the beach today
Gulf Coast Guide

Lovers Key
State Park

Gulf Time

Everything for a day on the wild barrier-island sand of Lovers Key: conditions, parking, the Gulf sunset and where to eat after a paddle through Estero Bay.

Today on the Sand

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Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Lovers Key Beach

Two miles of quiet Gulf sand · shelling

State park · fee

Lovers Key North

New Pass access · calmer swimming

State park lot

Little Hickory Island

Bonita county beach just south

Paid lot

Fort Myers Beach

Estero Island just north across the pass

Public beaches

Bonita Beach

Little Hickory Island · a short drive south

Paid & free access

Big Hickory Island

Undeveloped barrier island · boat-in only

Boat-in

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Fort Myers Beach

10 min north

Times Square, the pier & Shrimp Festival

Bonita Beach

10 min south

Shelling sand & back-bay tiki bars

Estero

20 min east

Coconut Point & Miromar Outlets

Sanibel

40 min north

World-class shelling & the lighthouse

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Lovers Key State Park. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Right now at Lovers Key, the water is 87°F, surf is running 1–2 ft and the air is 83°F but feels like 89°F. Wind is 11 mph from the NE and the UV index peaks at 7 (high) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 29 minutes right now, and the strongest stretch runs 12 PM to 5 PM. Today’s tides: High 3:57 AM, Low 12:23 PM, High 7:35 PM, Low 11:44 PM. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.