Travel in the City of Fort Myers and its Surroundings in Western Florida
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
General
The city of Fort Myers is known for its recommended beaches, shopping, fishing, and many other leisure activities in and around it.
It is also famous for being the winter estate of the inventor Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford company, which can and should be visited.
There are beautiful nature reserves and parks in the city and its surroundings, as well as charming towns and islands nearby.
How to get there?
The main airport of Fort Myers (Airport code: RSW) is located about 25 km southeast of Fort Myers.
It is recommended to combine a trip to Western Florida with a trip to Orlando and/or Miami, and for nature and landscape enthusiasts, also with a visit to Key West and the road to it. Of course, it is perfect to end a visit to Florida with a cruise to the Caribbean departing mainly from the ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, but also from Port Canaveral (near Orlando) and Tampa (the only cruise port in Western Florida).
♦ Recommended Hotels in Fort Myers
♦ Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel
A 3-star suite hotel very suitable for families, including breakfast, equipped kitchen, outdoor pool, jacuzzi, and gym. Free internet and parking.
Located a short drive from the beaches and Sanibel Island.
♦ Home2 Suites by Hilton Fort Myers Colonial Blvd
A 3-star hotel with family rooms. Buffet breakfast included. Outdoor pool and gym. Free internet and parking.
♦ Luminary Hotel & Co., Autograph Collection
A 4-star hotel with an outdoor pool, gym and bar, parking, and free internet.
♦ The Hibiscus House Bed & Breakfast
B&B hotel offering a full English/Irish or American breakfast. Centrally located near the Edison and Ford estates, park, and history museum. Free Wi-Fi and parking.
♦ A variety of recommended villas with pools in Fort Myers
Weather and When to Visit:
The weather in Southwest Florida is tropical: long hot summers, and short, pleasant, dry winters. The wet season in the area is from May to October (with most rain falling from June to September) and the dry season is from November to April. Hurricane season is from June to early November.
In summer, the average temperature is 33-34 degrees Celsius during the day and 22-23 at night. In winter, the average daytime temperature is 22-23 degrees Celsius and 11-12 at night, with January being the coldest month. Spring and autumn are short and pleasant transition seasons. Naples and its surroundings have more than 300 sunny days (rain usually falls in the afternoon).
It is recommended to visit the area from mid-November to the end of April.
The main attractions in Fort Myers and its surroundings:
Recommended guided boat tours in the Fort Myers area from Viator:
Book attractions in Fort Myers from GetYourGuide.com:
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
The number one tourist site in Fort Myers is the winter estate of Edison and Ford Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The impressive site, spanning about 80 dunams, is located adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River. It was opened to the public in 1947 and declared a "National Historic Site." It includes the vacation homes of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, Edison's botanical research laboratories, a museum with many exhibits on the two men's inventions and life milestones, and charming gardens with 1,700 plants from 400 species from all six continents.
A tour of the site includes visiting the buildings, the laboratory, and the gardens.
Did you know? Thomas Edison and his wife Mina donated the first royal palm planted in the city. Since then, over 2,000 palms have been planted in the city, many of them rising to a height of over 20 meters. This is why Fort Myers is known as the "City of Palms".
Shrimp Festival
The most popular festival in Fort Myers is the Shrimp Festival The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival held annually in March, attracting about 20,000 people who devour 48,000 shrimps. The festival includes a parade, competitions, and various displays.
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Nature enthusiasts are recommended to visit the nature reserve: Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, a reserve spanning an area of over 14,000 dunams of wetland with plenty of walking trails, many of which have elevated platforms over the water or swamps. The reserve features abundant wildlife, including otters, alligators, turtles, seabirds, and butterflies.
Manatee Park
One of the most fascinating marine animals in Florida is the "Manatee," a giant endangered sea creature from the elephant family that is about 3 meters long and can weigh over 1,500 kg. The manatee is a vegetarian animal that feeds daily on 40-250 kg of seagrass and other aquatic plants. The optimal months for viewing manatees are in the winter months, from mid-December to late February, when the water temperature in the Gulf of Florida is below 20 degrees Celsius. Throughout Western Florida, there are plenty of sites where you can observe this giant and gentle creature.
A great place to see manatees is at Manatee Park Manatee Park in Fort Myers. Manatees come here because the water is warmer, as it is discharged from the cooling system of a nearby power plant. Nearby, there are also butterfly gardens as well as kayak and canoe rentals.
Beaches and Parks
For lovers of hidden beaches and active water sports and recreation, it is highly recommended to visit the state park located in the sea on a series of small islands connected by bridges to the mainland Lovers Key State Park. The park earned this name in the early 20th century when it was accessible only by boat.
Loving couples looking for privacy sailed there to be alone. Today, there is a permanent canopy in the park on the seashore where about 200 couples get married every year. An ideal place for swimming, kayaking, cycling, fishing, shell hunting, picnicking, and tranquility.
The city has an expansive park called Lakes Regional Park featuring artificial lakes, walking and biking trails, boats for rent, playgrounds, and climbing walls.
The park also houses the Railroad Museum of South Florida Railroad Museum of South Florida with plenty of steam train models as well as a miniature train that travels in the park for about fifteen minutes between trees, lakes, and small villages.
Of course, Fort Myers also has a wealth of recommended beaches. Especially popular is Bunche Beach, particularly favored by kayakers and birdwatchers.
It's nice to visit Cape Coral Cape Coral, a charming and upscale town southwest of Fort Myers where all neighborhoods are built on water canals. Every villa has a dock and a boat. The town has 60 km of canals and waterways; it is abundant in golf courses, tennis, and sports parks, and is known for its wide range of water sports options.
Did you know? Fort Myers is considered the sunniest city in all of Florida. More than Miami and Key West. It has more hours of sunshine than any other city in Florida.
Shopping in Fort Myers and its surroundings
Shopping enthusiasts will be happy to visit one of the two factory outlet centers in the area:
Miromar Outlets – the largest outlet in the area with about 140 brand and designer stores, including: Ralph Lauren, Bass, Tommy Hilfiger, Skechers, Nike. Voted the best shopping center in Southwest Florida. The site also features restaurants, fast food, and cafes. Located about twenty kilometers south of Fort Myers.
Sanibel Outlets – an outlet with 40 popular brand stores including: Under Armour, Coach, Guess, Nike, Banana Republic, Crocs, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph, Gap, Gymboree, Carter’s.
Or at the Fort Myers flea market Fleamasters Fleamarket with 900 stalls. The market is open only from Friday to Sunday.
Matlacha Islands
About a 25-minute drive west from the center of Fort Myers (25 km) are the Matlacha Islands, connected by bridges to the mainland, similar to Key West but this area is shorter and less commercialized. Further west from them is the large Pine Island, which progress and development have not quite reached, and it's said to be reminiscent of old Florida.
The popular island among the Matlacha islands is called Matlacha. It is an artists' and fishermen's island entirely composed of water canals. Almost every house there sits on a canal and has a private boat.
The residents are welcoming. They greet everyone passing by. Everyone is calm and peaceful. A perfect destination for kayaking, renting a boat and sailing in the calm waters between villas and mangroves, or going on a cruise for dolphin watching, manatees, or sunset. All yards are well-kept and full of artworks and crafts. On the main street, there are various galleries and art shops alongside waterfront restaurants, ice cream parlors, and cafes. A perfect place for a day trip in Western Florida far from the typical tourist track.
Sanibel Island and Captiva
A visit to Sanibel Island, located about half an hour's drive (30 km) southwest of Fort Myers, should not be missed. This island is the first in a long chain of elongated islands.
It is connected by a bridge to the mainland, and another bridge connects it to the second island, Captiva. On one side of the island are beautiful sandy beaches and on the other side are calm waters, docks, and vegetation.
These islands are known for their wonderful beaches loaded with shells (250 different types of shells!) and a variety of seabirds (about 230 different species). More than half of the islands' area is a nature reserve.
It is recommended to visit the nature reserve J.N. (Ding) Darling National Wildlife Refuge featuring a visitor center, walking trails, cycling (35 kilometers of shaded bike trails without car traffic), tram tours, and boating, all among a wealth of seabirds and mangroves. Sanibel Island also has a shell museum called: Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum where, in addition to local shell collections alongside collections from all over the world, there are also "touch pools" featuring a variety of shells, mollusks, and even giant octopuses.
