Fort Myers Beach

It's hard to imagine Fort Myers Beach as a remote stretch of green edged with white, soft sand and accessible only by boat. However, that's just what it was until the first "Little Bridge" was constructed to bring tourists and locals alike to the seven-mile Estero Island through Bunche Beach on the mainland. By the late 1920s, a new bridge (actually a second-hand one from the East coast of Florida) was installed near the current San Carlos Bridge.

Little by little, Estero Island's attractive features, including miles and miles of white, sandy beaches, have captured the imaginations of visitors from near and far. This beach community draws thousands of visitors from Germany, France and the United Kingdom each year.

Boating, sailing, fishing and spectacular Lovers Key State Park make this island a real recreational playground. Add to that a great number of family-friendly resorts, quaint cottages, Old Florida charm, restaurants serving fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and an annual Shrimp Festival, and it's a beach vacation paradise.