Fort Myers Overview
FORT MYERS
Video compliments of the Travel Channel
Overview
There's a reason why snowbirds and retirees flock to Florida. And Miami
isn't the only place they head to. Just check out sleepy Fort Myers (also
called the City of Palms) and its surrounding communities. While eager spring
breakers and swinging singles zigzag up and down the Sunshine State's eastern
seaboard and panhandle in search of the perfect tan and their next tropical
libation, the southwest coast gently reminds visitors and locals alike that
laconic charms still abound in hyper-developed Florida.
© VISIT FLORIDA
Southwest Florida International Airport is in Fort Myers, which means
it serves as the gateway city for the lower Gulf coast communities and
people are only too happy to bypass it and head straight to their condos
and second homes in tony Naples and nearby Bonita Springs. But Fort Myers
has its own allure, including waterfront high-rises and hotels, such as
the Mobil three-star Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa, as well as exclusive
mansions. This is, after all, the same town where Thomas Edison and Henry
Ford used to spend their winters, and both of their former residencies
have turned into primo tourist attractions. Also worth checking out are
the Southwest Florida Museum of History, Centennial Park, the downtown
Farmer's Market and the kid-friendly Imaginarium.
© VISIT FLORIDA
But nobody comes to Florida without seeking out sun, sand and surf, and
the city boasts plenty of maritime treasures, including the Yacht Basin,
which sits at the site of Fort Myers' historic downtown and is home
to plenty of outdoor dining, shopping, lodging and nightlife options.
From here it's just a short ride to the nearby islands of Pine, Captiva
and Sanibel, where searching for shells (you'll find the best ones here),
boating, golfing and snorkeling play second fiddle only to watching
fabulous sunsets. The latter is the best way to cap the day—and start
a hopping night. Bars like The Beached Whale dole out the Fort Myers
nightlife trifecta: live music, drinks and an amazing sunset view. Miami
this isn't, and if you tell that to a local, he's likely to nod his
head and say, "Thank heavens."
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Fort Myers Activities
As this Travel Channel clip reveals, Sanibel Island's beaches are so covered with shells that you'll regularly see people bending over in search of them -- a sight the locals have dubbed the "Sanibel Stoop." |
