Fort Myers Beach Quick Trips
"Rent a powerboat, seek out wildlife at a state park, go shopping at Times Square, or catch the sunset."
Rent a powerboat, seek out wildlife at a state park, go shopping at Times Square, catch the sunset at nearby Lovers Key – or just hit the beach.
Sneak Away: While everybody else is making the scene around Fort Myers Beach’s Times Square beaches and clubs, steal away to Bowditch Point Regional Park (239-765-6794), a north-end haven for bird watching and panoramic views of Estero Bay.
Look for Fins and Snouts: Each day brings new surprises when you set sail on a nature cruise. Some tours cast seine nets to introduce visitors to tiny creatures from the sea. Others go in search of dolphin, manatees and birds where they live.
Follow Ancient Trails: Paddle your way from one end of the county to the other along the Great Calusa Blueway (239-461-7400), a marked and GPS-plotted coastal waterway trail named for a native tribe that covers 190 miles.
Captain Your Own Destiny: Or at least your own salty, exciting day riding the waves: Rent a powerboat from one of the local marinas. Explore secluded beaches, visit uninhabited islands and cast for your fantasy fish.
Learn Seafood Ways: Fort Myers Beach’s reputation for shrimp is anything but shrimpy. On St. Carlos Island in Fort Myers Beach, follow the five-stop Working Waterfront Trail (239-765-8101) to learn about the town’s shrimping heritage and see the industry in action, from boat to box.
Hit the Jackpot: Take a cruise with Lady Luck and enjoy dining, gambling and live entertainment on the high seas aboard Big M Casino (239-765-7529) in Fort Myers Beach.
Keep the Kiddies Cool: With its two-story slide and Tad Pool, Fort Myers Beach Pool (239-463-5759) makes a splash with the water wings crowd.
Do the Pub Hop: Fort Myers Beach has a reputation for fun, and its pubs and clubs around the Times Square pedestrian area stay lively with bands, dancing and general good spirits.
Get in Touch with Sea Creatures: Ostego Bay Marine Science Center (239-765-8101) on Fort Myers Beach lets visitors in on its research in a showroom full of aquariums and touchable exhibits.
Play in the Sun: If you like action with your beach scene, at Lynn Hall Memorial Park (239-765-6794), Fort Myers Beach, you’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of pastimes for babies to baby-boomers. Shops, restaurants, pubs, a fishing pier, a playground and watersports are all within walking distance.
Soar Like a Pelican: The adventurous ride a parasail up to 1,200 feet to peer down on the Gulf and beach, aloft in a dimension that can’t be described, only experienced. Fort Myers Beach is popular among parasailing operators.
Catch the Big Ones: Fort Myers Beach is known for its big-catch fishing excursions, and you’re invited along. Full-facility boats set sail daily (weather permitting) for half- and full-day excursions into deep waters where monster fish await your hook.
Fish with the Pelicans: Fort Myers Beach Pier, one of the oldest landmarks along the beach, is the place where lovers, strollers, pelicans and – of course – fishermen, gather.
Learn the Mystery of the Mangroves: On Fort Myers Beach, Matanzas Pass Preserve’s (239-765-4222) tucked-away spot gives pause to reflect in the ambiance of mangroves and maritime oak hammocks along a 1.25-mile loop boardwalk trail.
Peel a Shrimp: Ask any shrimp connoisseur – pink shrimp is absolutely the sweetest and tastiest. That’s what the shrimp fleet of Fort Myers Beach pulls from local waters year ’round, serving it up fresh in island restaurants and celebrating it at an annual shrimp festival.
Get in the Pink: Emerge a new person, relaxed and buffed from head to toe, when you visit the spacious Aquagene Spa at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa (239-463-6181, 888-847-8939), Fort Myers Beach.