Bunche Beach derives its name from Dr. Ralph Bunche, the first African American Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1950 who mediated the United Nations accord between Palestinians and Israelis at Israel's founding, with Lee County establishing the beach in 1949 as a half-acre water recreation area for African-American residents during Southwest Florida's deep segregation. This Lee County preserve evolved from the only beach where black residents could enjoy sand in 1949 through over 3,000 people attending the dedication ceremony with participants from Tampa celebrating with barbecue and festivities, expanding to 718 acres by 2002 from the original 0.25-acre segregated beach, serving Fort Myers' civil rights heritage as a designated Great Florida Birding Trail site between Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island on San Carlos Bay.
The beach offers kayaking through mangrove tunnels on the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail exploring 190 miles of waterways, with Kayak Excursions providing on-site rentals and guided tours through Rock Creek's meandering preserve passages. Birding opportunities include spotting magnificent frigatebirds, ospreys, yellow-crowned night herons, kingfishers in mangroves, reddish egrets, terns, skimmers on sandbars, and winter white pelicans throughout diverse habitats ranging from sandy beaches to mangrove forests. Shelling reveals live shells, sea stars and critters along the shoreline, while fishing piers, picnic areas, boardwalk, and restrooms accommodate visitors with hourly parking, complemented by the preserve's wildlife viewing haven spanning 718 acres of protected coastal ecosystem.
Nearby dining includes Flippers On The Bay at Lovers Key Resort for waterfront breakfast, lunch and dinner overlooking Estero Bay waters named best waterfront restaurant, Matanzas on the Bay for iconic waterfront dining with live music 7 days weekly accessible by land and boat, and Dixie Fish Company in Fort Myers Beach heart for authentic Gulf taste, serving Lee County's Fort Myers Beach community along this historic preserve honoring Dr. Ralph Bunche's legacy and Southwest Florida's civil rights journey from segregation to conservation.
