Bowman’s Beach provides some from the Sanibel‘s greatest shelling right after a storm, and some from the island’s most remote seaside space. There’s a quarter mile or so stroll through the car parking great deal towards the seaside, in which you will cross a wooden bridge more than freshwater. Bowman Seaside will be the ideal location for sunsets. You will find picinic tabeles and bathroom facilities. You wouldn’t be in a position to see it from Lighthouse seaside. You will find miles of seaside past Bowman’s that you may stroll to.
Right after studying critiques, you might determine to attempt Bowman’s Seaside on Sanibel for Labor Day. You might believe the is would be packed with individuals and endless lines of automobile visitors however it is not. Really it’s fairly abandoned. There’s a $6 bridge charge to entry the island. There’s no mention of this mandatory bridge toll in any official tourism publication.
There’s also a $2 per hour seaside car parking charge. There’s a 1/4 mile trek by foot towards the seaside. From studying the critiques you’d believe that exotic shells of all kinds are obtainable through the bucketful at Bowman’s Seaside. Yes, you will find shells all more than the location - but be conscious, the ‘GOOD’ and uncommon shells (Florida fighting conch) aren’t discovered just lying all more than the seaside.
You need to work to obtain these shells, some thing nobody has mentioned in any of these critiques. Right after strolling a mile or two down through the publc entry trail towards the abandoned component from the seaside, and collecting a ton of easy white oval shells I could collect at another Florida seaside I decided to dip within the h2o to cool off. Only then did I discover the actual ‘secret’ of Bowman’s Seaside.
Should you dig into the sand together with your feet within the brown, murky Gulf of Mexico waist-high h2o you fill discover the great shells like the Florida fighting conchs. I was retrieving them through the bottom and throwing them through the handful up around the seaside right after becoming bored with the plain white and striped round shells we saw everywhere.
I know reside shelling is against the law here so we put the bigger great shells in our container and observed them for an hour. No crab or conch or other creature emerged from them so we kept them. The shell shops on Sanibel IS would have effortlessly sold these for $75 for what I got totally free and fresh through the Gulf in 2 hours.
Bowman’s Seaside is usually typical and unimpressive (save for that shells)!!! You’ll see wilderness the exact same as another Florida seaside location. It is fairly narrow too. Some choose a wider seaside like those discovered around the Atlantic aspect of Florida (Daytona/Cocoa/Melbourne) and within the Panhandle region (Panama City/Destin)!!! The benefit from the Florida Gulf aspect seashores will be the surf isn’t as rough and also the Gulf is generally warmer than the Atlantic.
As for Sanibel Island itself, the excessive hourly car parking charge and bridge entry toll is really a definite drawback for that typical household. The Metropolis of Sanibel (yes there’s an actual ‘City’ on this is) Police force makes their one-car presence recognized instantly by welcoming you sitting in their marked automobile around the aspect from the street obscured by bushes. You will not see them till you’re on top of them. Do your self a favor and abide through the slow posted speed limit in any respect occasions. The Lee County (Fort Myers) Sheriffs Department operates the exact same way with Deputies seemingly hiding in trees.
Sanibel consist of two issues: biking on paths and strolling around the seashores with not a lot shade in sight. This sums up Sanibel Island. It is marketed as a natural, exclusive location. The United States Federal wildlife refuge takes up about half from the is.
Any pets on Bowman’s Seaside should be leashed, and you need to clean up right after them.
To get to Bowman’s:
Watch for that signs alongside Sanibel-Captiva Street at mile 4.8 (based around the mile markers alongside the street)!!! You will cross San-Cap and follow Bowman’s Seaside Street for 1/10 mile towards the car parking great deal.
Car parking:
There’s a big car parking great deal, such as a couple of spaces which will accommodate RVs or trailers. Car parking expenses $2 per hour, from 7AM to 7PM.
