Barefoot Beach

The Barefoot Beach gated community is between Bonita Beach Road to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Barefoot Beach Preserve to the south and Little Hickory Bay to the east.

Nestled between the crushed-shell beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and a 342-acre state preserve that posts daily sightings of its more popular residents gopher tortoises, bottle-nosed dolphins, even endangered sea turtles, Barefoot Beach offers beach and bayfront high-rises, villas and cottages, and enormous Mediterranean and Florida-style homes.

Common areas with community swimming pools and gardens, a private clubhouse, tennis courts, community boat docks and private walkways to the beach are among the perks of owning a home in the Gardens, a tradeoff for sharing the Barefoot Beach 2.2 miles of public beachfront with tourists and visitors.

The gated communities of Southport on the Bay, with 106 lots, and Bayfront Gardens, with 35 homes, lie farther south along Barefoot Beach Boulevard on peninsulas jutting into Little Hickory Bay. Both offer direct Gulf access.

The Cottages at Barefoot, at the southern residential tip of Barefoot Beach, are actually 15 single-family homes with zero-lot lines, no shared walls but the benefits of a condominium arrangement. The 55 villa units at the Villas at Barefoot Beach, really a series of three-story townhomes, offer 2,500 to 3,200 square-foot homes for $1 to $2 million. Those who fancy mid-rise dwelling generally find a choice of resales at The Barefoot Beach Club, 12 seven-story condos offering 348 units from 1,600 to 2,400 square feet.

Communities near Barefoot Beach: Bonita Beach, Audubon Country Club and Bonita Shores.