Cayo Costa Island
From: FDEP, 2003; Florida State Parks, 2003
Cayo Costa Island is located 19 km west of Cape Coral in southwest Florida. This island, along with its better known cousins, Sanibel and Captiva, form a barrier island chain that protects Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island from storms in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the Island is covered by the Cayo Costa State Park. Recreational activities include picnicking, fishing, boating, primitive camping, rental cabins and beach activities. Shelling is especially good during the winter months.
The natural features of Cayo Costa Island are stunning: Miles of beaches, acres of pine forests, oak palm hammocks, mangrove swamps and a spectacular display of bird life. The unique tropical vegetation looks much as it did 500 years ago when the first Europeans arrived here. Because it occurs in the area of transition between the temperate southeastern coastal plain and tropical south Florida, the vegetative composition of Cayo Costa is unique among barrier islands. The interior of the island contains a mixture of pine flatwoods, oak-palm hammocks and grassy areas interspersed with palms. Mangroves dominate the shoreline along Pine Island Sound.