What to Do in Fort Myers? Itinerary Full of Beaches, Parks and Museums

Along the southwest coast of Florida, the largest urban area is the one made up of the union of Fort Myers and Cape Coral, which together are an essential stop along an itinerary circumnavigating the peninsula. With this article we are going to find out what we can see and do in the City of Palms, so nicknamed as the main streets of the city, especially the long McGregor Boulevard, are a true riot of palm trees.

How to Get to Fort Myers

Fort Myers has its own airport, South Florida International Airport, from where you can easily reach the city center onLeeTran bus n.50 (here you can find the map of all the bus routes), the transportation company that serves the entire Lee County. In some cases, you will find a cheaper flight to Miami Airport. From here, if you rent a car you can get to Fort Myers in just over two hours. The cheapest alternative by public transportation is to take the bus, which takes 2 1/2 hours.

Whether you travel by rental car or public transportation, if you land in Miami and are headed to Fort Myers, you may want to consider a stop in Naples. If you are coming from the north, Tampa is the closest large city. By car it takes almost two hours, while by bus you have an alternative between 2 hours and 20 minutes and, if you want to save on the cost of the ticket, a cheaper bus that takes 3 hours and 50 minutes.

In both cases I recommend you take a look at the link below where you can find offers to save money on the route.

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Best Time to Visit Fort Myers: Weather and Events

Climatically speaking, the winter months are the best for visiting much of Florida. The warm and dry climate of the state’s dry season is in fact preferable to the torrid and humid days that can be found during the summer months. Your trip will also include other locations in the state, so our suggestion is to read our article dedicated to the climate of Florida, so as to have a more complete view.

As in other Florida cities, the biggest events in Fort Myers take place during the months with the least chance of bad weather. Let’s start with the sea: in November, there is the Beach Sand Sculpting Championship, a big competition where you compete by making sand sculptures on the beach. It lasts ten days and it is possible to see real works of art made only from sand by the sea. For sports lovers, in December there is the City of Palms Classic: a major basketball tournament dedicated to high school students, where the young athletes are also observed by NBA recruiters.

Moving on to February, we can participate in the Edison Festival of Light, an event that lasts several days and that includes a series of events related to the famous inventor, who built his own residence here. The main evening is obviously the one dedicated to the parade of lights. In the same period we find Asia Fest, organized at the Alliance for the Arts. This celebration of the lunar year is a great oriental event with exhibitions of martial arts, cultural entertainment, music and typical Asian food. Another event related to a foreign culture is Greek Fest, linked to the local Greek Orthodox Church, that aims to keep Greek traditions alive.

Best Things to Do in Fort Myers

Fort Myers is one of the main tourist resorts in West Florida, frequented mainly for its beaches in the surrounding area. This does not mean that there is only the sea here. There is also a nice, pleasant city, which in addition to vacation life is able to propose some historical and cultural cues. In addition, it is a good starting point to visit other nearby places such as Sarasota, Naples and natural parks in the area.

The center of the city of palms is known as the River District: it is here, in fact, around the banks of the Caloosahatchee River and its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico that the most significant chapters of local history took place, in particular the different phases of the war with the native Seminoles. Thus, downtown is the area adjacent to the river, crossed by First Street, a street full of historic buildings, but also bars, restaurants and of course many palm trees. All around,there are narrower and more characteristic streets, where there are some of the places worth visiting.

From Edison to Ford: the residences of celebrities

Not everyone knows that two great men who have written important chapters of history had a winter residence in Fort Myers. Thomas Edison, father of the light bulb as well as other inventions such as the phonograph, had a mansion here with a swimming pool and library. The winter residence, known as Seminole Lodge, is located at 2350 McGregor Boulevard and is close to the one called The Mangoes, which was owned by Henry Ford, the man who transformed the automobile industry to provide transportation for the middle class.

The two houses, built respectively in 1886 and 1915, are today part of a single large property and can be visited via guided tours or using an audio guide: schedules and tickets are available on the official website. These two beautiful winter residences represent the most visited attraction of Fort Myers and it is worth dedicating a moment to them during your stay in the city. In addition to the residences themselves, the museum tour offers videos and images of the inventions and also a laboratory where Edison worked with his collaborators from 1928 to 1936. All around, large gardens with tropical plants enhance the beauty of the place.

Another historic residence worth visiting, at 2505 First Street, is Murphy-Borroughs House. A beautiful luxury property built in the Georgian Revival style in 1901 and richly furnished, it owes its name to its successive owners: first John T. Murphy and then Nelson Borroughs. It is now a house-museum that can be visited and it is difficult to find residences of this type so well maintained and with such attention to detail.

Museums

In addition to the aforementioned historical residences, there are also some museums that may be interesting to visit.

Parks

Throughout Florida, nature is the predominant element, whether we are talking about the sea, forests or wild animals. Even in the cities or surrounding areas, contact with nature cannot be missed.

• Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium. In addition to the planetarium, here you can see and study various animals, starting with birds and butterflies. Thanks to the network of trails, interspersed with picnic areas, it is easy to immerse yourself in the green tropical plants. The name of the natural center, Calusa, is that of an Indian tribe, now extinct, that lived in this area.
• Lakes Regional Park. A vast area with several lakes next to each other, perfect for long walks amidst greenery. One of the most curious areas is the garden of fragrances, herbs and cacti.
• Lee County Manatee Park. This natural park is the ideal place to observe the manatees, the docile cetaceans that inhabit the lagoon waters of these coasts. Entry is free and in the months between March and November it is easy to see them swimming in the long channel that runs through the 7 hectares of the park. There is also the possibility to rent a canoe or a kayak to paddle on the water, in order to admire these magnificent animals even more closely.
• 6 Miles Cypress Slough Preserve. Much less docile than manatees, alligators are the star animals of this nature reserve. One of Florida’s many wetlands, just a stone’s throw from Fort Myers, it’s perfect for viewing alligators as well as turtles, otters, birds of various species and other animals. With trails featuring wooden boardwalks and picnic areas, combined with an interactive information center, you can tour the area with ease.
• Lynn Hall Memorial Park. On Estero Island, a long thin island parallel to the coast and south of the city, we find this beautiful park overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Next to the green area there is a large equipped beach.

Fort Myers Beach

The main beach near the city is Fort Myers Beach, located on Estero Island. This long, narrow island is also called barrier island, as it forms a sort of barrier between the mainland and the open sea of the Gulf of Mexico, creating a sort of back channel. The island’s beach is clear and fine: perfect for spending hours lying in the sun. But there are also plenty of activities to enjoy: here you can do water sports or you can go on boat tours to see the dolphins.

If you want to enjoy beach life, you can also move further south, around Naples, where there is a greater choice of sandy beaches. In any case, reading our article on the best beaches in Florida will give you a complete overview.

Places to Eat in Fort Myers

There is a wide choice of places to eat in Fort Myers. We suggest a few restaurants where in our opinion you will be sure to eat well.

• The Lodge (2278 First St.). Right in the middle of downtown, the wooden building of this restaurant is reminiscent of a mountain cabin, and inside you’ll also find a fake stained glass window representing a mountain range. Barbecued meat is the specialty of the place.
• The Veranda (2122 Snd St.). A bit pricey, but top-notch, this restaurant is defined by its “antebellum” architectural charm, predating the American Civil War. Open since 1978, it offers local cuisine, both meat and seafood.
• Fancy’s Southern Cafe (8890 Salrose Ln.). This place has a much more casual atmosphere, where it is still possible to taste excellent meat or fish dishes and delicious desserts, such as Florida’s famous Key Lime Pie, in particular popular on the Keys islands.
• Salty Papa’s Shrimp House (15271 McGregor Blvd.). If you love shrimp, dine here at least once. Caught exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico, the shrimps cooked at this restaurant are great. For those who don’t like shellfish, don’t worry as there are other dishes you can try.

Places to Stay in Fort Myers

There are various accommodation options in Fort Myers: find everything from high-end hotels to budget-friendly B&Bs. Here are a few suggestions on where you can stay overnight.

• The Hibiscus House B&B (2135 McGregor Blvd.). A Bed & Breakfast housed in a historic twentieth-century house with rooms with wooden walls, cozy and bright. Highly recommended.
• Rock Lake Resort (2937 Palm Beach Blvd.). A very nice hotel, with a pond in the park and where during your stay you can play tennis, swim in the outdoor heated pools or rent a kayak.
• La Quinta Inn Central (4850 S. Cleveland Ave.). This instead is a hotel belonging to a well-known chain, so certainly less personal than the previous ones, but equipped with every amenity and service.
• Hilton Garden Inn (12600 University Dr.). Another hotel belonging to a chain, but equipped with every necessary service, including a swimming pool. Being outside the city center and not far from the airport, it is ideally located for those who are passing through and don’t want to waste too much time in traveling.