The Florida of days long past, with unspoiled white sand beaches, exotic wildlife and lush subtropical foliage, still can be found on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida. Known as Florida’s tropical island getaway, this beautiful natural environment also offers an abundance of golf, tennis, water sports and some unusual attractions.
Sanibel is known worldwide for it’s shelling and the associated posture referred to as the “Sanibel Stoop." Some fanatics attach flashlights to their heads, in an effort to be first in the daily search for top picks of the more than 400 varieties of shells found littering the beaches, particularly after an especially high or low tide. For most visitors, however, shelling is merely a delightful excuse to enjoy hours of sun worshipping.
Sanibel’s main thoroughfare, Periwinkle Way, is Sunday-drive picturesque, lush with foliage and framed by a canopy of Australian pines. Interesting shops, restaurants, boutiques and art galleries dot the road from Sanibel Lighthouse to Tarpon Bay Road. On the way to Captiva Island, located toward Sanibel's northern tip, the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is home to many exotic species of birds and plants. A seven km drive with access to walking and canoe/kayak trails offers abundant opportunities for naturalists to witness a raccoon washing up before breakfast, an alligator snatching a quick bite or long-legged wading birds stalking their prey. In all, the refuge occupies more than half the island.
Traveling off the coast of Sanibel and Captiva islands, the boater will discover more than 100 outer coastal islands. Many are uninhabited mangrove clusters while others take visitors' breath away with their beautiful beaches. Both North Captiva and Cayo Costa Island Preserve are known for their virtually deserted yet alluring coastlines and excellent shelling potential. In fact, local shelling guides offer excursions to these islands, where competition for prize specimens is less fierce than on the more accessible islands. Cayo Costa was purchased by the state in 1985, and the Florida Department of Natural Resources maintains primitive cabins on the northern portion of the island, near Johnson Shoals.
While desert islands conjure up romantic fantasies, modern seafarers may prefer a sociable watering hole at times. Cabbage Key offers that shipwreck survivor’s dream of salvation. Situated at Milemarker 60 on the Intracoastal Waterway, this island was built atop an ancient Calusa Indian shell mound. Mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart helped her son build his home here in 1938. The house has been converted into a cozy inn with six guest rooms and a picturesque dining room papered in thousands of autographed dollar bills. The tradition began when a thirsty fisherman left his bill taped to the wall, ensuring a cold drink the next time he stopped by. Now almost all visitors leave their mark, if they can find a space.
A short boat ride north from Captiva or Pine Island, an hour-and-a-half drive by car, Boca Grande is a charming turn-of-the-century harbour town on Gasparilla Island and another safe port for the rich and famous. This sleepy little southern town comes replete with small shops, cozy restaurants, waterside accommodations and beautiful beaches.
Step back in time on Pine Island to reminisce a period when fishing reigned as the area’s largest industry. Accessible by land via “the fishingest bridge in the USA" at Matlacha [Mat-la-chay], Pine Island’s northernmost settlement of Bokeelia, provides the maritime stepping off point to the more remote out-islands. Further south, Estero Island, home of Fort Myers Beach, long has been recognized as one of the “world’s safest beaches" because of its gently sloping shoreline. The sand is particularly soft and white, akin to powdered sugar. Life on Estero is especially suited for family vacations. Here one finds every imaginable water toy, from windsurfer to catamaran and parasailing. Numerous marinas operate boating and fishing charters. Local restaurants benefit from the catch, which generally includes red snapper and grouper.
For an afternoon picnic, there is no better spot than Lovers Key on Black Island, just south of Estero. Visitors proceed by open tram across a scenic vista of mangrove islands, arriving at a secluded beach less than 10 minutes later. Ample driftwood and seashells decorate the shore, while pesky raccoons compete for scraps with flocks of sea gulls and other shore birds.
Continuing south, and still on the peninsula, Bonita Beach occupies the southern boundary of the Lee County area. Here traces of old and new Florida peacefully coexist along gently winding beaches deemed among the best in the region. Further inland in Bonita Springs and Estero, history buffs can take a walk through remnants of the Koreshan Unity movement, an extinct religious sect that practiced equal rights for women long before the concept became popular.
Anyone suffering from island fever can find instant relief by paying a call to the “City of Palms," Fort Myers, with its charming downtown historic district and expanding hub of urban activity that extends to shopping malls, restaurants and nightclubs.
Inventor Thomas Edison and his friend, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford, decided early on to make their winter homes in Fort Myers. Today visitors daily tour their neighboring estates with Edison's botanical gardens, laboratory and museum. The two properties are separated by a fence the two families named "The Friendship Gate."
Other in-town attractions include the Southwest Florida Historical Museum, river cruises from the downtown yacht basin and the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium. Visitors also like to drive the short distance to the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers and Eden Vineyards, the country’s southernmost bonded winery, to the east. For the sports minded, public golf courses and tennis courts make southwest Florida some of the best playing turf in the state. Also east of downtown Fort Myers, the Lehigh Acres residential community surrounds three quality golf courses, 16 well-stocked freshwater fishing lakes and miles of canals. To the west, Cape Coral, literally surrounded by water, boasts more kilometers of canals than Venice, Italy. Many of the Cape's deepwater canals lead to the Gulf of Mexico. This fast-growing community boasts many marinas, a first-rate water park, challenging championship golf courses, tennis courts and freshwater fishing.
To learn more about this piece of paradise, please visit: http://www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com, or contact Jessica Grace on JGrace@leegov.com or +1 239 338 3500
Quick Facts: Area Size: 65,200 km2/950 km of shoreline/81 km white sand beaches/100 plus barrier and coastal islands Weather: April – November (Summer): 29° C/December – March (Winter): 18° C Major Airports: South West Florida International Airport Flight Duration: 20 hours (ex Jhb) Time Difference: 6 hours, 7 hours (daylight saving hours – U.S. autumn, winter) Peak Season: Jan 15 through April. Bookings essential. Rates are 30 – 60% lower during off-peak. Visa Required? Yes. Please contact the U.S. Visa Information Service on 011 275 6300 for an appointment