Barefoot Beach Preserve(Barefoot Beach)

Located along the Collier County shoreline, Barefoot Beach Preserve - also known as Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park - is a 342-acre preserve that has an unnamed yet popular beach with white sand. This beach is also known as Barefoot Beach. The preserve is situated on a barrier Island named Little Hickory Island. 

While Barefoot Beach Preserve does not have lifeguards, the beach and the area around it have many amenities including showers, restrooms, picnic areas, concession stands, and watersporting equipment rental facilities.  Dogs are not allowed in Barefoot Beach Preserve. 

Barefoot Beach Preserve offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, wildlife watching, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, parasailing, canoeing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, surf-skiing, and boating. The shallow water near Barefoot Beach has gentle waves, which makes it ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, and canoers. The water near this beach is popular among snorkelers and scuba divers, who often enter the water near this beach to explore its vibrant biodiversity. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Barefoot Beach Preserve, we recommend being careful as the water here has stingrays, which can inflict a painful sting if disturbed. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals including bottlenose dolphins and manatees in the water near Barefoot Beach Preserve. In addition, the beach is also used as a nesting site by sea turtles from May to October. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of shorebirds around Barefoot Beach Preserve. Another interesting animal which lives around the beach in Barefoot Beach Preserve is the gopher tortoise which is native to the south-eastern portion of the United States. If you are planning to fish in the water near Barefoot Beach Preserve, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations. If you are planning to fish in the water near Barefoot Beach Preserve, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations.

Apart from the beach, Barefoot Beach Preserve also has a wide variety of ecosystems including sand-dune fields, tropical maritime hammock forests, and mangroves. You can explore the preserve’s premises via hiking trails present in this preserve. Guided tours and other informative interpretive programs are also organised by the local park rangers which offer a unique insight into the preserve’s vibrant natural history. In addition, this preserve also has a butterfly garden, a cactus garden, and a learning center which also has interesting interpretive exhibits about the local flora and fauna

The beach also offers access to people with disabilities.

Getting to Barefoot Beach Preserve is easy - the entrance to the preserve is present near 505 Barefoot Beach Boulevard and a parking lot is also available nearby. It is important to note that you need to pay an entrance fee to access and park in the preserve. Once you park at the preserve’s parking lot, you can easily walk to the beach via a boardwalk. It is important to note that the entrance fee for the preserve can only be paid by credit card.

There are many attractions near Barefoot Beach Preserve. The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is south-western Florida’s first museum that is dedicated to families and children. This museum offers interactive and fun exhibits for kids which offer them knowledge about a variety of subjects including science, technology, and art while also entertaining them. The Everglades Wonder Gardens (also known as the Bonita Wonder Gardens) is a botanical garden which is spread over three acres and has a variety of exotic flora - you can view many kinds of plants here including orchids, African mahogany trees, and staghorn ferns. This garden is also home to many kinds of wonderful animals including flamingos, parrots, peafowl, cockatoos, lizards, and alligators - most of these animals have been rescued by the local authorities and have been sheltered here. In addition, the garden premises also have a native butterfly garden, a souvenir shop, and an art gallery.  If you are looking for another attraction near Barefoot Beach Preserve, Tropic Escape Room offers fun and challenging escape room puzzles that you can try to solve with your friends and family.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Barefoot Beach Preserve. The Bay House Restaurant has a dining room which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Cocohatchee River. The restaurant serves amazing seafood and it also serves delicious dishes infused with local culinary influences. The restaurant also hosts live music performances. Divieto Ristorante has a vintage ambiance and has a Prohibition-era inspired decor. This restaurant serves fantastic Italian fare with a touch of American culinary influence. In addition, its bar features drinks inspired by the 1920’s. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Barefoot Beach Preserve, Leoni’s Pizzeria serves amazing pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches, and Mexican dishes. In addition, this restaurant is also known for serving amazing chicken wings. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Barefoot Beach Preserve, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort offers many amenities including a restaurant, an 18-hole golf course, a spa, watercraft rental facility, a bar, a gym, and a children’s club. In addition, the hotel also offers beach butler service. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Trianon Bonita Bay which offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a waterfront restaurant, and a lobby bar. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Barefoot Beach Preserve, the 2-Star Hampton Inn Bonita Springs/Naples-North offers many amenities including a patio, a pool, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness room.