Bunche Beach
About
Visit Old Florida, where things are done naturally.San Carlos Bay - Bunche Beach Preserve is a 718 acre beach and mangrove forest preserve with a variety of recreational opportunities to enjoy including: Bird Watching, Canoe/Kayak Launch, Canoeing/Kayaking, Fishing, Hiking (Boardwalk), Nature Study/Photography, Picnic Area, Swimming and Sun Bathing.Step back in time visiting San Carlos Bay- Bunche Beach Preserve, one of the few natural beaches framed with native vegetation and mangrove tunnels to explore by kayak or canoe. In 2010, public beach facilities were completed & opened with ADA parking, restrooms, fishing piers, kayak ramp, picnic tables, and a small boardwalk overlooking Rock Creek. On the white sandy beach, there is an ADA mobie mat that leads to an ADA picnic table. Bunche Beach is not a barrier island beach. It is narrow compared to the beaches on Sanibel and Fort Myers beach. This adds to its unique charm. This Beach is never crowded and easily accessible with no traffic concerns. Kayak and SUP rentals are available through the on site vendor, Kayak Excursions, which also sells bottled water and assorted sundries at the Activities center located just behind the beach.Enjoy a quiet day by the bay.
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  • Celly
    9 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    A beautiful day at the beach
    The damages due to hurricane Ian are almost fully removed. The restrooms and the shop are still in restoring but you can use portable toilets. We read recommendations to bring bug spray but we didnt need it. Fine white sand, long flat way to walk into the sea. The nature behind of you is still damaged but the horizon in front of you is so beautiful on a sunny day. You pay 2$/h for parking at the roadside or parking lot. The latter is about a 300 m walk to the beach. At the moment the payment for the parking fee is not possible with a German phone number but the rangers out there know that. So you can park for free right now. The beach was well visited but not extremly crowded. You can also do kayak excursions here. We also met racoons at the beach.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written January 25, 2024
  • Christine N
    5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good local beach
    Nice natural beach and not too crowded. Shallow and calm water. Lots of nature to observe. Parking could be a problem but the price is good. Bring your own drinks etc as there is nothing there. Restrooms (port-o-potties) are a bit of a hike.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written February 28, 2024
  • Paul S
    North Fort Myers, Florida5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Floridas hidden gem!
    We spent a relaxing day with our adult kids and Granchildren at Bunche Beach. The beach never gets over crowded. The water is easily accessable and swim friendly for all. The view from our beach chairs was amazing and relaxing. The entire beach has a laid back, friendly Vibe. I would highly recommend this Florida gem!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written March 10, 2024
  • _SLH138_
    Minneapolis, Minnesota142 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sunset views
    We lucked out on getting a decent parking spot about an hour before sunset. We enjoyed walking along the soft sand and seeing the vegetation, including some showing hurricane damage. There was a lot of bird activity and then some beautiful sunset views. I recommend it!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 10, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles419 reviews
Excellent
183
Very good
141
Average
64
Poor
19
Terrible
12

Chris
Kissimmee, FL91 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Couples
My wife and I realized that this was right down from our hotel so we couldn’t pass up exploring the area. It’s probably the cheapest parking area in Sanibel at $2 an hr. The NO SEE UMS were extremely heavy, but we also got there in the early morning time period, so bring bug spray if you’re going in the morning. It’s a Bay Area so yeah, the water can be a bit brackish and smell if you go at the wrong time, but a little planning will help avoid it. Shelling isn’t the greatest but we did find some decent and vacant shells to take with us. Plenty of good views for the sunrise/set, and I’m sure to spend the day. But know that there aren’t any restrooms on the beach, but at the observation deck a ways back from the beach.
Written October 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Celly
9 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
The damages due to hurricane Ian are almost fully removed. The restrooms and the shop are still in restoring but you can use portable toilets. We read recommendations to bring bug spray but we didnt need it. Fine white sand, long flat way to walk into the sea. The nature behind of you is still damaged but the horizon in front of you is so beautiful on a sunny day. You pay 2$/h for parking at the roadside or parking lot. The latter is about a 300 m walk to the beach. At the moment the payment for the parking fee is not possible with a German phone number but the rangers out there know that. So you can park for free right now. The beach was well visited but not extremly crowded. You can also do kayak excursions here. We also met racoons at the beach.
Written January 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bill m
18 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Sandy beach, fairly long for walking and quite shallow if you have little ones. There are some shaded areas but i recommend an umbrella if you're concerned about overexposure to the sun. Know that the restrooms are at the entrance near the kayak rentals. This is a bit of distance away. Parking can be challenging too but the lot near the kayak rentals is pretty large. Suggest you drop your stuff at the beach , then drive to park.
Written March 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jim B
Cape Coral, FL2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2020
Went to Bunche Beach by Pontoon. Was concerned by a couple of the reviews I read but I must say our experience was great. Choose Bunche because many of the other beaches are off limits due to the C-Virus. Others had said the area had rocks and snags but we found it beautiful sand and crystal clear waters. We went around high tide and you do have to be careful as the tide goes out. But the sand was beautiful (great for young kids) and the completely natural backdrop (all of the area behind the beach is a preserve. For boaters I'd recommend going to the northern part of the beach past the inlet (south of the inlet there is road access). We plan to go back.
Written April 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martha S
Fort Myers, FL9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
I hesitate to post this review, because it may lead to many others deciding to go there.
For a few dollars (parking place), you can spend the day with the water at your beck and call.
I brought my really large beach towel, and found my peace of mind.
Written November 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cheryl P
Indiana38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
Fort Myers Beach gets all the attention but this little beach is very cool. At low tide, kids can play in the shallow water and little pools left on the beach. There is not much parking which probably limits crowds. We rode our bikes to the beach and there was a rack there to lock them up.
Written February 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SWF Beach Life
Fort Myers, FL22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
I live about 12 minutes with easy access to this beach, so we are there all the time. No restrooms or water fountain, just a beach plain and simple. For the most part the water is quite shallow, so it's great for finding live snails/shells and hermit crabs. This is my favorite beach to find critters and we even found a seahorse one time (check out my YouTube channel if you want to see more about this beach).
The backdrop to the entire stretch of beach is a preserve area, so it feels very rustic and natural. The fishing at this beach is fun and there is a place to rent a kayak up the road if you want to go exploring through the mangroves. The no-seeums can be a little nasty in the evening in the summer, so be sure to bring some bug spray. After a long day of working this is the perfect place to watch the sunset over Sanibel. Can't say enough great things about this place!
Written April 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dave D
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Parking can be an issue depending on the time you're there. This is more like a private beach that just happens to be open to the public. Watch out for trip hazards, (small tree stumps in the walking area)
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike B
Indianapolis, IN102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
I went twice over the holidays on weekdays and it was very nice and quiet, within sight of touristy Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. Not nearly as crowded and even less so the further you walked from the entrance point. Water is very shallow for a long way out and there are lots of birds and sea gulls. Toilets are a good walk away at the observation building. I did not pay to park; parked north of the building.
Written January 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

familytraveler2014
Amsterdam, The Netherlands46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
We visited Ft. Myers beach, Sanibel Island beach, and Bunche beach. Bunche is off the beaten path, with fewer tourists than the others. As we stayed in a house in Iona we could ride bikes to Bunche beach, and there is also paid parking on the street and in a parking lot by the kayak put in.
Really enjoyed exploring the tidal pools at low tide. Went kayaking one day and had a lovely 75 minute paddle through the mangroves and along the beach.
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BUNCHE BEACH - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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