Last Updated on March 29, 2024
Southwest Florida is a great destination for shelling or beachcombing, which is an activity that consists of collecting seashells from beaches.
The shallower, gentler waters of the Gulf of Mexico enabled more seashells to make it onto the beach intact.
Southwest Florida’s Best Shell Destinations
Because of this, some of the Southwest Florida destinations listed below are amongst the best places in the entire state for shell collection.
One destination is even known as the Shelling Capital of the World, thanks in part to its distinctive island landscape.
If you are new to shelling and beachcombing, we have a handy starter guide for you! Check out A Beginner’s Guide to Identifying Florida’s Most Common Seashells.
It includes information about some of Florida’s most easy-to-find seashells and answers to some common beachcombing questions.
Table of Contents
Join us on a road trip to some of Southwest Florida’s best shell destinations. We’re also including a unique attraction, a museum, and beautiful beaches.
Don’t forget to pack a small basket to collect your treasures in!
Shell Factory and Nature Park – North Fort Myers
Shell Factory and Nature Park is located in North Fort Myers. It is a humongous family-friendly place with tons to do.
There is mini-golf, zip-lining, and more in the Fun Park. The Nature Park and Botanical Gardens host a variety of wildlife, like tortoises, iguanas, and birds.
The Shell Factory also has restaurants on-site and a lot of shopping options.
This includes the Christmas House, which provides Christmas magic all year long as Southwest Florida’s largest collection of Christmas gifts, trees, and ornaments.
Plus, it’s home to the beloved Merry-Go-Round that graced St. Augustine for years.
Of course, when it comes to shells, the Shell Factory is anything but lacking. They have the world’s largest collection of seashells and shell specimens.
You can shop for incredible shell-embellished gifts and souvenirs here, like shell jewelry boxes, photo frames, jewelry, and more.
Shell Factory and Nature Park Address: 16554 North Cleveland Avenue (US 41), North Fort Myers, FL 33903
Sanibel Island and Captiva – Sanibel
Sanibel Island and Captiva are a couple of the best shelling destinations in Southwest Florida — in fact, it’s a top contender throughout Florida, the United States and even the world!
Sanibel Island is frequently recognized as the “Shelling Capital of the World.”
With all this recognition, you might be wondering: what makes this area such a shelling hotspot? It has a lot to do with the unique geography of the island.
It is curved in a way that allows its south shore to effectively act as a scoop for the arriving shells that come in from the shallow and gentle Gulf waters.
The area is so well-known for shelling and beachcombing that it has its own lingo!
The “Sanibel Stoop” and the “Captiva Crouch” are local terms created to describe the act of bending over and crouching to search for and gather seashells.
Explore these iconic islands’ beaches and parks. You are practically guaranteed to find some exceptional and gorgeous seashells to take home with you.
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum – Sanibel
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is also located in Sanibel. It is the only accredited museum in the country dedicated to shells and mollusks.
The museum is full of exhibits that include the history and science behind shells.
There is the Great Hall of Shells, which includes many local and international shells.
The collections also include rare shells, like the coveted Junonia, and record-breaking shells – with some of the largest record-holding shells in the world!
Learn about the fantastic mollusks that create these shells at the museum’s aquarium, which includes an oyster bed and touch pools where you can hold live mollusks.
The museum has many educational opportunities outside of its exhibits, like kid’s programs, lectures, after-hours events, and other fun activities.
The beach walks are led by a museum marine biologist who teaches about local marine life.
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum Address: 3075 Sanibel Captiva Rd., Sanibel, FL 33957
Caspersen Beach – Venice
On this road trip, you will undoubtedly collect a wonderful variety of seashells.
As you are combing the beaches, though, you may be interested in a few other items that wash ashore – like shark teeth!
In Search of Shark Teeth
The beaches of Venice, Florida, are known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World due to Florida’s prehistoric submerged location in the ocean.
During a shark’s lifetime, it will lose thousands of teeth. So, the prehistoric sharks that roamed this area have left behind millions of fossilized teeth.
They end up on the shore because of storm erosion and the changing of tides.
Caspersen Beach is the best beach in Venice when it comes to hunting down shark teeth.
In size, the shark teeth tend to range from a 1/8th of an inch to 3/4th of an inch, so keep your eyes peeled!
Darker teeth tend to be an indicator of longer fossilization. Other fossils are commonly found on this beach too.
If you are interested in collecting fossils outside of shark teeth, make sure to obtain a fossil-hunting permit before starting this adventure.
Caspersen is also one of the best area shelling beaches. Expect to collect quite a few treasures while you are in Venice!
Just remember it’s against the law to take any shells that house a living creature.
Caspersen Beach Address: 4100 Harbor Dr, Venice, FL 34285
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