WATER & COAST
Bunche Beach
Lee County · Gulf Coast
718 acres on San Carlos Bay at 18201 John Morris Road: sand, mangrove forest and salt flats, the tidal wetland this coast looked like before the exotic plants arrived. It is a Great Florida Birding Trail site and one of the best places in the county to watch shorebirds. The park opened in 1949 in front of more than 3,000 people and is named for Dr. Ralph Bunche, the United Nations mediator who went on to become the first African American to win the Nobel Prize; the exotic growth was cleared out in 2001. Two paddlecraft launches, two piers for wildlife watching and fishing, a 310-foot boardwalk and solar composting restrooms. Dawn to dusk, $2 an hour to park. No motors on the beach, no grills or fires, no pets.
Not identified in this guide as an officially clothing-optional beach. This is a visit category, not a safety rating—check surf, lifeguards, water quality and posted rules.
BEACH CONDITIONS
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