Most activities in Fort Myers revolve around its seven miles of unspoiled sugar-sand beaches or the waters that lap at its shores. Powerboaters and fishermen chart private courses through the Gulf of Mexico; canoers and kayakers take advantage of the shallow waters and lack of undertow, keeping to Estero Bay's too-many-to-count islets, keys and coves. If you're useless without a GPS navigation system, follow the 190-mile Great Calusa Blueway, a paddling trail through some of the most exotic mangrove forests, secluded beaches, and habitats for manatees, ospreys and dolphins. Wherever land meets water, you'll find a marina where somebody will rent you a motorboat or take you on a party fishing boat for fresh snapper and grouper.

For a closer view of marine life, grab a snorkel or some scuba gear and take a trip through the Big Carlos Triangle, where you'll find schools of barracuda, snook, sea urchins and starfish amid the shipwrecks and man-made reefs. These waters are known as the jewfish capital of the world, and dive-boat operators like Seahorse Scuba (239-872-6295; www.seahorsescubaftmyers.com) practically guarantee sightings of these massive groupers, which can grow up to 800 pounds.

You can rent all kinds of beach toys—Jet Skis, sailboats and the like—around Times Square and at Junkanoo on the Beach (3040 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, 239-463-6130; www. junkanoo-anthonys.com). Or, to get away from all the water-bound activity, try Lovers Key State Park (8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, 239-463-4588; www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey), where the primary activities are birdwatching and hunting for the perfect seashell by the seashore. For more landlubbing activity, visit the beach in November, when the American Sandsculpting Championship Festival (www.sandfestival.com) comes to town. You won't see puny castles in the sand there; competitors painstakingly craft ginormous mythical sea gods and goddess, fire-breathing dragons, you name it.

Fort Myers is also a duffer's delight, home to hundreds of golf courses. None is more appealing than Eastwood (4600 Bruce Herd Lane, Fort Myers, 239-275-4848; www.cityftmyers.com), a public course with reasonable greens fees. The Edison Beach House maintains an excellent list of all the courses in the area on its website (www.edisonbeachhouse.com/golf.shtml). That way you can get your fill of the greens before hitting the ocean blue.

Yet another option is to head over to Sanibel's shores for a day at the beach. Sanibel is known for it's amazing shells. In fact, many collectors say it's the best place in the world to search for shells. No doubt you'll have a shell of a good time looking for the prettiest little mollusks here.

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