Book News 24/7: BookDaily Genre Sampler: Sports and Recreation

Cayo Costa is a barrier island that is accessible only by water. A trip here calls for a little planning, but it's more than worth it. If you like miles of unspoiled beaches, Gulf sunsets, and a tent-only campground, this is the place for you. Your first step is to get a reservation on the ferryboat Tropic Star. Call (941) 283-0015 to reserve your seat. Then bring everything you will need for your camping trip. There are no stores on the island and no convenient access to one once you are on it. Then, get to the ferry on time and enjoy the 90-minute ride from Pine Island to Cayo Costa.

Once you get there, register for your campsite. Next, a park tram will take you from the bay side of the island to the Gulf side, where the campground is located. It's a little bothersome loading and unloading your gear on the boat and tram, but once you get set up, you'll wonder why you didn't get here sooner.

The tram drops you off at the campground. Resist the urge to run to the white beach and blue water; register for your campsite first. Follow the beachside sandy path running through a stand of Australian pines to a more open area of sea grape and other native plants. A hundred yards of sporadic sea oats divide you from the ocean. Campsites 1 through 3 are in the shade of the pines and look out on the Gulf.

The remaining 27 campsites are sunny overhead but are separated by sea grapes. The skeletons of dead Australian pines above you stand testimony to the park policy of eliminating these exotics. All of these sites feature an ocean view. A spur path goes behind the small dune at campsite 5 and contains campsites 13 through 24. The sites are shielded from the wind, which make them a little buggier yet warm during infrequent cold spells. The beach vegetation, primarily sea grape and palm, provides adequate site privacy. The other six campsites are on a path of their own, back from the beach beneath some Australian pines with some bigger thickets of sea grape. These sites are very shady, and look out on one another, though some of the sites are tucked away in the thickets of sea grape.

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