Cayo Costa State Park
Cayo Costa State Park in Southwest Florida
Cayo Costa State Park is a pristine, natural and unspoiled 2.4 acre island with 9 miles of beach. It’s a barrier island just off the coast of Southwest Florida.
Only accessible by boat, this island remains fairly primitive and natural, shielded from the normal masses of people trampling over beach sand and leeching sunscreen into the ocean.
Respect Cayo Costa and it’s natural beauty! There are few places where it’s possible to see dolphin playing just a few feet off the shore most any day you’re there.
Seashells that wash up on the beach each morning are a quality not found on the mainland.
What does Cayo Costa offer?
- white sandy beaches
- tons of seashells
- beach camping
- beach fishing
- bike rentals
- small convenience store
- bathroom facilities (no hot water!)
- electricity (limited)
Visiting Cayo Costa State Park
During the day there are ferries and charter boats that bring visitors for half day or full day excursions. These companies can be found heading out of Bokeelia, Captiva, Ft. Myers and Punta Gorda.
They are also a great way to get to the island with all your camping gear if you plan to stay overnight or longer. Just make sure you make the arrangements with them on days and times of pickups needed.
Once you reach the main dock, there are big plastic wheelbarrows you can use to unload your picnicking or camping gear from the boat and a tram driven by a park volunteer that will take you and all your gear over to the beach or your campsite. It’s a pretty awesome set up.
Cayo Costa is a Primitive Island, Be Comfortable Being UNcomfortable!
Just remember this is a fairly primitive island. There are no cafes or food stands, there is no air conditioning or hot water. There are bathroom facilities and outdoor showers, but they are very limited and primitive as well.
To enjoy Cayo Costa for the day or for a camping trip, you will need to be able to plan well and bring everything you need. AND you’ll need to be comfortable being UNcomfortable!
Is it worth it? YES YES YES!!!
Two highly-rated fiction books centered around Cayo Costa island!
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Planning a camping trip on Cayo Costa is tricky. There are both tent spots and cabins available. Consider the time of year (heat, mosquitoes, cold) and make sure you are prepared!
Bring lots of water and all the food you will need because the convenience store has limited hours and doesn’t carry much more than ice cream treats and fire wood.
Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen and mosquito spray!
There is electricity available, and wifi, but those are also somewhat limited.
Personal note: we’ve camped at Cayo Costa several times. Each trip was a completely different experience. We’ve collected beautiful shells, seen pods of dolphin just feet away off the shallow beach, did great beach fishing and had some of our most memorable campfires.
You can walk the nature trails, visit an early 1900’s graveyard (a kid’s favorite at night!) and rode our rented bikes all over the island.
A highlight in the heat of the day is biking over to the convenience store to buy a freeze pop <– that may sound a little silly but trust us, it’s a thing!
Find more here: Cayo Costa State Park | Florida State Parks
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