Fort Myers, Florida
With its wild waterways, vast nature preserves, and sumptuous local seafood (that’s definitely worth traveling for), Fort Myers delivers when it comes to outdoor adventure and culinary delights. Whether you prefer to island hop, shop until you drop, enjoy exciting water sports, or indulge in Florida’s fresh seafood feasts, you’re sure to leave Fort Myers feeling energized, inspired, and well sated.
Must-Do: Marvel at wading birds in the unique coastal barrier island ecosystems of J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. This tangled web of greenery and water is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove environment in the United States and is a popular stopping point for migratory birds.
Eat: Happy hour lures the crowds to Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille in Fort Myers Beach for sunset views of Estero Bay paired with a frosty beverage and a platter piled high with fresh Florida seafood. Enjoy live music and vistas of passing shrimp boats as they cruise out from Matanzas Pass toward the Gulf of Mexico’s fertile fishing grounds.
Day-Trip: Head south about an hour to the coastal enclave of Naples for boutique shopping and cafe hopping along upscale Fifth Avenue South. Then break for quality time on the sand at Clam Pass Park, where a pristine sweep of beach is accessed via a boardwalk through more tunneling mangroves.
