Cayo Costa Lagoon and Pelican Bay Boat Tours in Gasparilla Sound (Rev)

Our Cayo Costa Lagoon trips begin at Eldred’s Marina in Placida, Florida. From there, I take guests South through the interconnected waters around Gasparilla Sound toward Cayo Costa.

The route itself is part of the experience. Depending on weather, tides and the customized plan for the day, we may see Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island, mangrove shorelines, sandbars, dolphins, manatees and other wildlife before reaching Cayo Costa.

Because every trip with Florida Gulf Discovery is private, the lagoon can be one destination within a larger island-hopping or wildlife route rather than a fixed group-tour schedule.

The lagoon is located on the eastern side of Cayo Costa, near the Pelican Bay area and the protected waters between the barrier island and Pine Island Sound.

This side of Cayo Costa has a very different character from the Gulf-facing beach. Instead of open Gulf surf, the eastern shoreline contains shallow water, sandy shoals, mangrove habitat and protected areas that continuously respond to tides and sediment movement.

That combination of shallow water and shifting shoreline is what makes this location so interesting from the boat—and especially from the air when I fly my drone above the area.

The lagoon did not suddenly appear in its present shape. Its development has been gradual.

Based on the shoreline changes I have followed and photographed, the lagoon began developing naturally after approximately 2005. Over the following years, sand movement and changing shoreline conditions gradually created a more protected body of shallow water along this part of eastern Cayo Costa.

By 2026, the feature had developed into the much longer lagoon visible in my current photographs.

Cayo Costa itself is part of a dynamic barrier-island system. Sand transport, tidal currents, storms and changing shoals have reshaped portions of the island for generations. That continuing natural process is one reason the coastline can look noticeably different from one period to another.

I visited this location in 2024, and the difference compared with 2026 is easy for me to recognize.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy returning to places like Cayo Costa. I am not simply following the same route each time. I am watching Southwest Florida’s coastline change from year to year.

Drone photography makes those changes especially visible because the shape of the sand, shoreline and shallow water can be seen much more clearly from above than from boat level.

Pelican Bay is one of the best-known protected boating areas along the eastern side of Cayo Costa. Boats traveling this part of the island encounter a combination of deeper approach channels, shallow flats, sandy shoreline and protected anchorages.

The surrounding waters connect naturally with the broader Pine Island Sound and Gasparilla Sound boating region, making the area a logical destination during a customized trip from Placida.

Conditions can change considerably with tide, wind and recent storms, so I choose our approach based on the conditions I see that day rather than treating the route as permanently fixed.

The protected eastern side of Cayo Costa provides excellent opportunities for observing Southwest Florida wildlife.

Depending on the season and the conditions, we may encounter dolphins, manatees, pelicans, ospreys, rays, mullet and other coastal wildlife while traveling through the surrounding waters.

The shallow flats and nearby seagrass habitat are especially interesting because they support the food chain that attracts fish, birds and marine mammals into this part of the estuary.

Wildlife is never staged or guaranteed. For me, that is exactly what makes an encounter memorable: we find animals where they naturally choose to be.

When conditions are appropriate, the protected water around Cayo Costa can also become part of a more active adventure.

Guests may have the opportunity to learn, practice or explore by paddleboard in calm shallow water. Paddleboarding provides a completely different perspective because you are close to the water and able to move quietly along the shoreline.

For guests interested in something more adventurous, I may also include an opportunity to learn, practice or enjoy an E-Foil ride when water depth, traffic and weather conditions are suitable.

These activities are optional and can be incorporated into a customized private trip rather than following a predetermined itinerary.

A trip to Cayo Costa Lagoon can be combined with many other destinations in the region, including Boca Grande, Cayo Costa beaches, nearby sandbars, Pine Island Sound, Cabbage Key or other island stops.

There is no need to follow exactly the same route every time. I customize each trip according to the guests, weather, tides, wildlife activity and the amount of time available.

For some guests, the lagoon is a quiet place to stop and swim. For others, it becomes part of a longer day of island hopping, wildlife watching, photography, shelling or exploring the changing coastline of Southwest Florida.

That flexibility is one of the main advantages of taking a private boat tour from Placida.