the Read more...
Beaches