Barefoot Beach Park | Resorts in Florida

Along southwestern Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico, between Fort Myers and Naples, is Bonita Springs, a developing vacation resort and beach town at heart.
Calusa Indians inhabited Southwestern Florida for centuries. At Bonita Springs, nomadic, they traveled to Surveyor's Creek, where they believed the waters healed. When Ponce de Leon invaded the area, Calusa all but disappeared, leaving behind mounds of shells and painted pottery. Bonita Springs and the surrounding islands and lands were ignored, while Americans went west. It was in the 1880s, Braxton B. Coomer bought 6,000 acres of land, opened fruit plantations, attracting people to the area. Surveyors were chiefly attracted, which in their description came the town and river their first names, Survey and Surveyor Creek. In 1910, the Eagle Hotel was built and, in 1912, J. Henry Ragsdale bought 2,400 acres of land, effectively drawing in more people to hunt and fish. Ragsdale felt the name, Survey, lacked appeal, so he changed it to Bonita Springs. At the time, only by water could you travel. Ragsdale and the town also began developments of roads, railroads, and highway systems.
Southwestern Florida eventually connected Tampa to Miami via the Tamiami Trail. Population of Bonita Springs is estimated to be 37,992 residents, as of 2005.

Barefoot Beach Preserve

A precious and preserved barrier island, Barefoot Beach, is a resort next to Bonita Springs. In 2006, Barefoot Beach was ranked #10 out of 650 beaches in the US, by Stephen Leatherman, the director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
1.5 miles of beach on a 342 acre island, Barefoot Beach is one of the best kept secrets in Florida. The environment here is not only a thing of beauty to witness, but is integral to the synergistic composition of the island's ecosystems and existence. Great care goes into preservation. What you will find when you reach Barefoot Beach is a seldom-equaled purity of nature, with which your ranger can guide you, at the Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park, and explain: how the wind, tides, waves, and currents shapes the sands and beach; how rare plants and creatures live, breathe, and survive on this barrier island; and a great deal more information and knowledge on things of closer inspection.
Restaurants, shopping, nightlife are primarily off the island of Barefoot Beach resort. This is where fishing aficionados go for pleasure or business. Several species of fish and shellfish teem in the surrounding waters. When not learning about nature, ocean calls. There are picnic tables, showers, fishing ramps, and tennis courts. Besides the art of fishing, boating is a subdued pastime on Barefoot Beach. The beach is nature-oriented and mild as it is not crowded, so the simple enjoyments of swimming, sun tanning, reading, shell finding, creature observing, playing in the sand, and the fun you bring, should be some of your expectations. Barefoot Beach is an exploration of nature in all its mystery.
Barefoot Beach is unique. Its uniqueness will leave a remarkable impression on you.