Cruising the west coast of Florida. Marco Island to Anna Maria Island. South to North.
The west coast of Florida is well known as some of the easiest cruising grounds. In fact, the “offshore” breeze coming off the land ensures the seas are generally flat. The depths are deep close to the shore so it makes running up the coast offshore super easy very close to the shore. On occasions when the seas do get rough, there are abundant entrances to get inland. I would recommend getting a cruising guide or subscribing to Active Captain to get the latest reviews and posts by people who have used the inlets. Many of the inlets are just that, breaks in the land with a few markers where it can go from deep to really shallow quickly. Also, some entrances can be very rough if you have winds from North to West.
Starting in the south; Marco Island. This is about as far south as you can go before you hit the Everglades. Marco is a hidden gem that is mainly residential but there are a lot of good restaurants, shops and stores. We stayed at Marco Island Yacht Club which does allow transients. There is also the Marina at Factory Bay and Rose Marina. Marco is a great stopping point on your way to the Keys or the Dry Tortugas. When we did Dry Tortugas we spent the night at Marco the night before and refreshed water and fuel because you will find none in the DT’s.
(Note: if you are going south of here to the Keys, an excellent stopping point for overnight is Little Shark River. A generator and a/c are a must here as the mosquitoes can be fierce.)
Just North of Marco is Naples, and I know the town is really nice and there are some great places to go but I have heard the entrances into Naples can be very tricky and shallow with shifting sand bars. Consequently, I have never spent any time there going by boat.
North of Naples it’s easiest to run offshore and you will come to Ft Myers Beach and the entrance to the Caloosahatchee River which is also the Western entrance to the Okeechobee waterway to get to the east coast of Florida. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian in 2022 did a number to the marinas In downtown Ft Myers. In fact, the marina we were at for 2 years, Legacy Harbor which was right downtown in Ft Myers, was wiped out by Ian. We literally left a month before the storm hit to go to Marina Jacks in Sarasota.
On Ft Myers Beach Pink Shell Resort is a great location on the beach. Just watch the tides and currents when docking. It’s a true resort with a great harbormaster and facilities, not to mention the beach. Further down the inlet there are other marinas like Salty Sam’s that have nice facilities with a restaurant. You will also find a lot of boats at anchor in this area.
Going north from Ft Myers Beach you have a lot of choices. You can go East up the Caloosahatchee River or North up the ICW.
Captiva and Sanibel Island are up the ICW and there is a huge abundance of places to go and explore. We’ve seen some of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen short of being in the islands from these beaches. Green Flashes are abundant if you wait for the right conditions. The currents and tides are unique on Captiva and bring some of the best shelling of any beach in Florida. Literally there are parts of the beaches there are so many shells you can barely see the sand.
‘Tween Waters Marina-Captiva Island is an “old school” style of Florida resort that has docks, hotel rooms and some neat fun restaurants. Because the marina is sandwiched between Captiva and some smaller islands it’s a haven for Manatees. They are more plentiful in the winter season.
A bit further North is South Seas which is also on Captiva Island. A superb modern resort with a great marina and facilities. We spent time there just before Christmas one year and they really dress up the entire resort. Good high-end restaurants also.
Next stop to the North, Barnacles Restaurant at North Captiva Island is very unique in that this part of the island is nearly only accessible by air. There is a private air strip with homes around it at this far north tip of the island. I have anchored in a sailboat outside North Captiva and gone in by dingy. You just have to watch the weather but with a power boat you can probably get all the way in to the little cove and anchor there.
Cabbage Key is a great day only tie-up for access to the restaurant and to explore Cabbage Key. For overnight, anchor between Cabbage and Useppa Island. Useppa is totally private with homes, but I have heard they have opened the restaurant up to the public.
North of there are a lot of places to go till you get to Venice. If you are running offshore, Venice has one of the best passes (with actual jetties) should you decide to run the ICW again up to Sarasota. Either direction is a nice run if you have been running offshore for a while.
Sarasota area. We spent nearly 3 years in Sarasota. It is a unique, fun area with a lot to do.
The premier marina is Marina Jacks. Great overnight accommodations with easy walk into town location. Catch the free trolley out to St Armands Circle (by the beach) with more restaurants and shops. The marina itself has three restaurants of different food levels and nightly entertainment, plus a tiki bar named O’Learys facing the bay next door in Bay Front Park but do take the time and go into town and get dinner at Duval’s while you are there. We never ran out of places to go see, eat or drink. The Ringling Museum is a must see if you have a day. Lots to do and a great sand bar by the older gulf entrance.
North of Sarasota in the ICW around mile makers 38-39 there is an anchorage where there are two great restaurants, Mar Vista and Shore. Both have docks if you’re not anchoring for the night.
Next up is Anna Maria Island. A great location right at the entrance to Tampa Bay with one of the most beautiful Gulf beaches anywhere on the West Coast of Florida.
There are a lot of places around St Petersburg and Tampa and even further north to Clearwater.
Some notable spots are Pass-A-Grille, Tierra Verde and Gulfport All offer great places to explore.
Given that there have been some storms in the area. I highly recommend you do your homework and call the facilities in advance for dock availability and or check the info and reviews on Active Capt. Note that every marina will require a reservation to get a slip.
