Overall Score
3.7
Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida, city of Stati. Historic District , on the southwest coast of the state.
The city is located on the shores of Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The area, called Bonita Beach, is located on a road-accessible barrier island (Little Hickory Island) that lies between the Gulf of Mexico and Estero Bay. The Imperial River flows through the downtown area and into Estero Bay.
Attractions:
- Barefoot Beach Preserve, a 342-acre (1.38 km) park located on the border of Collier and Lee counties. In 2013 Forbes ranked the beach at the park as the sixth best beach in the country.
- Bonita Beach Park is a 2.5-acre (10,000 m) coastal park with a promenade and swimming area.
- Bonita Springs Center for the Arts is an arts organization that hosts local, regional and national traveling art exhibitions. The organization has two campuses: the 10-acre Visual Arts Center with galleries, studios, classrooms, an art library and offices; and 1.8 miles to the south, the 4-acre Performing Arts Center, which has two classrooms, a black box theater, a film center, music rooms and studios for studying the performing arts. Bonita Springs Arts Festivals are held in January, February and March in downtown Bonita Springs.
- Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary , a bald cypress preserve managed by the National Audubon Society.
- Everglades Wonder Gardens with a large collection of Florida wildlife, including exotic birds, panthers, alligators, flamingos and bears. The facility opened in 1936 as a wildlife exhibit and refuge for injured animals and has a botanical garden and natural history museum.
- Little Hickory Island Beach Park.
- Key Lover’s State Park , a 1,616-acre (6.54 km) park consisting of four barrier islands, is located within the city limits just north of Bonita Beach. There are nature trails for hiking and biking, canoeing, kayak and canoe rentals, acres of pristine mangroves, and miles of pristine beaches. The wildlife area, islands and their waters are home to West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins, pink spoonbills, marsh rabbits and white-tailed sea eagles.
- The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Trail.
- There are also 10 beach accesses with public parking up and down Bonita Beach.
Overall Score
3.7
- Air quality: 30 US AQI Good. Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
- Tap water: Yes, safe to drink
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 52,000 people
- GDP: $57,808 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 115V60Hz
- Internet: 51 Mbps
- Best wireless: T-Mobile
- Pay without cash: Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
- Tipping: How much should I tip at a restaurant? A gratuity of 15 to 20 per cent on top of the bill (before sales tax) is standard, with 25 per cent given for topnotch service. Servers in America work hard for the money – they’re generally friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile for customers.
- Apartment listings: Craigslist
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Uber
- Online electronics shop: Amazon
- Best intl air carrier: Delta
- Monthly costs for expat: $2900
- Monthly costs for family: $5000
- Monthly costs for local: $1450
- Meal: $10
- Small Cola: $1.7
- Beer 1 Pint: $5
- Coffee: $4
View Larger Map