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Uninterrupted sandy beaches, a subtropical climate and warm Gulf waters create a fantasy island vacation.
Explore Beaches and Waterways
Natural sand beaches and warm waters provide the perfect backdrop for relaxing, reading, shelling and, for the adventurous, boating, sailing and windsurfing. Explore the suggestions below, and discover your favorite beachside pastime.
Natural sand beaches and warm waters provide the perfect backdrop for relaxing, reading, shelling and, for the adventurous, boating, sailing and windsurfing. Explore the suggestions below, and discover your favorite beachside pastime.
Few destinations
  Shelling is popular on area beaches |
Families will find soft, white sand great for kids, and a few beaches with excellent playgrounds nearby. Couples can experience solitude and exceptional sunsets. And active types can enjoy volleyball, picnicking, shelling, cycling and skimboarding.
 Offshore Sailing School |
Explore the Waterways
To really get to know the area’s waterways, take a cruise with a charter boat captain, hop on a water taxi, rent a boat or head for one of the scheduled services (the least expensive option) to the outer, bridgeless islands. Visitors of all budgets can (and should make it a priority to) discover this outstanding aspect of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel – the pristine beauty of barrier islands where secluded accommodations range from four-star chic to rustic camping cabins.
Daytrippers can collect shells, visit a museum or historic site, or have a “Cheeseburger in Paradise" (or an excellent grouper sandwich) at the Cabbage Key Inn on Cabbage Key (to avoid the crowds, arrive well before or after the large excursion boats). Shelling charters (from boats for four to six passengers up to vessels that carry 30-plus passengers) take trips to North Captiva and Cayo Costa, where very low populations of people mean an abundance of shells. Along the way, hear tales of the area’s cultural and natural history, and engage in dialogues peppered with local color by seasoned guides.
County and city boat ramps are dotted throughout The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, as are marinas, which range from full-service with overnight dockage to bait shops and fuel stops. The young and the young at heart will want to get out on their own in a personal watercraft; there are a couple of outfitters on Fort Myers Beach.
Nature cruises, usually narrated by naturalist types or captains who’ve been plying the waters for years, put wild flora and fauna within easy reach for seniors and families with very young children.
Set Sail
Prefer the sound of the wind in your sails? Sailors will find a warm welcome in Lee County, where anywhere is good, but the top places to sail include the north end of Captiva Island and along Fort Myers Beach. And sailors of all abilities (even novices) can learn to sail at world-renowned Steve and Doris Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School, based at South Seas Island Resort. Windsurfers and kiteboarders find the wind/wave action along the Sanibel Causeway Beaches the perfect combination, and the shallow water makes the area ideal for learning these sports where the dance between rider and wind is never choreographed.
Sort Through Shells
One of the most popular beachside activities on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is the collection of seashells, or shelling, as it’s more commonly known. Aficionados come from all over the world to comb the beaches for their favorites, and it’s not hard to see how this passion can turn into an obsession. There are shells everywhere on area beaches – just step out on the sands – but Sanibel and Captiva islands get the lion’s share. Take the Sanibel Causeway ($6) to access both islands’ beaches.
Geography here plays a key role, as shells from the Caribbean roll up the mildly sloping undersea shelf, and gentle wave action keeps shells intact. Find the best shell specimens early in the morning, before the selection is picked over. Shellers share the beach with nature lovers, as beaches on these barrier islands are groomed only by nature, so wildlife feels right at home. Beaches here are made up of sand composed of billions and billions of crushed shells, which crunch underfoot.
Estero Island Beaches
Estero Island beaches are a study in contrasts: wide stretches of white, powder-soft sand and a gently sloping shoreline abut a 1940s beach town gone 21st Century. Brightly colored umbrellas propped in the sands here shelter moms and dads watching kids at play, and a lively scene visits the area by night. Times Square, a pedestrian shopping and dining area does double duty: by day a sandy lunch spot and by night a jumping-off point for an evening of festivities. Teens also enjoy the ample selection of surf and beach shops around Times Square.
Festivals abound here, and two notables are the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival at family-friendly Lynn Hall Memorial Park and the American Sandsculpting Championship Festival, which attracts competitors from all over the world - and spectators from near and far. Pop music emanates from the bars, restaurants and shops lining Fort Myers Beach, but public beach accesses, marked by colored banners extending south along Estero Boulevard, lead the way to more tranquil sands. Sand quality varies, but is generally white and powder soft.
Secluded Spots
Lovers Key State Park provides couples – and families – a true castaway experience. Ride the trolley or walk the boardwalks over tidal lagoons to a recently renourished, white sandy beach, complete with fledgling sea oats. Sand is soft and powdery.
Beaches further south in Bonita Beach include the county’s only dog beach and good shelling. The beach is a mix of sand made from crushed shells and swaths of shells.
Remote and sparsely populated, beaches on the bridgeless islands of North Captiva and Cayo Costa offer a secluded, yet wide-open-spaces beach experience. These beaches are made for shelling, swimming, fishing, walking and just plain relaxing. Sand is white, soft and squeaky underfoot.
Boca Grande is accessible by road (there’s a $4 toll for its causeway), but it’s also easy to get to by boat, especially from Pine Island. Gasparilla Island State Park has five beaches with access to the Gulf of Mexico. Sand quality varies, but is generally soft, white, mixed with crushed shells. Some shelling on southernmost beaches.
Cabbage Key Inn, 239-283-2278, www.cabbagekey.com
Gasparilla Island State Park, 941-964-0375, floridastateparks.org
Lynn Hall Memorial Park, 239-765-6794, www.leeparks.org/facility_info.cfm?Project_Num=0104
Lovers Key State Park, 239-463-4588, floridastateparks.org
South Seas Island Resort, 239-472-5111, 800-522-5552, www.southseas.com
Steve and Doris Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School, 239-454-1700, 800-221-4326, www.colgateschools.com
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