A trip to the beach is especially enjoyable when the weather at home is cold and dreary. If you love fishing and shelling, pack your bags and head to Florida for a break from the cold. A few weeks ago, we spent several days exploring the beaches along the west coast of Florida. We started our adventure in Ocean Reef where we spent another a fun day patch fishing off the waters of Key Largo. Make sure to have a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a long sleeve shirt to protect yourself from the sun. Everyone had a good day practicing their angling skills, learning how to throw a cast net and filling our cooler with yellowtail, mangrove and mutton snapper.
From there we ventured through alligator alley and up the gulf coast to Marco Island, Naples, Sanibel and Captiva Island. Our focus here was to spend some time walking the beaches. Shelling on these beaches has been on my bucket list for quite some time. We had a wonderful time combing the beaches looking for pretty shells, uncovering sea creatures and relaxing in the powdery white sand. If you love shelling and are looking for a way to spend a few hours, we highly recommend booking a shelling tour with Everwater Charters & Tours. Captain Jason’s enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to ecotourism will assure you have a fun and successful trip. While on Sanibel, we took advantage of the weekly farmers market picking up some delicious fruit and vegetables. As far as dining goes, we had an excellent dockside meal on the outdoor patio at Gramma Dots in the Sanibel Marina. We also found an ice cream spot that rivals our favorite in Maine. Pinocchio’s is a Sanibel landmark that serves handcrafted ice cream and gelato. They dole out very generous portions and original flavors such as Sanibel Krunch, Dirty Sand Dollar and Gator Stew.
We rounded out our adventure in Sarasota. We spent a couple of days exploring what is known as the hub of the cultural coast. We walked the famous quartz-crystal beach of Siesta Key, checked out Siesta Village, savored the outdoor café style dining on Main Street in downtown, enjoyed a day of shopping at St. Armands Circle and surveyed the Sarasota Bay area of Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key Beach and coastline of Bradenton.
This was our first time exploring the southern half of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It truly is a beautiful part of the state. We thoroughly enjoyed our Gulf Coast tour and are already planning a return trip.
