CAYO COSTA STATE PARK

By  Mike Miller August 26, 2025

Cayo Costa State Park, located near Captiva, Florida west of Fort Myers, is a 2,506-acre island in the Gulf.

Accessible only by boat, it has pristine beaches, pine forests, and mangroves. Visitors can camp, hike, fish, kayak, or swim.

The park offers a remote escape with wildlife and untouched landscapes. Cabins and tent sites provide overnight options.  

Cayo Costa State Park

Cayo Costa was inhabited by the Calusa Native Americans over 1,000 years ago. They built shell mounds and fished the surrounding waters.

Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, naming the island. In the late 1800s, settlers used the island for fishing and farming.

A quarantine station operated there in the early 1900s. The state acquired the island in 1971, establishing the park in 1985.

It preserves the island’s natural and cultural history. 

Cayo Costa State Park is off Captiva, FL 33924, with no physical address due to its island location.

It’s open daily from 8 AM to sunset. Access is by private boat or ferry from Pine Island; contact Tropic Star at (239) 283-0015 for ferry schedules.

The park has no facilities except restrooms and a small ranger station. Twelve cabins and 30 tent sites are available; reserve through the Park's website.

Nine miles of trails and a 2.5-mile beach trail are open for hiking. No pets are allowed.  Kayak rentals are available on-site.

• The park’s beaches are among Florida’s few undeveloped Gulf Coast shorelines. 

• Calusa shell mounds, some over 1,000 years old, are visible along trails.  

• The island hosts over 100 bird species, including ospreys and migratory shorebirds. 

• A pioneer cemetery from the 1800s, with unmarked graves, lies near the campground.  

• Cayo Costa’s waters are home to manatees, dolphins, and occasional sea turtles. 

CAYO COSTA STATE PARK WEBSITE