Matanzas Pass

I was unable to attend the Matanzas Pass field trip due to being put on bed rest by the doctor. I loved visiting Fort Myers and Bonita beach as a teenager and now with my husband and children.

Matanzas Pass Preserve is located on the seven-mile long barrier island on Fort Myers Beach, FL. It is a 60 acre preserve. It's one of the few undeveloped, protected areas on the island. It allows visitors a way to view the real Estero Island before it became the popular beach resort we know it as now. There are three natural plant communities in the preserve which are the mangrove swamp, maritime hammock and coastal grassland. A boardwalk and trail system connects all of these plant communities. When you walk it, it offers an opportunity to view the communities. The Matanazas Pass Preserve also offers many educational opportunities including guided walks, tours led by an ethnobotanist, volunteer training, and stress detox tours.