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Fort Myers Beach is where you’ll go in the Fort Myers area to satisfy your sun and sand needs. Beside the beautiful beach, it offers family fun, beachside restaurants and watering holes, shopping for sundresses and souvenirs, boating and fishing all make this one of Southwest Florida’s most popular destinations.
Located on Estero Island and long recognized as one of the "world's safest beaches", Fort Myers Beach is only seven miles long and you can virtually walk its entire length, from the fishing pier to the bridge that connects it to Lovers Key.
The heart of Fort Myers Beach is Times Square, near the northern tip of the island. Here is where you will find shops, restaurants, nightlife, beachside bars and is the place you will want to sit and enjoy just watching the tourists go by. Lynn Hall Memorial Park is at the public beach and it provides bathhouses and parking for beachgoers and people fishing from the 600 foot fishing pier. (The pier is where you will want to go to watch sunset daily where frequent, impromptu celebrations are likely to take place.) There is also a children’s play area. Balls bounce around the basketball, tennis and volleyball courts at nearby Bay Oaks Recreation Center.
Throughout the year, Fort Myers Beach hosts festivals and entertainment all up and down the beach such as the annual American Sandsculpting Contest and Festival, Pirate Festival, Shrimp Festival, Offshore Grand Prix Boat Races, and an annual Holiday Boat Parade, to name but a few.
Fort Myers Beach is home to a fascinating variety of landscapes and an abundance of wildlife. Try the many back bays, estuaries and lush mangrove forests for great kayaking and spectacular views of dolphin, manatee and birds.
Trams ferry visitors over Oyster Bay to Lover's Key Barrier Island. Visitors can rent kayaks and canoes and take boat tours of the area. Picnic areas and barbecue grills are conveniently located along the Lover's Key beaches. Lover's Key State Recreation Area shelling rivals the neighboring island of Sanibel. You will find approximately 400 species of multi-colored seashells from the commonplace scallop to the very rare brown speckled junonia. The natural environment of the 16- acre Bowditch Point Park at the tip of Estero Island nourishes nature walkers and picnickers. The Matanzas Pass Wildlife Preserve, featuring an historical restored cottage, nurtures 42 acres of wilderness and provides sanctuary for native plants and animals. Boardwalks and bridges over trails allow visitors access to a pavilion along Estero Back Bay where birds such as ospreys and pelicans fish. People in fishing boats also cast their line in search of supper.
There are also plenty of parks, recreation areas and marinas where you'll find boating and fishing opportunities. Southwest Florida is home to some of the best fishing in the state. The natural environment of the Florida Gulf and fish rich areas such as Pine Island Sound rank with the best. The artificial reefs and natural ledges in the Gulf of Mexico provide homes to the big snook, redfish, trout and tarpon that fishermen are hoping to find. Both inshore and offshore guides are available.
Round out your vacation with an easy day trip to the Sarasota area to the north or the Naples area to the south.
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