Editor's Note: This story was written prior to both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. For updates on Hurricane Milton, see Hurricane Milton Live Updates
Cayo Costa is a remote barrier island with nine miles of pristine beaches where the water is clear, the seashells are plentiful and dolphins frequently cruise by. It is and always has been reachable only by boat.
In 2024, there are two options for commercial boats serving Cayo Costa, where you can explore the remote island and feel like Robinson Crusoe.
Cayo Costa Island is almost all preserved as a state park, with about two dozen private off-the-grid homes occupying about one percent of the land. Located five miles off Pine Island, it looks like the remote tropical paradise of our dreams.
I have visited Cayo Costa many times, but that was before Hurricane Ian. On Sept. 28, 2022, folks everywhere were Googling “Cayo Costa” because that’s where the eye of Category 4 Hurricane Ian slammed ashore.
No surprise: Cayo Costa was devastated. Its popular campgrounds and rustic cabins were destroyed, its docks blown away.
In 2024, when much of the Hurricane Ian damage elsewhere has been repaired, Cayo Costa has no facilities and the only part of the island that is open to the public is the beach, which you must visit by boat. It is open 8 a.m. to sunset, so there is no camping. There are no restrooms, no drinking water and no docks.
Commercial boat day trips to Cayo Costa
But if you want to visit a remote beach, where you can walk for miles, collect seashells and observe wildlife, you can take a day trip to Cayo Costa via two companies:
Captiva Cruises offers a half-day cruise for $45 for adults and $30 for kids. The three-hour trip includes a 30-minute boat ride each way. Because there is no dock on the island, the boat “lands” a few feet off the beach in knee-deep water and guests exit and enter the boat via a 4-step ladder. This trip will appeal to people staying on Sanibel or Captiva, but it’s quite a drive through those islands if you’re looking for a day trip.
Adventures in Paradise is based at the Port Sanibel Marina, which is on the Fort Myers side of the Sanibel causeway, and thus is better suited to day trippers. Three days a week, the pontoon boat leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 2 p.m. and there is both a captain and naturalist on board. Tickets are $79 adults and $69 children. Participants bring lunch and swim suits. Adventures in Paradise provides a limited number of beach chairs, umbrellas, beach toys and provides the restroom on board the boat. The pontoon boat used pulls up close to the beach and you must use a ladder to exit or enter into shallow water.
Where is Cayo Costa?
Cayo Costa is one of a chain of barrier islands that shelter Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. The chain includes the islands of Sanibel and Captiva, which are connected to the mainland by a causeway. Then, north of Captiva are two islands you can’t reach by car: North Captiva, a thriving vacation community, and then wild and undeveloped Cayo Costa. North of Cayo Costa, across the Boca Grande Pass, is Gasparilla Island and the city of Boca Grande, which are connected to the mainland via a causeway.
Cayo Costa is 10 miles west of Fort Myers and the mainland and is about five miles west of the island of Pine Island.
Can I kayak to Cayo Costa?
Yes, experienced open-water kayakers do paddle there, leaving from Pine Island. It requires top-notch skills in paddling and understanding tides and weather. You can break up the paddle with stops at three island along the way.
We’ve done a really easy kayak outing to Cayo Costa by staying at Cabbage Key Inn and renting kayaks. From there, it is less than hour to a mangrove tunnel where you moor your boat and head to the beach. We absolutely loved Cabbage Key
Will the campgrounds and cabins be rebuilt on Cayo Costa?
The official word in summer 2024 is that the first step is rebuilding the dock. The park system is awaiting permits from the Army Corps of Engineers for the dock. Beyond that, Florida State Parks is not providing much information.
Don’t expect anything to happen soon. Cayo Costa is one of several parks damaged by 2022 hurricanes whose facilities have not reopened — cabins and camping at Hontoon State Park in Deland and the campground at Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys are also still closed. Some (me!) wonder if all of these facilities will be rebuilt.
- Cayo Costa State Park (state park website)
What’s near Cayo Costa State Park:
- Mound Key, an archaeological island that makes a great paddling destination
- Lovers Key, good for paddling and manatees
- Get copies of the Calusa Blueway paddling maps.
- Kayaking Sanibel and Captiva
- Returning to Sanibel after Hurricane Ian
- Bicycling Sanibel Island
- Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian
The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her husband David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Florida Rambler was founded in 2010 by Bonnie and fellow journalist Bob Rountree, two long-time Florida residents who have spent decades exploring the Florida outdoors. Their articles have been published in the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida.