Bonita Springs is known as the Gateway to the Gulf. Sand dunes, beaches and the Gulf of Mexico hug Bonita Springs’ western boundary. To the east, tidy neighborhoods and residential communities reach to the borders of flourishing groves and rich farmland.
This once small farming and fishing town has become a forward-thinking community and a unique destination that every age and interest can enjoy. Best of all, the magic that attracted those earliest settlers still remains for everyone to enjoy.
Attractions and activities
Attractions and activities abound in Bonita. Beaches beckon year-round for shelling, sunning, fishing and boating. Nearby Germain Arena, with its hometown hockey team, the Florida Everglades, as well as top-name performers, beckons indoor sports enthusiasts and fans alike. Two nearby performing arts centers with professional orchestras host a variety of entertainment, from celebrities and jazz to Broadway and ballet.
Sun and sand may be the star attraction of beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida but there is plenty to see and do beyond the beach.
Encompassing an island-studded coastline along the Gulf of Mexico with sandy shoreline, forested areas, lakes and streams typical of freshwater wetlands, the diversity of nature is certain to keep visitors wide-eyed, and binoculars and cameras busy for years.
A rich array of attractions and activities offer something for everyone, young and old: there are museums, art galleries, boat rentals, boat tours/charters, casino/gaming, entertainment, a flea market, horse trail rides, marinas, nature centers and parasailing. The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track is at Bonita Springs.
Whether you are staying for a night, week, month or season, Bonita Springs offers many options; you will find hotel rooms, condos or suites overlooking the sparkling Gulf or closer to shopping and dining.
Lee County Manatee Park
Located on the Orange River in eastern Fort Myers, Lee County Manatee Park is winter home for the Florida Manatee. In the summer the temperature in the gulf is above 70 degrees. This keeps the manatees in their natural gulf shore habitat where their food is found. In the winter they come to the warmth near the park where they can be viewed from platforms.
Golf
Golf is a 12-month sport in Bonita Springs, Florida. Dozens of beautiful fairways and championship play can be found at the areas many golf courses.
Shopping
Shopping, another great gulf-coast pastime, thrives in greater Bonita Springs. There are one-of-a-kind boutiques, upscale plazas, regional malls, outlet centers and intimate sidewalk shops – all designed for buyers and browsers alike. Try the Bay Crossings or in front of Bonita Bay on U.S. 41, find the shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and shopping on The Promenade.
Family attractions
Bonita Springs has many family attractions like the wildlife and botanical showplace, Everglades Wonder Gardens, and the 18-hole miniature Golf Safari. Its own trolley connects all the beach areas with ride-and-park lots, servicing Bonita Beach, Santini Plaza, and Fort Myers Beach & Pier.
Beaches
Bonita Springs is known as the Gateway to the Gulf. Sand dunes, beaches and the Gulf of Mexico hug Bonita Springs’ western boundary. To the east, tidy neighborhoods and residential communities reach to the borders of flourishing groves and rich farmland.
This once small farming and fishing town has become a forward-thinking community and a unique destination that every age and interest can enjoy. Best of all, the magic that attracted those earliest settlers still remains for everyone to enjoy.
Nearby Attractions
Strategically poised between Fort Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs is also close to the many attractions in and around those cities like The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, the gentle, pristine wilderness of Corks crew Swamp Sanctuary, Thomas Edison & Henry Ford’s Winter Estates in Fort Myers, the Imaginarium, a hands-on museum there, and The Calusa Nature Center and planetarium, on County Road 865 between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach.
Bonita Beach occupies the southern boundary of the Lee County area. Here traces of old and new Florida peacefully coexist along gently winding beaches deemed among the best in the region.
Located between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs, the 4-acre pristine Bonita Beach Park features a boardwalk to protect the sea oats, sand dunes and coastal vegetation surrounding a gazebo and eight picnic shelters. Bathrooms, changing rooms and outdoor showers front parking areas with handicapped access.
The nearby Bonita Springs Community Park is the hub of recreation in Bonita Springs and offers 60 acres for picnicking, a playground, sports fields, a 7-acre lake, library and community pool as well as a 19,000-square-foot skate park.