Bonita Springs and Estero: the back story

About Bonita Springs and Estero: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Naples Editorial Team

Bonita Springs and Estero, between Naples and Fort Myers, combine natural beaches with some of the region’s biggest shopping and a surprising piece of history.

Bonita Beach

Bonita Beach is a relaxed, low-rise beach town, with Barefoot Beach Preserve at its southern end, one of the most natural beaches on this coast.

Estero and the Koreshans

In the 1890s a utopian community, the Koreshan Unity, settled on the Estero River. Their village is now Koreshan State Park, where you can walk among their restored buildings and paddle the river.

Twenty minutes north of Naples, a different, more laid-back coast.

Shopping

Coconut Point, Miromar Outlets and Gulf Coast Town Center make this the area’s shopping hub, conveniently close to Southwest Florida International Airport.

Our advice: spend the morning at Barefoot Beach before the car park fills, visit Koreshan State Park after lunch, and finish with sunset and a drink at Bonita Beach.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Bonita Springs and Estero: the back story before you go.