Cayo Costa (or Coast Key in English) is an island on Florida's Gulf Coast just west of Ft. Myers/Cape Coral.  Unlike nearby Sanibel & Captiva islands, Cayo Costa is only accessible by boat, and offers a relatively more pristine and less crowded environment for exploration.  I have reserved one beachfront campsite for Saturday night 3/29.  According to Cayo Costa State Park regulations, only two tents are allowed per site, with a maximum of eight people.  There are no restaurants on the island, so we will be responsible for bringing our own meals (two lunches, one dinner, one breakfast), tents, and other necessary camping gear.  The ferry to the island has a limit of 50 lbs. per person of camping gear, so once we have a head count, I will coordinate this to ensure that no one goes hungry, and to spread the weight around.

The campsite is already reserved, and the cost will be divided equally, again once we have a head count.  The charge is $11 for the campsite, so depending on how many come, this could end up costing a bit over $1 per person.  You will be responsible for making your own reservations ($32 round trip) on the ferry (Tropic Star Cruises).  The website is:  www.tropicstarcruises.com.  Phone is (941) 283-0015.  The ferry leaves at 9:30 a.m., and returns at 3:00 p.m.  When you make your reservation, let them know you will be spending the night at Cayo Costa, in order to reserve a spot on next day's return ferry.

The itinerary for the weekend is as follows:  Upon arriving at Cayo Costa (some time around 11:00 a.m.), we'll take the tram to  the campsite, and set up our camp.  Once we do this, we will take our lunches/snacks and go hike the Quarantine Trail to the north end of the island (a round trip of close to 5 miles).  Upon our return to the campsite, we should have plenty of time for the beach, or to rest.  The tentsites have grills, so plan on bringing something to grill for dinner.  No beans, please...and don't forget your earplugs, as some (if not all) of us snore.

Sunday is a freebie, as we will be free to spend the day at the beach and/or hiking.  After lunch we will head back to the ferry landing, to ensure our spot on the return trip.

We will meet at the Tropic Star Cruises ferry at 8:30 a.m., to ensure that we are all on board the ferry for the 9:30 a.m. departure.  There are different ways to get there, and the Tropic Star website gives you a fairly concise one.  Here is a summary of those directions:  From I-75, take exit 143 (in Ft. Myers/Cape Coral) and follow FL Rt. 78 (Pine Island Road) 11.4 miles through Cape Coral to Matlacha.  Continue west on Pine Island Road for another 5.5 miles (you will be crossing over bridges to get to Pine Island).  Once you get to Pine Island, turn right onto CR 767 (Stringfellow Road), and drive 6.2 north to Tortuga Street.  There should be a sign here for the Tropic Star ferry, directing you to turn right.  Turn right until it dead-ends at Jug Creek Marina, where the ferry offices are located.  We will meet by the ticket office, before boarding the ferry.