Description: In the early 1900s the islands were accessible only by boat. It was said that only lovers made the effort to get to this romantic island – thus the name Lovers Key. But a road was built to the island in 1965.
Kayaking (canoeing also available) in the 744 acres of waterways fed by the gulf and bay was the highlight of my vacation. While going for a leisurely ride in our sea kayaks we found manatees. We floated around them as they swam underneath our kayaks. It was remarkable experience to enjoy the animals in their natural setting. We found two groups of manatees in the bay and we were able to enjoy each group for about 30 minutes before they got sick of us and swam away.
The park is open from 8am until sundown, 365 days a year. A day pass to the park was $5 per vehicle. We paid $30 per kayak for half a day and that was plenty long. And we didn’t pay the $5 for a seat cushion, big mistake! It’s not just the cushion, it’s the entire seat. The lady at the kayak rental building also casually mentioned “You kids know that you can’t go swimming because there are alligators in the water, right.” Which was a much appreciated piece of advice because that hadn’t even crossed our minds?
Lover Key is located 10.5 miles west of I-75 exit 116 Bonita Beach Road. The park entrance is between New Pass and Big Carlos Pass on Estero Blvd.
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