Bowman's Beach is one of Sanibel Islands most popular public beaches and the most isolated. It is pretty close to the west end of Sanibel. To get there from the causeway: Take a right on Periwinkle Way to Tarpon Bay Road. Turn right, head north to Sanibel-Captiva Road. From this road, turn left to Bowman Beach Road for approximately 1/10 mile and turn right into the public parking area. Parking is $2 per hour, strictly enforced. There are some large spaces for RV parking there also.
It is a short (less than 5 minute) walk along a boardwalk, scenic trail, and across a brackish and fresh water bayou, by means of a wood footbridge. You have an opportunity to see different kinds of wild life as you cross over Clam Bayou. Today there were fish jumping up from the water and a night heron resting in the water by the mangroves. A white egret was standing at the top of a dead tree near the water.
The beach is wide and there are not usually very many people there. But, it really doesn't matter because you have miles of beach available. The shelling (in my opinion) is like all other beaches on Sanibel. Sometimes there are lots of shells, sometimes few. However, if there are less people shelling, and there are shells, common sense would tell you that you're more likely to find the ones you are searching for.
It's a great place to spend the day on the beach and have a picnic. There are plenty of tables and grills that are placed in shady areas so you can get out of the hot sun. There are also pay phones, bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, a play ground, hiking trails, and bike racks. The trail to the beach is wheelchair accessible. You can easily turn a day here into a relaxing adventure.
Today there were quite a lot of people on the beach there and the shells were not plentiful at all. I did spot one tiny orange and white scallop. But, I still considered it a wonderful afternoon. I had not been in this park since it was restored after hurricane Charley. I did see it before restoration and I can tell you, they've done a great job of it! The trees and plant life seem to be flourishing and the whole park is beautiful again.
Lots of new dune grass has been planted.
4 comments:
Thanks for the input. I'm putting together all the information I can before we arrive on Saturday. We plan on hitting all the beaches during the week, but with your input we can plan them according to our daily needs! So LOVE your blog!! Thanks for sharing!
Great pictures. I don't think I've been to Bowman's since the restoration either. I did see it after Charley and judging from your pictures, they did do a fantastic job. Guess I should check it out, huh?
no nude sunbathing - a good family beach then. at some of our most secluded beaches, we often have sun-starved northern europeans who simply can't wait to strip and walk around in their birthday suits with complete disregard for anyone else in the area. signs are a good thing
THAT is really a beautiful public beach! Nice to know there is still shoreline available for "share"! LOL! One of these days I'm just gonna hop in my car and head south!
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