Secret Islands of Southwest Florida

Discover the Secret Islands of Southwest Florida

Many of Southwest Florida’s barrier islands, spanning the coast from Marco north to Manasota Key, deliver seclusion — without the three-hour tour or that dunderhead Gilligan. The best are those accessible only by boat, chartered ferry excursions and, in some cases, a helicopter or seaplane. Bonus for resort amenities and grand, Old Florida-style cottages and estate rentals — or sleeping platforms for the truly adventurous who don’t mind starlit nights within the thick nothingness of the Everglades. This time of year, even those islands connected by bridge offer more room to spread out your beach blanket.

Find Your Key to Paradise

The Ten Thousand Islands

Just a smattering of the Everglades’ Ten Thousand Islands are inhabited. Subtract Marco from the mix, and the majority of the remaining 9,999 are devoid of civilization or an inkling of man’s presence. Heck, some are merely walking-on-water mangroves with little to no actual land. Motorboats allow you to take the plunge deeper into the ‘Glades and the 35,000-acre Ten Thousand Island National Wildlife Refuge. The national park is part of the largest mangrove forest in North America and plays an important role in the circle of life with its bird rookeries and fish nurseries. You might spot the rare mangrove cuckoo or black-whiskered vireo, or a sea turtle nest along the refuge’s small slices of beach.

Opt for paddle power and you’re bound to hear and see more, the dip of your paddle the only man made noise within a natural soundtrack of bird calls, leaping fish splashdowns and, if you’re lucky, the distinguishable snort of dolphins and manatees. Florida panthers also live here, and the quiet back bay waters are home to snook, permit, flounder, pompano and sea trout.

Some of the islands also offer platforms for overnight campers.

Gasparilla Island

Boca Grande–the Palm Beach of Gasparilla Island. This easy-going, but upscale island boasts stylish shops and boutiques, as well as to-die-for seafood restaurants.

Long before roads opened southwest Florida to the masses, privileged northerners came by train to spend the winter on beautiful Gasparilla Island.  This picturesque town looks much the way it did a century ago.  In the off-season, beach goers can have the water to themselves, going the whole day without seeing anyone.

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Florida Weekly June 2015