Bonita Springs, “Gateway to the Gulf,” is unsurpassed in natural charm. The city has a total area of 41.0 square miles and is a community where you’ll enjoy white sugar sand beaches and year-round outdoor living. Boating, swimming, fishing, golfing, tennis and biking are available to those who enjoy an active lifestyle. Also available are bingo, bridge and shuffleboard.
A welcoming beach community in Southwest Florida, between Fort Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs is home to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center. Fishing and outdoor activities are popular here, as are the sparkling beaches. Most particularly, Bonita Springs harbors Lovers Key State Park, a place so named because it once was an island so remote only lovers went to the trouble to seek its privacy. Today, you don’t need a boat to get to the beach. It’s easy to reach, but still not as well known as many other state parks. The 2.5-mile beach is lined with natural vegetation and is perfect for beach combing and birding.
Bonita Springs Attractions and Events
- Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs – an arts organization that hosts local, regional and national traveling art exhibitions; a year long Performance Series featuring jazz, classical and rock music, dance and theater; arts classes in all disciplines and multiple community events. The organization has two campuses, the 10-acre Center for Visual Arts with galleries, studios, classrooms, art library and offices; and 1.8 miles south, the 4-acre Center for Performing Arts that features two auditoriums, black box theater, film center, music rooms and studios for study of performing arts. The organization’s Bonita Springs National Art Festivals, ranked high in US are held January, February and March in downtown Historic Bonita Springs.
- Bonita Beach Park – a 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) beachfront park that features a boardwalk and swimming area. Sand dunes and coastal vegetation surround a gazebo and 8 picnic shelters.
- Barefoot Beach Preserve Park – is 342 acres (1.38 km2) of natural land and one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida’s southwest coast. It is located on the border of Collier and Lee Counties and accessible by Bonita Beach Road. In 2013, Forbes ranked the park’s beach as the sixth best in the United States.[4]
- Little Hickory Island Beach Park.
- There are also 10 beach accesses with public parking located up and down Bonita Beach.
- Bonita Springs is located west of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a significant Bald Cypress reserve under management of the National Audubon Society.
- Lover’s Key State Park, a 1,616-acre (6.54 km2) park made up of four barrier islands, is located within the city and just north of Bonita Beach. The park features nature trails for hiking and bicycling, a canoe launch, kayak and canoe rentals, acres of unspoiled mangroves and miles of pristine beaches. A haven for wildlife, the islands and their waters are home to West Indian Manatees, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits and bald eagles.[5]
- The Everglades Wonder Gardens features a large collection of Florida wildlife including exotic birds, panthers, alligators, flamingos and bears. The facility, originally opened in 1936 as both a wildlife exhibition and a refuge for injured animals, also boasts a botanical garden and a natural history museum.
- The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track is located in Bonita Springs.
- Situated on Big Hickory Island is the Bonita Springs Water Tower. Built in 1982, the water tower stands at 156 feet. The water tower is best viewed during the day; at night the water tower is illuminated only by a blinking red beacon.
The Numbers
Annual Temperatures include a high of 83°F and a low of 67°F.
Population in 2014: 49,299 (96% urban, 4% rural). Population change since 2000: +50.3%
Males: 24,007 (48.7%)
Females: 25,292 (51.3%)
Median resident age: 54.6 years
Florida median age: 41.8 years
Zip codes: 33928, 33931, 34110, 34119, 34134, 34135
