Shell yes! What SWFL beach made USA Today's 10BEST list

Yahoo

28-05-2025

One Southwest Florida beach made another list for being among the best in the state.
In USA Today's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards for 2025, the national news publication rated Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island as the No. 6 beach in Florida.
"The allure of Bowman's Beach, located on Sanibel Island, Florida, lies in its tranquil setting and the chance to go shelling along its expansive white sand coastline," USA Today wrote.
"With amenities such as picnic areas, restrooms, and hiking trails, it's an ideal spot for families and nature enthusiasts alike."
The 10BEST Beaches in Florida:
1. Delray Beach
2. Clearwater Beach
3. Treasure Island Beach
4. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
5. Stuart Beach
6. Bowman's Beach
7. St. Pete Beach
8. Siesta Beach (Siesta Key)
9. Destin
10. Anastasia State Park (St. Augustine)
Bowman's Beach is in the heart of shell collecting, making Sanibel unofficially known as the "Seashell Capital of the World."
Sanibel Island is home to more than 250 species of shells, littering its roughly 15 miles of sandy beaches with millions of treasures ranging in size and color.
Thousands travel to the island every year.
Sanibel is a barrier island so it sees more shells on its beaches compared to others around the county, experts told the News-Press three years ago.
And Sanibel is one of the very few islands in Florida that run perpendicular, which causes ocean currents to have the beaches primarily flush water downward.
USA Today asked a panel of experts to nominate their top picks, then readers voted to determine the winners. The News-Press is part of Gannett, which publishes USA TODAY and more than 200 local news sites nationwide.
Hurricane recovery: All of Sanibel's beach parking lots are now open. See full list
Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Contact him at [e-mail] and follow him on Instagram @lacrossewriter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sanibel's Bowman's Beach named on USA Today' 10BEST list in Florida