Barefoot Beach
Bonita Springs, FL
A preserve beach backed by mangroves and coastal scrub instead of condos, with a limited parking lot that caps the crowd by design. Locals in Bonita Springs and nearby Naples treat the walk in from the lot as a small price for one of the least developed beaches left in southwest Florida.
A preserve beach backed by mangroves instead of condos, the small lot caps the crowd by design and closes for the day once it's full.
How we score beachesThe parking lot is small and closes for the day once full, so an early start helps in season.
Dogs are not permitted on the beach, aside from service animals, due to protected nesting wildlife.
Southwest Florida runs hot and humid by June, with hurricane season stretching to November, though the mangroves and preserve setting stay pleasant nearly year round. Water holds in the 70s through much of winter, warming into the 80s by summer.
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