Pine Island doesn’t have any. But it’s minutes away (by water) from one of the most spectacular beaches in Southwest Florida; the Gulf Coast beach of the Cayo Costa state park. That beach is eight miles of pure white sand washed by the Gulf of Mexico and on it’s busiest day it might have 50 people on it. That works out about seven people a mile. It’s hard to find a Gulf beach in Florida that doesn’t have seven hundred people on every mile.
Unless you have your own boat, Getting to the Cayo Costa beach means going to the Pineland Marina near the centre of the Island and taking the Tropic Star water taxi to the park. Tropic Star run a regular service, dropping off in the morning (early and late) and picking up in the afternoon (early and late). It’s roughly a fifteen minute boat-ride across Pine Island sound (which in itself would be reason to go). The boat leaves you at the dock in the State Park on the northern tip of Cayo Costa.
If you’re feeling adventurous, the Park has a collection of small camping huts with barbecues and nearby toilet facilities, so you could spend the evening watching the sun set over the gulf (and waiting for the elusive green flash) before grilling dinner and turning in to listen to the waves break on the beach. They also offer bike rentals and numerous trails to explore.
Both Tropic Star and Island Girl Charters run a Water-Taxi service to many of the other out-islands. So if you haven’t brought or rented a boat and you want to get lunch on Cabbage Key or go Shelling on North Captiva, give them a call in advance and they’ll take you.
Within driving distance are many other beautiful beaches on Sanibel Island, Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach.