South of Marco Island you'll find a cluster of uninhabited islands known as the Cape Romano Islands. These islands are close to Marco Island and are a great place for those on Marco Island to experience the isolation of the Ten Thousand Islands without traveling too far.
Caxambas Park on the south end of Marco Island is the “jumping off point” for exploring this archipelago. You must bring all the supplies you need when you travel out here. There are NO facilities on any of these islands and there are NO concessions available.
Karina Island (Caxambas Sandbar)
In Caxambas Pass, just south of the Shipps Landing Condominium and Caxambas Park is Karina Island, also known as the Caxambas Sandbar. This island is part of an old oyster bar and reef and offers some of the best shelling in the area. Parts of Karina Island are literally made of shells!!
Its only a short hop out from Caxambas Park, its maybe a 5 minute paddle from Caxambas Park out to Karina Island. Definitely stop here on your way out to Dickman’s, Kice or Cape Romano Island. The downside here is that there is absolutely no shade anywhere on the island.
Dickman’s Point
You will sometimes hear of this place referred to as Dickman’s Island and it was formerly part of Kice Island until it split off from the main portion of Kice Island in 2011. The inlet between Dickman’s and Kice Islands is yet to be officially named, but is often called Emily Pass.
Dickman’s point beach is lined by tall australian pines and is .75 miles long. This little beach area is a popular hangout for local boaters. Off the northern tip of Dickman’s Point is a sand and shell bar known locally as as Orinna and Isaac’s Point. This is a nice beach with a spectacular view of the Marco Island condominiums Marco Islanders often come here for a sunset sail.
This is a great stop for shelling, many paddlers often stop here on the way out to Kice Island or Cape Romano, its so close to Marco that it gets such a large volume of visitors so it sometimes turns into a “boater hangout” just like Southwaydin but not near as crowded.
The small shallow lagoon between the two points makes for an excellent place to view migratory shorebirds and look for small delicate shells that might otherwise be destroyed by the wave action on the outer beach. Overall, Dickman’s Island has the best shelling in the Cape Romano area.
The main beach along Dickman’s Point is lined with tall Australian pines which provides a nice shaded picnic area. Beach camping here is permitted and offers a beach camping spot close enough to Marco Island to row over to Caxambas Park to receive a pizza delivery or make necessary supply runs.
Kice Island Beach
Located immediately south of Dickman’s Inlet is Kice Island Beach. This beach which is accessible only by watercraft is one of the best shelling beaches in the area. Its 1.5 miles out from the Caxambas Park boat ramp and is a popular destination for kayakers interested in exploring the Ten Thousand Islands.
The shore is lined by a forest of ancient dead trees and the beach offers a surreal landscape to walk through. The shore here looks like a landscape of giant thorns. This is one of the most interesting beaches in the area and is definitely a “must visit” place. From the island you can see the high rises of Marco Island in the distance.
Numerous shells will pile up here, especially behind the dead trees as they trap the shells on the receding waves and tides. Along the middle section of the island, be on the lookout for the “Old Whalebones”. These are not to be disturbed but are unique feature here as pods of whales have been known to come here to die. This is like the “elephant graveyard” but for whales.
The “thorn beach” is roughly 1.5 miles long till it gives way to the sandy expanse of Blind Pass Beach.
Blind Pass Beach
Located on the south end of Kice Island on the north side of Blind Pass is Blind Pass Beach. This is one of the best beach camping sites in all of Southwest Florida. Here the thorny beach of much of Kice Island gives way to a small pocket of fine sandy beach.
This beach has a sheltered harbor for anchoring and landing along Blind Pass. The campsite here is generally much less crowded than the tip of Cape Romano. Along Blind Pass one can often find very large conch shells in the sand along the pass. This is also a popular campsite with the wilds of Cape Romano to the south and the high rises of Marco still visible to the north.
Morgan Beach
Morgan Beach, located on Morgan Island is that oft overlooked beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Located south of Blind Pass, this beach is extremely varied with numerous small coves and inlets. This is perhaps the most interesting beaches in all of Southwest Florida geographically but it is often only viewed from the water. The northern part of Morgan Beach is very similar to Kice Island beach with a forest of dead trees along a shoreline of driftwood, rocks and marl.
A little ways south you come to a patch of sandy beach on the gulf side with a mud flat on the side facing Morgan Bay. On the bay side there are several mangrove tunnels to explore by Kayak. South of the sandbar here is a very shallow inlet and another section of marl and driftwood beach. Along this middle portion of Morgan Beach are several small coves and inlets. These provide entry into the maze of islands and channels that is Morgan Bay.
At the south end of Morgan Beach is Morgan Pass and the main entry to Morgan Bay. There is a nice section of sandy beach here similar to Blind Pass. The area along the pass offers excellent shelling at times but many areas are rocky and peaty with angry waves pounding the shore.
Morgan Beach is a shifting sand “baymouth bar” at the entrance to Morgan Bay and the shallow inlets into Morgan Bay open and close with the seasons and storms. This area always changes with the tides and storms and can be different from visit to visit.
Cape Romano
You have probably heard of it, the “Cape Romano Dome House” or just “The Dome Homes”. This is where the famed dome house was once located. For someone just getting started exploring the Cape Romano Islands, this is the island to visit. There are commercial guided tours to explore Cape Romano and that is the recommended way for visitors to see this unique location.
The tour out to Cape Romano operated by Florida Adventures and Rentals departs from Caxambas Park and will bring you right out past the Dome House and after hearing the story of the dome house, you will have a guided tour of Cape Romano Island where you will explore this island’s unique history and geography. The tour is $65 and is available on every day except Sunday.
Cape Romano Island is a shaped like a check mark with both a west and an east beach. At the very southern tip are the sunken ruins of the dome house. You'll find the structures about 338 feet offshore now and the area is heavily eroded. The famed dome house was originally the home of inventor Bob Lee who had it constructed in 1981 and used Cape Romano Island as his private retreat.
The house was originally built to withstand the harsh winds of the many hurricanes that pummeled Cape Romano through the years. It was originally built on a sandbar between Old Morgan Pass and the Gulf of Mexico, the sandbar has since washed away leaving the dome house standing in the water.
The dome houses were no match for Hurricane Ian and have since collapsed into the ocean. Despite being built to handle high winds they collapsed to storm surge and erosion on September 28th, 2022.
The western beach is 3 quarters of a mile long and faces the open Gulf of Mexico. The beach then gives way to a mangrove and rock shoreline along the southern end of the cape.
You will find a great camping spot at the very southern tip of Cape Romano. Its location away from city lights makes it one of the best locations in Southwest Florida for astronomy. The area has been dubbed, the “Cape Romano Astronomical Station” and has been the site for much amateur and professional astronomy.
You'll find a clear horizon in almost all directions with water on 3 sides of the cape. This location is unparalleled in all of Southwest Florida for the amount of sky visible and the lack of glare from city lights. More than 75% of the horizon is visible in all directions from this location.
There is NO electricity or running water available on the Island. You must bring everything you need.
The East Beach is VERY unique and offers the only due east facing outer coast beach in all of Collier County. This is the ONLY place to watch the sunrise at the beach in all of Collier County. This beach is 1.4 miles long and stretches from the southern tip of Cape Romano to about the halfway point on the east side of the island.
The northern half of Cape Romano’s eastern shore is mangrove lined and features a walking path between the various pocket beaches along this section. This path is a mile long and ends at the the pocket beach near the entrance of Snook Hole Channel. This area is a dolphin congregating area where dolphins come to feed on the fish in Snook Hole channel.
Helen Key Beach
If you are looking for a secluded beach, look no further than Helen Key. This beach has a deserted island feel and perhaps some of the best shelling in Southwest Florida. Its like Sanibel with a southwest facing beach, but there are NEVER crowds here. You will NEVER see this place advertised and locals would prefer it stay that way. Just like Sanibel, the beach here has a southern exposure as well as wave and tide conditions conducive to bringing in a lot of shells.
You'll find the beach here is a little bit muddy. Its sheltered by Cape Romano so there is almost no wave action.
Helen Key is 3.5 miles southeast of Caxambas Park and is accessible only by watercraft. This is a destination for a slightly more advanced adventurer looking to explore the Ten Thousand Islands. The island has 1 mile of beach and the island is in a completely natural state with no structures along the beach.