Ft Myers

Established in 1886, Fort Myers is the historical and governmental hub of Lee County. It is the gateway to the Southwest Florida region, which is a major tourist destination in Florida, as well as being a popular place to live for retired folks. The winter homes of Thomas Edison (Seminole Lodge) and Henry Ford (The Mangoes), which are both primary tourist attractions in the region, are located on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers. Fort Myers Beach itself is a town located on Estero Island. Ft Myers is more tropical than Central Florida the vegetation looks more like the Caribbean with banana and coconut trees growing. In fact it seems to have a much more laid back style. The area is much more natural, less commercialised than Clearwater or St. Pete’s. The unspoiled beaches are a pleasure to be on. Bonita Springs and The Lovers Key National Park are close by.

Estero Blvd. runs almost the entire length of Estero Island. There are plenty of shops and restaurants along the way. There is a Publix supermarket and also an awesome cinema where you can have a meal too. You go into a smallish room with about 8 tables and you sit down the server takes your order and brings your food. Once you have finished eating you can relax in the comfortable chairs and continue watching the film. Well worth trying. If you are staying at the South end of Estero Island it can take around 20 minutes to get to the Pier area as the speed limits are between 20 & 30 mph.

View from one of the balconies of Point Estero

There are a few hotels here but the majority are condos. You can rent them easily enough. We rent from a company in Orlando that get you a special rate which is cheaper than booking direct. You can usually get a 2 bedroom  condo for around $160 per night. There link is here. We stay at either Pointe Estero or their sister property the Gullwing. These properties are situated right on the beach and both have beach access through a private gate. The rooms are quite luxurious with a full kitchen, washer, dryer, lounge, with comfortable furniture and dining table. A master bedroom with a super king size bed and an en-suite bathroom with the biggest Jacuzzi I have ever seen.... you can get 4 people in it.!! The other room is a twin bedroom. All rooms have TV’s and they all have balcony access. They both have a private heated swimming pool and Hot Tub. There is also several gas grills for that ever important BBQ!!

There is a pier at Market Square and many more restaurants including a Pizza Hut. Most are privately owned places. To get to the pier from either the Pointe or the Gullwing you would need a car as it’s too far to walk. The road is quite narrow and the speed limit is only 20 mph and sometimes 15 mph along Estero Blvd. The area around the pier is a bit busier than further south along Estero Blvd. More people using the beach etc.

Fancy a great and fun way to get to Key west from here? Try the Key West express that leaves daily from Ft Myers at 9 am. It is a high speed catamaran that has a bar and galley aboard. The journey takes around 3.5 hours.

Shopping: There is a Mall at Naples called the Coastlands Mall and it has all the major department stores. To get there you need to follow Estero Blvd South to Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail) Then follow the 41 all the way to Naples and you will see the Mall on your left.

More info can be found on the Perfect Florida Villas forums or The Perfect Florida Guide