A prime attraction for both beachgoers and nature lovers is the gorgeous Lovers Key State Park, 8700 Estero Blvd. (tel. 239/463-4588; www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey), on the totally preserved Lovers Key, south of Estero Island. Although the highway runs down the center of the island, access to this unspoiled beach from the parking lot is restricted to footpaths and a tractor-pulled tram through a bird-filled forest of mangroves. The beach itself is known for its multitude of shells. Facilities include a snack shop and bathhouses with outdoor showers. The park is open daily from 8am to sunset. Admission is $5 per vehicle with two to eight occupants, $3 for vehicles with a single occupant, and $1 for pedestrians and bicyclists. No alcohol is allowed, nor are pets permitted on the beach or in the water (you must keep them on a leash elsewhere in the park).
On Estero Island, Lynn Hall Memorial Park has a fishing pier and beach in the middle of Times Square. It has changing rooms, restrooms, and one of the few public parking lots in the area; the meter costs $1 hour, so keep it fed -- there's an $18 fine if your time runs out. At the island's north end, Bowditch Regional Park has picnic tables, showers, and changing rooms. Parking is only for drivers with disabilities permits, but the park is also the turnaround point for the Beach Connection Trolley.
Several beach locations are hotbeds of parasailing, jet-skiing, sailboating, and other beach activities. Times Square, at San Carlos and Estero boulevards, and the Best Western Beach Resort, about a quarter-mile north, are popular spots on Estero's busy north end. Other hot spots are Diamond Head Beach Resort, just south of Times Square, and the Junkanoo Beach Bar , in the midbeach area. Down south, activities are centered on the Outrigger Beach Resort.
