Don Pedro Island State Park

Located on the Cape Haze peninsula, Don Pedro Island State Park has a one-mile-long and wide white sand beach situated on Don Pedro Island that is spread across 129 acres.  Don Pedro Island State Park is home to many loggerhead turtles – and is surrounded by mangrove forests and dunes.  

Don Pedro Island State Park is a great spot for swimming, shelling, birdwatching, and wildlife watching.  Don Pedro Island State Park offers many amenities including restrooms, showers, boat ramps, picnic tables, and nature trails. 

There are many fun activities at Don Pedro Island State Park including swimming, snorkeling, fishing, hiking, boating, canoeing, shelling, birdwatching, wildlife watching, and sunbathing. Don Pedro Island State Park is accessible by boat from 8 a.m. till sunset throughout the year. 

If you are looking for attractions near Don Pedro Island State Park, you can drive 19 minutes to Gasparilla Island State Park offers many activities including swimming, snorkeling, shelling, nature study, and is home to many birds and animals such as the West Indian manatee, gopher tortoise, bald eagle, osprey, least tern, and black skimmer. If you like golfing, The Links Golf Course is an awesome 18-hole executive golf course with beautiful water views. Spread across 211 acres, the 18-hole golf course Coral Creek Club features a clubhouse and restaurant. Another great attraction near Don Pedro Island State Park is Port Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum – it is the oldest structure on Gasparilla Island and is very popular for its nature room which contains a ‘please touch’ area and has local bones, shells, and fossils. 

If you get hungry, you can drive six minutes to many restaurants near Don Pedro Island State Park. Leverock’s Restaurant is a seafood restaurant with a nice menu that includes oysters, fish tacos, chips, bacon, sandwiches, margaritas, beer, and picnic tables. If you like Italian food, Isabella’s Bistro serves classic Italian dishes like Chicken Parmigiana and Fettuccine Alfredo, pasta, chicken, and beef dishes. Another good restaurant near Don Pedro Island State Park is Lil Tony’s, a pizza restaurant featuring homemade pizza, breadsticks, and chicken wings. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Don Pedro Island State Park, you can drive 15 minutes to The Palmetto Inn featuring a pool, lounge, spa, restaurant, and snorkeling, windsurfing, and canoeing tours. The 3-Star Palm Island Resort welcomes pets and offers many amenities including a pool, bar, restaurant, fitness center, and tennis courts. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Don Pedro Island State Park, the 2-Star pet-friendly hotel WannaB Inn has a nice pool and provides boating and fishing tours.