The natural preserve of St. Andrews State Park, located in Panama City Beach Florida, includes a part of Shell Island (a barrier island measuring 7 miles). This stretch of undeveloped beach, coast scrubland and pine hammocks seperates St. Andrew Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. Shell Island is a refuge for wildlife, marine mammals, and beach lovers seeking a day away from the condominiums or resorts along the shore to the north.
Begin and end your Shell Key adventure at historic Fort De Soto, a military outpost constructed during the Spanish American War, listed in the “National Register of Historic Places”, and Pinellas County’s largest park. Fort De Soto Park includes 1,136 acres of five interconnected islands.. Explore the fort that is still equipped with 12-inch rifled mortars and two British breech-loading 6-inch Armstrong rapid-fire guns. Fort De Soto has been rated the number one beach in the entire United States.
Shell Island is a nature preserve without any restrooms or other visitor facilities, such as trash bins, picnic tables or shade pavilions. There is no trash collection service. Island visitors are expected to take all their trash with them when they leave the Island.
Shell Island cannot be reached by water. Visitors must travel by boat to reach it. Shell Island Ferry serves as the official Island Ferry. This ferry has been serving guests to and from Shell Island for many year.
There is no limit to how long you can stay on the island, but at the end each day you must take the last ferry off. You should always check the Ferry schedule when you purchase your Ferry ticket.
Not available at this time. You are welcome to bring your own. We offer beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. You can also buy sun block and other accessories along with drinks and snacks at the store where you purchase Ferry tickets.
Shell Key offers an overnight camping experience for campers! You will need a ferry ticket to "camper" Shell Key and a permit from Shell Key for camping. All you have to do is pack your tent and gear for an amazing night under the stars. This is an incredible opportunity to camp out on a remote island.
Sand dollars, moon snails, conch shells, pin shells, periwinkles, whelk and olive shells are just a few of the indigenous seashells found here. And, as long as there are no creatures living in them, there is no limit to how many of these one-of-a-kind souvenirs you can take home with you
Go Where the Dolphins are
Shell Island is 7 miles of incredible beach bliss located across the water from Saint Andrew's Park. This natural wonder is one of your best bets for finding and swimming with dolphins in Panama City Beach.
There is no limit to the activities you can experience at or on Shell Island! You can swim, snorkel, paddleboard, go kayaking, sunbathe, hunt seashells, go hiking, have a picnic, and more!
When you visit Shell Key, you are essentially in the wilderness. There are no toilets – there is no running water – no trash cans or any other modern conveniences. It is up to you to bring everything you need to survive – and, more importantly – to leave nothing behind except footprints