One of my favorite things we did on our Florida trip in January was our ferry boat ride to Cayo Costa State Park. Cayo Costa is only accessible by ferry or private boat. There are no roads or bridges. It is about a half hour boat ride from Captiva Island to Cayo Costa. The ride was very peaceful and the captain entertained us with local history. When we docked, it was a short 5 minute walk to the beach over a boardwalk through thick foliage. There seemed to be miles of untouched beach in either direction. Since there had been a storm 2 days prior to our trip, the beach was full of shells including many sand dollars. We were taking a photography workshop, but it was very bright for photography and I love to collect shells. I opted to collect shells on the way up the beach and take some photos on the return walk. In the above photo I used a slow shutter speed to capture the feeling of the wave washing over the shell.
We only had two hours on the beach. I easily could have stayed there all day. You have to bring in your own food and beverages and take all your trash back on the boat. The only restrooms are the one on the boat or in the campground, which I never saw. There is a boneyard or area of dead trees in the surf, which I didn’t quite have time to walk to, but I did find a few trees in the sand on my walk. I love the colors and textures of the tree below and the shell hiding in the background as an added bonus. I hope to make another trip there someday.
