One Of Florida's Most Family-Friendly Beaches Is A Shell-Strewn, Calm-Water Beauty
As a state with over 1,300 miles of coastline, it makes sense that Florida is such a popular beach vacation destination as it has such a wide variety of coves, bays, sandy beaches, and islands — here are the best vacation islands in the Sunshine State. Florida's natural beauty makes it easy to find the vacation spot that is right for you, whether you want a romantic couples getaway or a nice family vacation. If you are looking for the perfect beach to visit during your family-friendly vacation in Florida, then look no further than Bowman's Beach. With shallow waters that one visitor on Google reviews noted make the beach "perfect when you have toddlers," Bowman's Beach is a great destination for young families who want to relax in the sun on a quiet stretch of sand while being surrounded by vibrant coastal nature and wildlife.
Located on the west side of Sanibel Island off the coast of the busier Fort Myers Beach, Bowman's Beach is near the neighboring island of Captiva which is one of those islands that makes you feel like you are on a Caribbean getaway. This beach is a great family-friendly stop because it not only has calm and shallow water but it also has plenty of interesting shells. In fact, many reviews on TripAdvisor rave about the sheer number of beautiful shells on this beach, including one reviewer who said that Bowman's Beach was their "favorite beach" because they were able to find all kinds of unique shells like "sand dollars, lightning whelks, tulips, shark eyes, and much more."
Bowman's Beach offers fun for the whole family
Beside the calm waters and high number of beautiful shells on the beach ready for the kiddos to go and find, another reason that Bowman's Beach is considered a great family beach because it has good facilities. Located in a public park, Bowman's Beach comes with a large parking lot that includes standard accessible spaces along with some longer RV and kayak trailer parking spots. The beach also has public restrooms and changing rooms, outside showers, drinking fountains, a playground, picnic areas, and a few charcoal grills.
On top of this, Bowman's Beach is great for families because the park contains over 50 acres of protected wilderness, meaning that there is plenty of wildlife nearby. The whole family will enjoy having the chance to spot rabbits, pelicans, stingrays, and dolphins. Plus, if you are super lucky, you may even spot a manatee. Bowman's Beach does also get nesting sea turtles during turtle season (May through October) and you may have a chance to observe some of the protected taped-off turtle nests along the beach if you are there at the right time.
Bowman's Beach is about a five-minute walk from the parking lot, so you will want to make sure it is easy to carry all of your beach gear — including an umbrella — with you. This is especially important for families with small kids because as one beachgoer on Google reviews mentioned, the beach doesn't have much shade so you have to bring it yourself. Other reviewers also recommended bringing water shoes to help protect your feet while searching for shells.
The area around Bowman's Beach is also worth exploring
If you and your little ones don't want to spend all day at the beach in the sun, there are plenty of other fun things to do near Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island. If you are looking for more educational experiences, you can head to J.N. Ding Darling Nature Reserve to take a tour with a naturalist and learn more about Florida's coastal mangrove forests and how important they are for the ecosystem. You can also head to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium to learn more about the shells you found and the tiny critters that used to live inside them. Another option is to sign up for a Tarpon Bay nature and sea life cruise to have a chance to touch starfish and horseshoe crabs before jumping on a boat to spot wild dolphins and manatees (because of recent hurricane damage, this cruise won't be available again until late 2025).
Because Bowman's Beach is located in a protected wildlife park, there are no hotels on the beach; however, there are plenty of places to stay all around Sanibel Island from the Sanibel Inn Beach Resort to the Castaway Cottages which are a minimalist and nostalgic way to experience Sanibel and Captiva. Or, if you prefer, you can stay in Fort Myers and go to Sanibel on a day trip. The drive between Fort Myers Beach and Bowman's Beach is only around 35 minutes.