Discover the Hidden Gem of Naples, Florida: Exploring the Beauty and Adventure of Tigertail Beach

If you're looking for a stunning beach experience in Naples, Florida, Tigertail Beach is the place to go. This hidden gem offers a pristine white-sand beach, a lagoon, and an abundance of wildlife that is sure to impress visitors of all ages.

Getting to Tigertail Beach is easy, as it's located just off Collier Boulevard, which is the main road that runs through Naples. Once you arrive, you'll find plenty of parking spaces, although it can get crowded during peak season.

As you make your way towards the beach, you'll cross a boardwalk that takes you to the lagoon. This is an excellent spot to see a wide variety of birds, such as herons, egrets, and even bald eagles. You can also rent kayaks and paddleboards to explore the lagoon on your own.

Once you reach the beach, you'll be greeted by miles of pristine white sand and crystal-clear waters. The beach is relatively secluded and is perfect for those who want to relax and soak up the sun without the crowds.

One of the unique features of Tigertail Beach is the tidal lagoon that is located behind the beach. This lagoon is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a sandbar and is perfect for swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking. The water in the lagoon is warm and shallow, making it an excellent spot for families with small children.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can take a walk along the sandbar that separates the lagoon from the Gulf of Mexico. This sandbar is a popular spot for shell collecting, and you'll find a wide variety of shells that have washed up on the shore.

There are plenty of amenities available at Tigertail Beach, including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and grills. There's also a concession stand that serves snacks and cold drinks.

Overall, Tigertail Beach is an excellent spot for those who want to enjoy the beauty of Naples' natural environment without the crowds. Whether you want to relax on the beach, explore the lagoon, or go bird watching, Tigertail Beach has something for everyone. So, if you're planning a trip to Naples, be sure to put Tigertail Beach on your list of must-visit attractions.

Location:

Tigertail Beach is located on Marco Island in southern Naples. It is a hour (57 miles) drive from the Fort Myers/ Sanibel Island area and a 2 hour drive (110 miles) from Miami.

Address:

430 Hernando Dr
 Marco Island, FL 34145

Enjoy Your Visit!

       Sherri

Discovering the Natural Beauty and Charm of Boca Grande, Florida

 boca-grande-gas

If tropical secluded beaches where you can swim, snorkel, fish, and find tons of beautiful shells sounds good to you, then Boca Grande is the perfect place.

Boca Grande was recommended to us by an older couple that spend the winter in Florida every year. They told us that is was absolutely beautiful. Well, they were right! The area is amazingly beautiful and the beaches are loaded with shells. I have found tons of shells every time that I have been there.

 Boca Grande is a small residential area located on the southern end of Gasparilla Island. To get onto Gasparilla Island, you will cross the Boca Grande Causeway where you will stop at a toll both.  There is a toll fee of $6 to get onto the island.

The island is small and has no traffic lights. Bicycles and golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation on the island.

The drive to the beach is simply beautiful!  Most of the homes are surrounded by tropical foliage and flowers.

Just north of Sanibel and Cayo Costa, both know for the great shelling, Gasparilla Island beaches are usually loaded with shells. And the best part is that there are no crowds, so you can look all day and find good ones.

There is a public beach access with parking on the right 2 miles before you get the the lighthouse beach.

This is a great place for swimming. This beach usually does not have many shells.

The Boca Grande Rear Range Lighthouse is located on the beach at this access point.

Around the jetty is a good place for finding shells and fishing.  It is located behind the South Beach restaurant, but you will have to park at the public access just a short distance on the right before you reach the restaurant. 

The main road ends at Gasparilla Island State Park.

 This is the best beach to finding shells. It is also home to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and museum.

In addition to tons of large shells, we saw hundreds of starfish and sand dollars this particular day.

My mother is almost as crazy about shells as I am! 😊

Address:

880 Belcher Rd
Boca Grande, FL 33921

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Lighthouse Museum Hours:

November through May
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Sundays 12:00 pm-4:00 pm

June through October
Wednesday – Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Sundays 12:00 pm-4:00 pm

Museum Closed all of August



Admission Fee:

$3.00 per vehicle using  the honor box method



Happy Travels! 

Exploring the Cajun Riviera: Holly Beach in Cameron Parish, Louisiana

If you love finding tons of beautiful shells on a secluded beach, then you are going to love this southwestern Louisiana beach!

Holly Beach, known as the "Cajun Riviera", is a stretch of coastline in Cameron Parish.  The area was completely destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005 and hit again by Hurricane Ike in 2008. The area is slowly rebuilding, but continues to be fairly isolated.

My first trip to Holly Beach was totally unplanned. We were getting plants from the nurseries in Forest Hill, Louisiana and were looking for something else to do in the area.  We found Holly Beach and decide to check it out since we had never been to that area of Louisiana. It was a two hour drive, but we were feeling adventuresome.   

We followed interstate 49 to the bottom of the state, and then I’m not exactly sure where we were. Are plans were to see how close we could get to the coast and follow it over to Holly Beach.

 Well….for the most part, the bottom of Louisiana is marsh and swamp!  We drove for about 3 hours looking at nothing but marshy areas on both side of the road. It was getting close to sunset when we came upon the Cameron Motel. It was a nice clean hotel, which was a good thing considering it was the only one within 50 miles.

Address: 531 Marshall St, Cameron, LA 70631

Phone: (337) 775-5442 

We stayed there for the night and caught the ferry to go across to Holly Beach early the next morning. The cost for the ferry was $1 per car. We were surprised to find that the kind gentleman in front of us had paid for our ride. We got out and visited with him as we crossed the channel. I could listen to someone with a Cajun accent all day!  

The area around the hotel is mainly shipping ports. There are a few small places to eat, a Dollar general, a fire station, and not much else.  

We were in shock when we arrived at Holly Beach! We drove out onto the beach and there was not another person anywhere to be seen.

And shells were everywhere! Thousands of them!

  

We had not even planned on going to a beach on this trip, so we didn’t have anything to put shells in. I don’t remember what we found to carry them in, but we got home with tons of unique shells.

I have been to Holly beach several times now and it still remains one of my favorite beaches for shelling. It is an excellent place for walking on the beach and finding shells. 
 

It is not a good place for swimming at times because of high levels of bacteria in the water, although, I have seen people swimming on every visit since the first one.

 If you would like to check for swimming advisories before you go, click here.

Happy Travels!