Part of Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, Alligator Creek has two loop trails where freshwater and saltwater habitats meet, enabling you to explore a variety of coastal habitats in less than three miles.
Charlotte Harbor
Cayo Costa State Park
To spend a day or a weekend on your own deserted island? Heaven. This is one of the tougher and costlier state parks to get to, but well worth it. Solitude is guaranteed. Miles and miles of lonely Gulf of Mexico beaches are yours to roam.
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Stretched thin and long to follow the convoluted shoreline of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park encompasses more than 60 miles of coastline along the Gulf Coast.
Fort Myers
Fort Myers and its surrounding coastal communities have a lot to offer for outdoor recreation, thanks to an aggressive natural lands program in Lee County.
Gasparilla Island State Park
A string of five beaches along the Gulf shore of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, this far-flung outpost of Lee County is home to one of Florida’s most delightful lighthouse museums.
Old Datsun Trail
The Old Datsun Trail at Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park loops 1.7 miles through circa 1905 farmland established by the Miles School of Practical Agriculture
Pine Island
Anchored by the communities of Matlacha, St. James City, Pineland, and Bokeelia, Pine Island is an anomoly among Florida’s coastal islands: it has no beach.
Ponce De Leon Park
Ponce De Leon Park is a city park at Punta Gorda with dramatic sunsets over the harbor and an excellent boardwalk through the mangroves for birding.
Punta Gorda
Along the sweep of Charlotte Harbor near Punta Gorda, natural lands provide places to trek and paddle through a variety of sometimes soggy habitats.
The Wyvern Punta Gorda
The Wyvern Hotel in downtown Punta Gorda scores big points as one of the most luxurious yet intimate hotels I’ve reviewed in Florida.