Accommodations

Photo by Pure Florida

Bonita Springs is a family-friendly beach community and a must-visit spot on your trip to Southwest Florida. Start your morning with a walk on beautiful bonita beach – or you can even rent a jet ski, paddleboard or kayak on-site from bonita Jet ski & parasail. It’s a great beach for collecting shells and spotting local wildlife – look for dolphins playing in the wake of boats.

On your way back from the beach, you’ll see safari Mini golf on Bonita Beach Road. Check out this fun course for a great activity for all ages, and if your group has so much fun they want to play again the same day, those extra rounds are free!

The next stop on your list should be the “spring” for which Bonita Springs is named. It’s located at the beautiful shangri-La springs resort & spa, which has historic grounds you can explore, along with an on-site organic restaurant called Harvest & Wisdom. Meals there are prepared with fresh produce grown right in the Shangri-La garden.

Photo by shangri-La springs resort & spa

Photo by Gail Markham

Photo by Gail Markham

Take a quick walk from Shangri-La down Old 41 and visit the recently renovated Everglades Wonder gardens. This attraction is one of the oldest in Southwest Florida – it was originally opened by two brothers as The Reptile Gardens in 1936. Now, it’s home to not just reptiles, but flamingos, a lorikeet pavilion, butterfly garden and more!

You can wander across the street for milkshakes and ice cream at for Heaven shakes, a local favorite, or hop back in the car for a trip to Momentum brewhouse, which frequently has great food trucks out front and always has a fantastic selection of beer.

For any shoppers in your group, there are popular retail therapy options in neighboring Estero, including Coconut point Mall and Miromar Outlets.