the beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
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Wander onto a beach party or have a drink dockside, listening to the water lap at your feet.
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Nightlife on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

Whether you feel like dancing on the beach, playing pool, having a beer beside your dog or relaxing with a glass of wine and people-watching on an outside patio, The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel promises a nightspot to suit your individual style.
By Heather Boynton

Sky Bar
Sky Bar
There’s a warm breeze blowing off the Gulf and rustling the palms. On The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, some of the best nightspots are outside, under the stars. Stroll the streets of historic downtown Fort Myers, wander onto a beach party or have a drink dockside, listening to the water lap at your feet. Sweaters and watches not required.

Ridin’ and Jivin’ on a Blue Note

In the heart of historic Fort Myers is the rooftop Sky Bar. Gaze out at the river from this fourth-floor Bay Street perch and then go join the local crowd on the dance floor. Two floors down, the newly renovated Brick Bar oozes blues and ambiance, serving up live music along with spirits, appetizers, coffee and sandwiches, while the nearby Indigo Room brings in local and nationally recognized talent, mostly alternative rock. South on U.S. 41, the cavernous Ricochet draws a large and diverse crowd and embraces a variety of music from country to hip hop to rock.

At Ellington’s Jazz Bar & Restaurant, you might forget you’re on Sanibel Island and wonder how you ended up in New York or Chicago instead. Jacaranda Patio Lounge, on the other hand, celebrates island life by offering up some mix of reggae, Dixie, jazz and blues every night of the week. If tiki torches are more your style, head out to Fort Myers Beach and the Junkanoo Beach Bar and Dance Club, famous for its reggae beach parties and young, hip crowd. Farther down the beach, Casey’s Alley packs them in for nightly blues performances and is also a laundromat. How cool is that?
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Beach Bars

Outrigger Tiki Bar
Outrigger Tiki Bar
Also out on Fort Myers Beach are literally miles of low-key watering holes. Times Square, the pedestrian-only district at the north end of the island, is jammed with shops, restaurants and bars. Look for the pet-friendly Pete's Time Out if you’re with Scruffy… or just pet someone else’s dog. Dusseldorf's at the Beach is actually across the street from the beach, but has the same fun, relaxed atmosphere and more than 134 international beers to choose from. Score some oysters during happy hour at the outdoor Smokin’ Oyster Brewery, and then hit the Beached Whale for a rooftop view of Times Square and the Gulf. For those planning to make a night of it, Molly the Trolley will take you up and down Estero Boulevard, which runs the length of the island, for 25 cents a ride.

On the Waterfront

In Matlacha, just over the bridge to Pine Island, the funky Bert’s Bar & Grill overlooks the red mangrove-lined Matlacha Pass and serves up good food, a hard-drinking, colorful crowd and “local boys playing the best of classic blues" Wednesday through Sunday nights. Farther south, under the bridge to Fort Myers Beach, the The Bridge Waterfront Restaurant is home to a year-round reggae dock party that starts early on Sunday afternoons and goes until late in the evening. A few docks down at Salty Sam’s Marina, get a paper umbrella in your drink at the Parrot Key Caribbean Grill. You can also dine and drink dockside at Gramma Dot’s at the Sanibel Marina, or catch a boat ride (try Island Girl Charters, $25 roundtrip) out to the Cabbage Key Inn, where Jimmy Buffet reportedly penned "Cheeseburger in Paradise".

Downtown Cool

Warm, gentle breezes and a laid-back atmosphere don’t mean you have to give up the finer things in life. At the Cigar Bar in historic downtown Fort Myers, try a Dirty Tommy or a Dean Martini, or choose from more than 100 different types of cigar. South of downtown on McGregor Boulevard, the sleek BluSushi has a martini bar as well as a sushi chef. On Sanibel, cocktails are a must in the sultry lounge at Dolce Vita.

Local Favorites

At Captiva’s Mucky Duck you can drink a round, play some darts, and just kick back in this English-pub favorite, or head to the nearby Crow’s Nest for Monday night crab races and low-key live music. On Sanibel, neighborhood spots include Doc Ford’s “rum bar" (named for the character in local Randy Wayne White’s best-selling books), the Lazy Flamingo and the Sanibel Grill.

If you go...

The Beached Whale, 239-463-5505, www.thebeachedwhale.com

Bert’s Bar & Grill, 239-282-3232, www.bertsbar.us

BluSushi, 239-489-1500, www.blusushi.com

Brick Bar, 239-332-7425

Bridge Waterfront Restaurant, 239-765-0050, thebridgerestaurant.com

Cabbage Key Inn, 239-283-2278, www.cabbage-key.com

Casey’s Alley, 239-463-0818, caseys-alley.com

The Cigar Bar, 239-337-4662, www.modernsurf.com/cigarbar

The Crow’s Nest, 239-472-5161, exts. 422 and 423

Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille, 239-472-8311, www.docfordssanibel.com

Dolce Vita, 239-472-5555, www.dolcevitaofsanibel.com

Dusseldorf's at the Beach, 239-463-5251, www.dusseldorfs.com

Ellington’s Jazz Bar & Restaurant, 239-472-0494, www.ellingtonsjazz.com

Gramma Dot’s, 239-472-8138

Indigo Room, 239-332-0014

Jacaranda Patio Lounge, 239-472-1771

Junkanoo Beach Bar and Dance Club, 239-463-2600

Lazy Flamingo, 239-472-5353, www.lazyflamingo.com

The Mucky Duck, 239-472-3434, www.muckyduck.com

Parrot Key Caribbean Grill at Salty Sam’s Marina, 239-463-3257, www.myparrotkey.com

Pete's Time Out, 239-463-5900

Ricochet, 239-277-5700

Sanibel Grill, 239-472-HIKE, www.prawnbroker.com

Sky Bar, 239-332-7425

Smokin’ Oyster Brewery, 239-463-3474

Last modified on Feb 22, 2008

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