Lighthouse Park Beach

The breathtaking Lighthouse Park Beach offers its visitors 32 acres of park and beach to explore, along with a pier and lighthouse built over a hundred years ago. Located on the southern tip of Sanibel Island in Florida, this beach is the pawfect place for you and your pooch to visit if you're looking for a 24-hour, dog-friendly beach featuring panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. While entrance to the beach itself is free, parking is $5 an hour between the hours of 7 AM to 7 PM.

Start your day off by refueling you and your pooch in the designated picnic area, then hit up the restrooms before taking off on your walk along the beach. Fill up your water bottles here, or bring your own water to share. The shores are decorated with seashells, making the beach perfect for shelling. Large shady trees give your pooch an alternative to cooling down from the wavy beach waters. The current is strong here, and it’s required that you keep your pooch on-leash while swimming. Afterwards, hit up the outdoor showers. There is fishing allowed off the pier, but be sure to get a Saltwater Fishing License first. 

After you finish your swim, take your pup on a leashed walk through the acreage offered in the park, such as along the boardwalk nature trail through the wetlands. Sanibel Island takes great pride in the diverse wildlife throughout the island. From sea turtles to ground-nesting birds, they have it all. That's why it's important to keep your dog leashed all times, removing any disturbance to the animals or the fragile environmental surrounding them. Maintaining a clean park and beach is also of the utmost importance to Sanibel Island, so be sure to keep your clean-up bags on hand and clean up after your pooch during your visit to the Lighthouse Park Beach.

To experience the best of Sanibel any time of the day or night, check out the Lighthouse Park Beach and get strolling with your pooch!