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We drove from Lakeland--about 2 hours and 40 minutes, mostly straight highway--and it was totally worth it for a perfect day trip. Even if you're a few hours away, don't hesitate. If you love shells, beach walks, wildlife, or sunsets--this place is magic. Arrival & Parking: We arrived around 10 AM on a Tuesday in November and had no problem finding parking. The lot is bigger than some reviews claimed--easily fits 40-50 cars--and I noticed there was also a secondary parking lot nearby. At the entrance, there's a pay station where you can pay by the hour (card or phone). Super easy, and you can extend your time right from your phone. You even get a 15-minute alert before your time is up--so helpful! There are clean restrooms and outdoor showers right near the parking area. From there, you follow a walking path toward the beach, and you cross a bridge over a little river. Look in the water--there were manatees swimming! We also saw turtles, pelicans, and other birds along the trail. Such a beautiful start. On the Beach: Once you step onto the sand, it feels like you're in a shell collector's dream. Just like all the YouTube videos and blog posts--you really do find beautiful shells everywhere, especially medium and small ones. The beach is large--both in width and length--so even though there were a lot of people, it never felt crowded. Everyone had plenty of space to relax. Dogs are allowed on leash (we brought ours), and we saw several other friendly dogs too. Bring water for them--it gets hot fast. There is no natural shade on the beach. Trust me--bring a pop-up tent or canopy and a rolling beach cart if you have one. We had a big lay-down tent and it made a huge difference. If I go again, I'd definitely bring a rolling cart for our gear. Things You Absolutely Want To Bring (Mandatory): -Zinc sunscreen (Florida sun is no joke--even in November). -Water shoes or sturdy sandals (shells in the water can be sharp). -Bug spray (my friend got sand flea bites, I didn't--but it's possible). -Lots of water and snacks for you and your dog (heat + humidity = quick dehydration). -A spray mister bottle to spray my dog. I was worried about heat exhaustion. So glad I brought him, though! He had the best beach day EVER. -Tent or shade structure. The sun and humidity was intense, even for November. I wouldn't ever go with a tent. -Blanket to sit on -Wet wipes for hands -Rolling beach cart if you're carrying gear. Would have been helpful. -Cooler, food, towels, sunglasses. Facilities & Environment: The property is very well maintained--clean bathrooms, multiple shower areas to rinse off sand, trash cans everywhere (please use them--everyone else seemed to be doing a great job keeping the beach clean, which I appreciated). Everything felt thoughtfully designed. Departure & Sunset Experience: After spending the day shelling, walking, and relaxing at Bowman's Beach, we drove all the way to the end of the island (about 15-20 minutes) to watch the sunset--and I HIGHLY recommend doing the same. The sunset looked just like California (I'm from the Pacific coast)--gold, peach, purple, pink, and soft cotton candy blues, all reflecting on the water. You can literally watch the sun melt straight into the ocean. It was breathtaking. Final Thoughts: Bowman's Beach is peaceful, beautiful, full of shells, wildlife, and space to breathe. It felt like a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Whether you're there for a day trip or a full vacation--go prepared, bring shade, water, sunscreen, and let the day work its magic. 110% worth the drive. DREAM SHELL TRIP!
Have never been to a Sanibel beach, this one I believe is the furthest one. Parking is easy, pay online, make sure u pay, we saw a guy there giving tickets! The walk is quite long to the beach, that was the only downfall of this beach. Nice restroom & changing facilities. We wanted shells but we were there at high tide & need to go back at low tide, didn't want to go 20 ft out into the water to look. Beautiful beach that's not real crowded.
I love Bowmans Beach. Yes, it's a bit of a hike to get to the ocean, but that's kind of nice because the beach isn't so crowded. You do have to pay to park. It's also a great place to get shells. I'll always come to this beach when I'm on sanibel island.
This is shell sand beach in the west coast Florida. You may need to wear protective footwear on the beach. The facility is beautiful and the park has all thing you need such as changing room, restrooms, fresh water wash off, parking, bridge access, playground, and more. The parking is required a fee. They do have canoe launch area for your use. The beach is no dog allowed. The beach contains of a lot of sea shell coarse grain. Footwear is definitely a must. The beach wave is very mild. Great for kid. However, close the shore line has a lot shell that difficult to sit on the edge of water. Overall is a good beach for the sea shell collector. Beach goer wear footwear over bridge is recommended.
Although we were definitely disappointed by the lack of quality shells that the Sanibel Island beaches are known for, we had a good & rollicking time standing in the surf, hand-dredging for shells & getting a good, wild ocean "bath" at the same time as the tide came in (we started looking during the ebb tide but, post-low tide, the waters came in REALLY quickly). We had a few, successful finds shelling in this manner. As for the beach, it is nice & long with lots of folks walking it, has a lot of detritus on it, mostly natural, ocean things such as dried twigs, lots & lots of old & calcified shells, dried beach grass & those super cool "Mermaid necklaces" that hold whelk eggs in their flat, opaque pods. They were everywhere as you walk northward on the shoreline. The beach is fairly crowded closer to the parking lots ($5/hour to park & there are bathrooms, showers, water fountains & history/geography info between the parking lot & the beach) & thins out after around 5 PM. The water gets rough pretty quickly as the tide rolls in but offers great sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.
A beautiful beach. Great bathrooms. There is also a changing area located outside. There is an area to dine off outside as well. Getting to the beach itself is not too bad. There is a path, and a small boardwalk/bridge to cross over. If you are looking for seashells, this is a good spot. Most of mine were found when we were swimming in the water. The beach is pretty clean. They try to keep it like that tooZ Parking is easy, and plentiful.
Very nice beach on Sanibel Island. You do have to pay for parking ($5/hour), pretty big lot, we did find a spot easily in April. Not so crowded after spring breakers left. Nice facilities, restrooms, changing rooms and showers for coming back from the beach. The actual beach is quiet, with lots of nature around, many birds, shells. We enjoyed walking around, picking up shells and taking in the views. It wasn't crowded, so we enjoyed some relaxing time here. You need to bring chairs, umbrellas, food. There isn't anything around. I don't mind, but it's good to know. The sand is white, the water blue, your typical paradise island. In the best way! I'd go back again, enjoyable spot, perfect vacation getaway!
The best beach! This beach is equal comparison to any beach in Destin! Pictures do absolutely no justice. You cannot tell, but the sand is white and the water is blue and absolutely beautiful. Beautiful waves, a ton of shells, and very needy seagulls so watch your food! The beach is wide and very long so you can spread out and even play frisbee or volleyball! Even for a cloudy day, it's a 1 in a million beach. It's pricey as you have a toll to enter the island and $5.00 per hour parking. If you're like me, you wanna spend all day here! The conservation will check your dashboards so please do the right thing and pay before you stay. There's nice showers and changing areas. You can camp here and there's a play area for kids. The trash cans are located at the front. PLEASE TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU. If you see holes, fill them and if you see trash, pick it up! Do the right thing. :-)
Beach baby! Let's go! Best shelling happens a lot here. The beach is gorgeous. There are facilities. There is parking.
Ended up here on the recommendation of our brunch waiter, a Sandibel Island local. He said it was his favorite beach. It quickly became one of ours. It was easily accessible. The parking lot had plenty of available spots and the restrooms and changing areas at the entrance were very convenient. The beach provided a bounty of shells and room to spread out or walk alone if that's your jam. We swam, waded, ran from the waves (and fish!) and watched the birds and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon. We were an all adult group so we were okay with the fact that the waves were pretty strong and the descent into the water is pretty steep. There's a drop off not far out so if you are not a swimmer, beware. I would say this is NOT an ideal beach for young children.
Love this island ..this is the most popular thing on the island .. a public beach. We always stay on places at this beach closer towards Ft Myers down the beach. It's all pretty similar but the public beach is much more crowded and you have to pay for parking .. like 5$ and limited parking. In other words no reason to come here when we are staying right down the beach where it's not crowded. right now in the corona virus its even more an issue to be places that aren't crowded. Alot of beaches are closing soon .. but it sounds like Sanibel beaches are staying open. so the thought by the locals is the are all going to come here for the 4th of July ... and the locals and people staying here aren't happy about that. This is a quiet island and paying to get over the bridge and paying for parking usually keeps alot from coming here. We like it quiet. Sanibel was socially distancing before social distancing was cool lol. .. before this crazy virus. but bowman beach is open and it's a great beach if you can find parking. I love the ocean here .. the water is usually calm and lovely. no sea grass or red tide ... yay. Lots of sealife and birds .. especially sea birds. Sometimes dolphins, sting rays, manatees, ospreys and best shelling beach in USA. right now is sea turtle season ... they are coming to shore to lay eggs so they have barriers up to protect the turtle eggs till they hatch and can make it to the ocean .. soooo cool. always something neat to see on the island. Its usually peaceful and always gorgeous.
We wandered over here in the car yesterday. Drove all of Sanibel Island.. what a pleasant drive. Stopping here has a changing outdoor roomm, bathrooms and a walk to the beach. Nice shell beach but mostly smalls. EVERYONE picks up shells here so not a lot left. I was here wIth two friends from Europe and one gal picked up loTs to take home with her. She said she wasn't but she did. Lol. We sunbathed while she picked! It actually got hot ! The weather has been a bit iffy and chilly. They have not been able to Swim in the ocean yet!! It's been cold here in Jan. I actually got a bit pink even with sunscreen. Ah and there is $5 hr parking. read more
Nice clean bathrooms. $5/hour parking. Maps posted so you clearly know where you are and how to get where you want to go. Not a beach for swimming necessarily--especially if you're squeamish about fish, eels, dead fish or seaweed touching you. Water is not clear, but there are tons of shells--if you're willing to dig a little. Bring bags for your shells and comfy shoes. read more
6 years ago
The beach is deep. Meaning you have to walk a ways to get to the water. Which is good and bad. More people can spread out even when it's high tide, but man, luggin your beach gear is hard in the sand. I even had a cart with wheels, it was still a chore. The sand is like regular beach sand, it's not that nice sugar soft sand you can find at other beaches. There are bathrooms. And an outside shower to rinse your feet off. Some picnic tables and grills. It's $5.00 an hour to park. Being a "world famous" beach. I would have liked to have seen blue crystal clear water. Soft sand. Stepping on the seashells is like stepping on legos. Be sure to wear water shoes. For the cost to come over the bridge,$6.00 and $5.00 an hour to park. And the pain in the ass it is to drive a steady 35 mph. My God, I had to set cruise control because I just couldn't keep a steady 35 for the long period and straight away stretches. I've lived on island time for 3 years in Hawai'i, they don't even drive that slow. read more
6 years ago
Seriously a hidden gem! This beach is clean and very quiet. The views are spectacular. It's so quiet that it almost feels like a private beach. You will have to pay for parking ($5). Also make sure you bring proper sandals because this isn't the type of beach you want to walk barefoot in. Soooo many shells everywhere. On the other hand if you're a shell collector, you'll find some beautiful finds here. :) read more
Loved visiting this beach!! Normally I dislike going to the beach because it's usually crowded and noisy, but this beach made me want to come back! There's about a quarter mile walk from where you park to the beach. The park provides restrooms, changing area and showers to rinse off the sand. The beach was clean, uncrowded, and tons of space up and down the beach for you to pick your "perfect spot". Whenever I come back to Sanibel, I will be visiting this spot again!! read more
8 years ago
Beautiful beach with gentle surf and endless shells to comb through. We visited Bowman's Beach twice on a three day stay in Fort Myers in April, both times over lunch. The beach is a short hike from a large and mostly shaded but fairly expensive parking lot. Near the lot was a good bathroom and beach house for changing into suits (and out of dirty diapers) and a playground full of little lizards to chase. The lot was almost full even on an 80ish days in April. Even so because the beach was so large we easily found a lot of space to setup close to the path from the lot, keeping the walk pretty easy. However it might be harder during the summer months unless you get there earlier then we did. We found the swimming was nice, but there was a bit of a breeze both days that made it hard for the kids to stay in for long periods, even though the surf was gentle. The water was very clear and nice for snorkeling. There is not a lot of wildlife to find, one boy did find a living giant conch! The kids were happy to pick over the shells and build things out of them. However we didn't find many intact shells like we had hoped. We were told that because of recent storms many of the intact shells were crushed which was unfortunate. Overall we mostly enjoyed ourselves and would like to go back when we get the chance. read more
One of the reasons we traveled to Sanibel Island was to check out the beaches, as we've heard the shells here are amazing. As others have mentioned it is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the beach. That's not really a big deal, we don't mind walking. After paying for parking ($4 an hour), we headed to the beach. Along the way you'll find bathrooms, a changing area, showers for afterwards and lots of trash and recycling bins. (Kudos on the recycling bins) So there's no reason for anyone to be dropping their trash anywhere along this nice area let alone the beach. When we got to the beach it was earlyish, around 9:30. There wasn't a ton of people there yet, but many people were out shelling. Hot Wife found several good finds along her walk. There's certainly no shortage of shells here. The water was warm and choppy, due to the wind, which was gusty at times. We stayed long enough to enjoy it, but it started to really fill up with people. When we left we went a different way back to the car and came across a Gopher Turtle! That was neat, and the alternate route was a nice walk under some shaded trees. (more trash and recycling bins along the way). As we got to the main merge it seemed like streams of people were coming in. We're not big fans of masses of people, so we left at the right time. After a quick shower, off we went. Nice beach, and incredibly popular it seems. read more
It's hard for me to comprehend a bad day at the beach, you'd have to have a pretty mundane life or be allergic to fun to have a truly bad day at the beach unless of course you get eaten by a shark or overcome by some other sea creature. I will admit every beach doesn't offer the same level of amenities and the quality of the sand and water can vary greatly from beach to beach but these are all things that most of us can deal with. This beach is a great beach mainly because man doesn't have much say in the any part of it except the access and the up keep from use but like most things we humans control there's room for improvement. I do like that it's somewhat secluded from the main road and the parking remains unpaved and rustic, I'm okay with the pay by the hour parking which encourages people to share a ride to save on parking fees or the fact that some simply avoid this beach because of the fees. The long walk to the fun is painful and only rivaled by the walk back to your car after spending hours in the sun. As you'd expect there are some brilliant considerations though nice bathrooms and showers, shaded picnic areas and benches, lots of signage and the beautiful trails offers access to different parts of the beach. Okay I have to admit with all the positives there are some poorly thought out things as well so just come prepared and these things won't feel as bad as they are. One Einstein moment the engineers missed was the location of the showers and foot rinse stations - okay so after spending hours on the beach and trekking hundreds of yards to get back to your vehicle you stop a little over half way to rinse off the sand from your body and feet only to walk through sand and shells for the second half of your journey, sure you're refreshed but the objective is to rid yourself of the sand and sweat prior to getting into your vehicle a gallon of fresh water and a few extra towels in your car will keep you sane. Secondly the walk to the water is ridiculous since the decision was made not to pave the parking why not locate it a little closer to the beach as much as I appreciate the long winding nature trails that wind through the palms and pines I came here for the beach and I want to get there quickly. If your a seasoned beach goer it's likely that you may already own a big wheel device to tote your beach gear and cooler if not spend the money you'll never regret this expenditure, after all a day at the beach should be fun and relaxing and free from pain enjoy... read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
Woof, that $5 an hour parking! Besides that, this place is a wonderful beach to visit while in Sanibel! My bartender at lunch recommended it so I was confident it would be an ideal place to spend the afternoon. It was a bit crowded but otherwise, an awesome place to take in some rays and look for seashells! read more
When we arrived at this beach's parking lot we were presented with a machine to pay for parking. A whopping $4 per hour--really? You then walk to the beach, and walk, and walk, and then walk some more. Along the way there are restrooms and change rooms. The beach is nice and secluded. The sand is not powder white like at Fort Myers Beach but it is nice and soft. The water level was very low when we went a couple of days ago (early Oct). In summary, the place is nice, but not worth the high parking fees and long walk to the beach. read more
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Parking area is a breath of fresh air after trying to find parking in and around Turner Beach. The walk from the parking area to the beach is gorgeous and shady. Shells to keep you busy all day. Our favorite beach here! read more
6 years ago
Beautiful beach with tons of shells! It was a 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot. The surf was a bit rough for small children and it was hard to get in and out of the water because it dropped off pretty significantly. Shells were a bit rough underfoot while swimming too. We went near low tide so maybe it's distant when the water is higher. Worth a visit for sure! read more
Love Bowman's Beach! It offers so much more than your average beach. Soft, sandy shores with rolling tides. Turquoise waters. Loads of tropical flora. Canoe and Kayak launch. Clean, large restrooms. Large rinse station. Beautiful trails and a World Fitness Trail. Abundant wildlife--we even saw a large alligator! Bird and sea turtle nesting areas (of course, roped off and protected. Several covered shelters for when you need a break. Wheelchair accessible. Fire pits for picnic spots. Perfect views of gorgeous sunsets!! I could go on and on. Just fabulous! Here are a few things to know when visiting... large parking area is $5/hr and highly monitored; distance from parking to beach is long but worth it; no concessions offered so you must bring your own chair, umbrellas, food, water and toys; no lifeguards! However, don't let any of these keep you away because it is so worth the trouble. Great family place! Shelling abundant. Large enough beach to spread out. Relatively quiet atmosphere for perfect relaxation. Check out the photos for more details! read more
Bowman's Beach conjures up such fond memories for me. One visit was all it took for me to fall in love with this picturesque and serene gulf coast beach. At the end of a splendid day, I captured the most dramatic sunset ever. I truly hope to return one day. Until then, I'll have the memories. read more
8 years ago
This was a beautiful natural beach that offered parking showers bathroom playgrounds changing rooms And SEASHELLS!!!!!! read more
A well curated beach, complete with a well organized and accessible bathrooms, changing rooms, and showers to clear out the sand for both head and feet. The parking lot is sizeable with lots of shade options, and I even found a fully functional pop machine! The beach itself is the very best I've ever been to for sea shells on the mainland, so bring sandals! Bowman's Beach is now at the top of my list for this part of Florida, so you should definitely check i tout. read more
5 years ago
My first time in Florida and I came here, it was beautiful. The Emerald color salty Water, fine white sand, beautiful sea shells etc. There was a few changing areas which was very convenient cause I usually don't like changing in the restrooms. The restrooms could use more cleaning. Overall it was a beautiful area/Beach, I would definitely recommend. read more
8 years ago
We arrived at the beach around 5:45pm and there wasn't anyone else around. It was like a dream come true! There was a bit of a storm rolling in so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it or if this beach is naturally less crowded. There's a bit of a walk to the beach but it's gorgeous! You get to walk over a sturdy wooden bridge that goes over a river/inlet thing before you get to the ocean. There were huge piles of shells all over the beach! It was incredible. I've been to quite a few beaches in the Gulf Coast and I've never seen this many shells before. Super clean, bathrooms, kids play area, shaded picnic tables, a drink vending machine, changing stalls, and showers. Awesome beach!! read more
Nice shelling beach...Bit of a walk from the Parking Lot... But worth it!...We were there on a Monday afternoon after visiting the J.N.Ding Darling National Wildlife refuge. Nice temperature, low humidity. It is a shelling beach and it is $5 an hour to park here. So be prepared to estimate how many hours you need on the beach! It is a bit of a walk from the parking lot. Have some bags with you if you are interested in collecting shells. Apparently the types and volume of shells you can expect depends upon the tides and some times of the year when lots and lots of shells are washed ashore. We collected some shells but nothing spectacular on the day we were there. Nevertheless nice beach and nice visit. Be careful about traffic on the way back. There is only one road in and out of Sanibel island and Captiva island combined. It gets backed up for miles. So don't plan on catching a flight on time if you are heading out of Sanibel Island! Go over to Fort Myers and do something else before the flight. read more
We liked this beach a lot. We didn't have to pay for parking because we have a handicap placard.( saved us a lot of money). The beach was clean, the water was awesome( we visited at the end of May). The shells were good, although we found better ones in Marco Island. When we were leaving the beach, we saw a sea turtle chomping on some leaves( right off the path). Very cool. read more
This is a beautiful beach. Our family didn't mind the walk and it gave us an opportunity to take in the scenery and our surroundings. The sand is soft, but I'd wear shoes walking there and be cautious of where you step. Shells and other debris can easily be hiding. Public restrooms were clean and stocked, so that was good. We liked that size of this beach. It was large and everyone seemed decently spaced out. The shelling is wonderful and we spent several hours walking up and down and looking. We found some nice shells. We didn't go in the water because we weren't prepared to swim, but it wasn't that bad up to our knees. A little murky and brisk at first, but it was December. I'd love to come back again. read more
4 years ago
There are very few beaches anymore that still feel remote and nearly untouched by development. Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island, fortunately, is one of them. There is no development whatsoever on this beach. No high rises, hotels, or restaurants blotting out the horizon. Just a long, lovely stretch of powdery, white sand, emerald sea grape and golden sea oat, and aqua ocean. The shelling here is excellent, with abundant specimens to be had -- olive, cockles, conch -- particularly if you come at low tide. Typically, there are few other visitors, too, especially when compared to Fort Myers Beach and environs. This makes for a more private and quiet experience. Park in the pay lot (bring along some cash for the machines), cross the bridge spanning the ribbon of water separating lot from beach, and stake out a spot to spread your towel. There is *no* shade on Bowman's Beach, so SPF up, don your hat, and bring an umbrella for some respite from the blazing Florida sun. As there's no commercial presence on Bowman's, you'll also want to bring plenty of water and snacks. There are picnic tables and grills near the parking lot if you're that industrious. And your pooch is welcome here, too. Almost paradise -- we're knocking on heaven's door. Almost paradise -- how *could* we ask for more? read more
My bf and I decided to go on a weekend getaway to Sanibel. While there, of course I had to try to find some cool shells since Sanibel is known for its shell beaches. Despite the rain, wind AND me sick with a cold, we ventured to some of the beaches on Captiva and Sanibel in search of some shells. Having read a few sites and seen some pictures on the internet, I was totally convinced that the whole Sanibel Island is made up of sea shells. This is not the case at all! After barely seeing any shells at several beaches on both Captiva and Sanibel, we were about to give up when we drove across the access road to Bowman's Beach. What the heck, we told ourselves, so we did a U-turn and took the short route. The parking is plentiful here. There are restrooms and rinse stations. The path from parking to the beach takes about 5 min, crossing a bridge over a narrow waterway. There's a kayak launching dock nearby for those lucky enough to own kayaks. The excitement built as I got closer to the beach. Despite the light rain and wind, there were more people on the beach than I had thought, and some were even in the rather turbulent water. They must be from other countries. As I emerged from the walking path I realized that 1) this beach isn't anything like the ones I'm used to in the Tampa Bay area (i.e. Clearwater Beach, Siesta Key, Anna Maria Beach) and 2) the beach isn't made of whole shells like in the pictures I had seen of Sanibel. The beach here is short (from the dune to the water's edge) and the sand is rough due to a high concentration of tiny broken shells. As we got closer to the water we began to see shells. Even though only about a foot wide band at the water's edge is covered by shells, it seems, however, that this layer of shells does stretch as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, they all seem broken and similar looking, but if you're diligent, you most definitely could find some cool ones. The wind and rain picked up, but we managed to stay for half an hour looking for shells and taking pictures. (Notice in my pictures the beach looks like it's covered with shells, but keep in mind it's just the angle of the picture.) Despite being a little disappointed that the beach isn't nicer and doesn't have as many shells as I had thought, Bowman's Beach so far is the best chance you have for shelling. (Wonder how many times I typed the word "shells". read more
14 years ago
Beautiful beach but OMG is it a hike up there from the designated parking area. Small parking area, mind you. It'll cost you $2/hour to park here. Restrooms and changing facilities are available, as well as outdoor rinsing stations and a shower to wash off your salty, grimy self. Bathrooms leave something to be desired, ladiesroom was overflowing with things you'd rather not witness when opening up the stall door. When you *finally* get to the beach the walk was, of course, totally worth it. I have to say that as far as shelling goes we were slightly disappointed with the quality of shells. I would imagine if you come nice and early and hike up far away from the general public you could find some awesome ones! read more
11 years ago
Don't mistake this place for Po'Man's Beach. At $4.00 an hour it's the most expensive.beach parking I've ever seen. We chose this spot for the excellent snorkeling reviews it received. Well, I've seen clearer water in a storm. I did like the long white sandy coastline, clean beaches and free showers. Excellent beach for shelling. Everyone here seemed to be having a good time. read more
4 years ago
Beautiful. No shade but beautiful and great swimming. Great people, too. Thank you to whoever found our car keys and left them in our car read more
14 years ago
Best.Beach.Ever. Definitely one of the best beaches I have ever been to... no buildings, not crowded, seashells everywhere, calm waters and miles of beach to just walk or to do the "Sanibel Stoop" if that's your thing! When you arrive, there is a designated parking area (small) that will cost you $2/hour to park (the machine takes cash and credit). The parking lot is a serious hike to beach...but its truly worth it once your feet hit that sand and your eyes set sight on the ocean! There are restrooms and changing facilities, as well as outdoor rinsing stations. I also noticed a jungle gym for the kiddies, picnic tables and some hiking trails. Lots to do if you find yourself antsy with just sitting on the beach. read more
3 years ago
11 years ago
An ok experience. The walk from parking lot to the beach was very long, specially with kids and items at tow. The beach had shells, which made it difficult to access beach without stepping on them and hurting your feet. The showers to remove sand was about a block or two before the parking lot, making you walk through sand to get to your car, totally defeated the purpose. Beach sand was nice, and for someone who doesnt go to the beach often, this works just fine, I on the other hand, live in south beach, my standard are a bit high when it comes to beaches. While on the drive there, I saw some people in small beaches along side of the road. I think thats a better idea. No parking to pay, no huge walk, I would have enjoyed that more. read more
We are usually are in this part of Florida around October -April, that is when my parents are down here for the winter. It's crazy how much more busy it is January - April. We came down this summer, in June to stay. We decided one day to hit up Sanibel Island. It's 6 bucks to cross the bridge, so you kind of want to plan out your day on the island. We ended up going to the beach, Island Cow and the driving nature preserve. Bowman's Beach is located on the northern side of the island. They've got a rather large, gravel parking lot. It costs $3 an hour for parking. Not too cheap, but not really expensive, unless you spend the whole day on beach. Once you've parked, you've lot a slight trek to the beach. Some other reviewers complain about it, but if you don't like the walk, maybe you should go to Daytona Beach where you can drive on the beach. Along the walk is the bathroom, shower and changing areas. You walk across a bridge over the waterway and then you're at the beach. We went on a Wednesday in June and I was surprised with the amount of people. We had to walk a little ways to get to an area that didn't have a ton of people around. I would've liked it to be a little less crowded. I'd never been to this beach before so I'm not sure if it's always busy or not. I've been down in winter and to other beaches and they weren't as busy, that might be one of the downsides. The sand is nice and white and we saw a tortoise on the way back to the car, pretty neat. read more
More info about Bowman's Beach
1700 Bowmans Beach Rd
Sanibel, FL 33957
Directions
Visit Website
http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/play/beaches.asp#bowmans
Hours
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Outdoor Amenities
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Ask the Community - Bowman's Beach
Are the beaches open right now due to vovid 19?
They were open 2 weeks ago. Bring bug spray. There are many mosquitos in the parking area.
Is topless sunbathing allowed?
I have been told by locals that the west end was nude. And after walking the beach I discovered that it was true. Don't know if it's officially a nude beach area but they definitely had nothing on
Review Highlights - Bowman's Beach
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1 year ago
8 years ago
