Did you know…? The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

CONTACTS:
Jackie MacKay, (407) 814-0014 or (407) 496-1770
Lee Rose, (239) 338-3500

LEE COUNTY, FL – It won't take travel agents long to figure out why The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is such an award-winning and well recognized destination. This tropical paradise in southwest Florida boasts some unique and fascinating history as well as eclectic charm that draws thousands of visitors to its shores each year.

Historical Trivia

Fort Myers' McGregor Boulevard is lined for 15 miles on both sides with statuesque Royal Palm trees, the first 200 of which were imported from Cuba and planted by Thomas Edison.

The first tourist to visit southwest Florida was Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who visited Pine Island in 1513 and was later mortally wounded in these same waters by a Calusa Indian arrow.

One of the southernmost land battles of the American Civil War was fought in Fort Myers on Feb. 20, 1865 over cattle, with both sides claiming victory. North Fort Myers celebrates this historic moment annually, with a battle re-enactment during its annual Cracker Festival.

Calusa Indian culture, carbon dated to 1150 B.C., had its cultural center in southwest Florida. Although the tribe is now extinct, ceremonial, burial and refuse shell mounds are found at Mound Key, Pine Island, Cabbage Key, Useppa Island and elsewhere in the vicinity.

The sport of tarpon fishing originated in southwest Florida's Pine Island Sound in the late 1880s, and Boca Grande Pass, the opening between Cayo Costa and Gasparilla Island, is considered the "Tarpon Fishing Capital of the World."

Thomas Edison, who spent many winters in Fort Myers, is considered the most inventive man who ever lived, holding 1,093 patents for everything from light bulbs, cement and phonographs to the natural rubber he made from goldenrod.

The Banyan tree at the Edison Winter Home, a gift from industrialist Harvey Firestone, is the largest specimen in the U.S. The tree's aerial roots now have a circumference of more than 400 feet!

Koreshan State Historic Site in Bonita Springs commemorates an eccentric religious sect, which believed the world to be a hollow globe, with mankind residing on the inner surface, gazing into the universe below.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the wife of America's famous aviator, wrote her best-selling book, "A Gift From The Sea," without ever identifying the location as Captiva Island.

Legend has it that Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar made his home in Pine Island Sound, reportedly establishing headquarters on Sanibel Island, holding his female prisoners captive on Captiva Island, burying his booty on Gasparilla Island, and imprisoning his beloved Mexican Princess Joseffa on Useppa Island. Rather than be taken prisoner by the U.S. Navy, the scoundrel drowned himself in anchor chains in 1821, the same year Spain sold Florida to the U.S. government for $13 million.

J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, occupying more than half of Sanibel Island, was named for Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jay Norwood Darling, who was also the first environmentalist to hold a presidential cabinet post (in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration).

Fort Myers' McCollum Hall, built in 1938, was a renowned "dance hall" that featured nationally famous African-American performers like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and B.B. King.

Some of the original settlers to the Lee County area were flower growers from the Benelux region of Europe. At one time their horticultural efforts made Fort Myers the "Gladiolus Capital of the World."

General Trivia

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is one of the few places in the world where a person can make a living as a shelling charter captain. Among the rare shells collected here are the brown speckled junonia, sculpted lion's paw, coveted golden olive, golden tulip and Scotch bonnet. Lee County has banned live shelling and encourages shell seekers to pick up treasures that have washed up on shore.

The Sanibel Shell Fair is in its 69th year (in 2006).

Cape Coral has more canals than the Italian city of Venice.

Cayo Pelau is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Jose Gaspar's pirates who, legend has it, buried their personal wealth here and linger to prevent treasure hunters from disturbing their plunder.

You can boat straight across the state of Florida from Fort Myers/Sanibel to Palm Beach via the Caloosahatchee River and Okeechobee Waterway, both part of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The walls of Cabbage Key's historic inn are papered in more than $30,000 autographed dollar bills. The inn, built by playwright Mary Roberts Rinehart and her son in 1938, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to guests and boaters at mile marker 60 on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Awards & Recognition

Captiva Island has been ranked one of the country's "most romantic beaches" for two consecutive years by Stephen Leatherman, Ph.D., recognized as the nation's foremost beach authority.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine's 2005 Readers' Choice Awards have acknowledged Sanibel and Captiva islands for the second year as among "destinations approaching perfection." They earned spots on the "Top Ten North America Islands" list - Sanibel Island ranked fourth, while Captiva Island ranked sixth.

The Travel Channel selected two Lee County beaches to its list of "Florida's Top Ten Beaches" - Sanibel chosen as "best shelling beach" and the beach at Lovers Key State Park was named as "most romantic beach."

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel (identified as the Fort Myers area) is ranked in the "Top 10 Hottest Winter Destinations" in the country by the American Society of Travel Agents/Fodor's, USA Today and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is widely recognized and consistently ranked as one of the nation's top destinations for beach combing, shelling, kayaking and bird watching.

Lee County area beaches are ranked some of the best in the nation for shelling, with more varieties found here than anywhere else in North America. The shelling posture is so common, it's given a name – the Sanibel Stoop and the Captiva Crouch!

With 50 miles of white sand beaches and world-class shelling, the Fort Myers/Sanibel area has earned the ranking of "Number one beach in the southeast U.S." by readers of Family Fun Magazine.

Travel agents in need of more information about The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel for their clients can visit www.FortMyersSanibel.com. The Web site includes a Travel Agent Help Desk for customized assistance with agents' travel planning needs.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel include: Sanibel & Captiva islands, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres. Digital images are available upon request.