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Bonita Springs | VIEW ALL

Naples

Naples has been a vacation destination for decades. It’s known for its beaches and upscale dining and affinity for the arts. Some say it is the gateway to the Everglades, but there are a whole lot of unique experiences to take part in before you get to the wild, rugged world of Everglades ...

Bonita Springs

Bonita Springs is located between Naples and Fort Myers. It has a vibrant downtown and rich history, making it a must-visit destination on your next trip to Southwest Florida. In the 1870s, the Army Corps of Engineers’ surveyors mapped the then remote area of Southwest Florida and set up ...

Wonder Gardens offers enhanced experiences for guests

The Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs offers several enhanced guest experiences for up-close and personal encounters with a selection of their 300 rescued, rehabilitated and non-releasable animals at the 86-year-old attraction. “There’s always something interesting at the gardens, with ...

Cape Coral | VIEW ALL

Cape Coral

Consistently named one of the fastest-growing cities in America, Cape Coral has something to offer for all walks of life, ages and interests.  A boaters paradise, this “waterfront wonderland” is home to more than 400 miles of canals and countless access points to various bodies of water ...

Cape Coral: A ‘waterfront wonderland’

Cape Coral, a popular community that often tops lists of the fastest-growing cities in the country, has become a destination to live, not just to visit, and also claims the title of the largest municipality between Tampa and Miami. With more than 400 miles of canals, the Cape has been ...

Burrowing owls: The city of Cape Coral’s official bird

Cape Coral is home to unique species of owl that the city has made its own: the burrowing owl. Burrowing owls are the only species, of 171 owls, that live underground, making them more susceptible to predators and enhancing the risk of having their burrows destroyed.The owls dig these burrows ...

Captiva Island | VIEW ALL

Captiva

Note: Hurricanes Helene and Milton had varying impacts on Sanibel, Captiva and all Lee County’s barrier islands. Before planning a visit, please check to make sure your destination is open and/or operating on a limited schedule.  Sister island to Sanibel, Captiva is just as acclaimed for ...

Captiva

It is easy to get hooked by Captiva, where there are incredible sunrise and sunset views from the white-sand beaches. There are also amazing opportunities to stroll, shop, recreate and pause from life’s work outside of paradise. Sister island to Sanibel, Captiva is just over a small bridge ...

Fort Myers | VIEW ALL

Fort Myers

Fort Myers – winter home to Thomas Edison and neighbor Henry Ford – is steeped in history. But it’s also renowned for Spring Training, ecological activities, shopping, world-class dining, fun in the sun and artistic expression. Fort Myers was incorporated in 1885 after originally being ...

Southwest Florida City Earns Golden Status as 2023’s Retirement Hub

Not all places are equally accommodating locales for the golden years following the 9-to-5 grind. In order to assist the approx. 3.6 million boomers who will turn 65 in 2023 and are thinking about where they want to set down stakes in retirement, we’ve put together a list of the top cities ...

New Shellcast episode visits Manatee Park

The latest episode of Shellcast, the podcast that’s a beach break for your ears, visits Manatee Park in Fort Myers. Episode 9, “When I get older, I want to be a manatee,” includes an interview recorded in February with Laura Carr, Lee County Parks & Recreation specialist. Carr talks ...

Edison & Ford Winter Estates: Historical museum & 17-acre botanical garden

The Edison and Ford Winter estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, contain an historical museum and 17-acre botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee in southwestern Florida. It is located along historic and ...

Fort Myers Beach | VIEW ALL

Fort Myers Beach

Note: Hurricanes Helene and Milton had varying impacts on Fort Myers Beach and other southern Lee County coastal communities. Before planning a visit, please check to make sure your destination is open and/or operating on a limited schedule.  After a one-two hurricane punch from Hurricane ...

Staycation

By NATHAN MAYBERG and TIFFANY REPECKI It's summer on Fort Myers Beach and the Pink Shell Beach Resort is bopping - and it's a vacation-where-you-live option that offers both a day-at-the-beach alternative but a little luxury option. General Manager Bill Waichulis said one reason for an ...

Fort Myers Beach

Congratulations, you have made it to one of TripAdvisor's top-five trending destinations in the U.S. What is the big deal about Fort Myers Beach? It all starts with the seven miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico and the beach sand that comes with it spanning from the Big Carlos Pass ...

North Fort Myers | VIEW ALL

Lehigh Acres

Lehigh Acres, a sprawling community in east Lee County encompassing 96 square miles, is one of largest residential communities in the state of Florida. While the community continues to build and expand with local businesses, it keeps its suburban feel and offers a plethora of outdoor activities ...

North Fort Myers

North Fort Myers is a community unlike any other in Lee County. It has its urban qualities, but rural ones as well, which makes it unique. It also has its history, with facilities that date back decades and preserves you can walk that go back even further. It’s that feel for nature that ...

Shell Factory survives, thrives

It has survived hurricanes, fires, recessions, two bankruptcies, the construction of I-75 and a pandemic. Yet, for 84 years, the Shell Factory & Nature Park has managed to remain one of the few Old Florida, must-stop tourist attractions. The Shell Factory did this by coming into ownership ...

Pine Island / Matlacha | VIEW ALL

Pine Island

Note: Hurricanes Helene and Milton had varying impacts on Pine Island and Matlacha. Before planning a visit, please check to make sure your destination is open and/or operating on a limited schedule.  Pine Island definitely lends a hand toward living in the moment, as there are no traffic ...

Pine Island / Matlacha

Pine Island is still a taste of what people consider, “Old Florida.” This 17-mile long, two-mile wide island with the feel of a small town is filled with artists, musicians, and fisher-folk. From the Matlacha (most “fishing-est”) Bridge to the tip of Bokeelia or Saint James City, you ...

Pine Island’s History

Pine Island's HistorySome 24.5 million years ago Pine Island rose, as did all of Florida, from the receding seas that had covered the land for thousands of years. The Calusa Indians were the first known settlers, arriving around 800 AD. They thrived for many centuries with an economy based on ...

Pine Island fishing brings visitors from far and wide

Pine Island is not known for beaches, highrise resorts or amusement parks but visitors come from far and wide to this sleepy little island off the Florida coast for one reason: Fishing.The waters surrounding Pine Island team with life, drawing anglers to its waters for exciting fishing ...

Port Charlotte / Punta Gorda | VIEW ALL

Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda comes from the Spanish word “fat point” because it sticks out into Charlotte Harbor, one of the country’s largest natural harbors. Due to its proximity to the water, Hurricane Milton brought in storm surge, which has affected the area, creating some closures while recovery and ...

Babcock Ranch

The brainchild of Syd Kitson, a former professional football player turned real estate developer, Kitson and Partners founded the town of Babcock Ranch after purchasing a 91,000-acre ranch. Committed to preserving 90 percent of it, they sold 73,000 acres to the state and Lee County, leaving ...

El Jobean offers incredible fishing

The unincorporated community known as El Jobean is located between Englewood and Port Charlotte on the eastern banks of the Myakka River where it empties into Charlotte Harbor. The Myakka River offers incredible fishing and boating opportunities.Boaters who head north on the river will ...

Sanibel Island | VIEW ALL

Sanibel

Note: Hurricanes Helene and Milton had varying impacts on Sanibel, Captiva and all Lee County’s barrier islands. Before planning a visit, please check to make sure your destination is open and/or operating on a limited schedule.  Stunning sunrises and sunsets, beautiful white beaches ...

Staycation

By NATHAN MAYBERG and TIFFANY REPECKI It's summer on Fort Myers Beach and the Pink Shell Beach Resort is bopping - and it's a vacation-where-you-live option that offers both a day-at-the-beach alternative but a little luxury option. General Manager Bill Waichulis said one reason for an ...

Tarpon Bay: The Hidden Gem

Does this road look familiar? Have you ever wondered where “that one road” leads to? Have you always meant to go down “that road’, but the beach allure was too strong to resist? Before you knew it, vacation time was up, and the mystery still remains. “We get people all the time who ...

Sanibel makes list of best beaches

Trips To Discover, a digital travel magazine, recently released its updated “The 19 Best Beaches in Florida (and Why)” for 2022 and Sanibel Island made the list. It states, “Laid-back with predominantly warm, calm waters, Sanibel is a favorite for families traveling with children. ...

Boca Grande | VIEW ALL

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, built in 1890, is a popular site to visit at the south end of the island. The lighthouse is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday from November through June. The months of June through October – except August when it is ...

Boca Grande

The drive along the Boca Grande Causeway features turquoise-blue waters plied by boats ranging from yachts to kayaks. Completing the picture: sandy beaches, a historic train trestle, high-end shopping and more fishing holes than anyone without a skilled guide can find. Boca Grande’s ...

Daytrips | VIEW ALL

Day trips

There are a slew of attractions both near and far that provide a bit of history and fun for the whole family to enjoy. Revs Institute Automobile Museum This Naples museum gives visitors an opportunity to see the shift over the course of the 20th century in automobiles in an 80,000 square ...

El Jobean offers incredible fishing

The unincorporated community known as El Jobean is located between Englewood and Port Charlotte on the eastern banks of the Myakka River where it empties into Charlotte Harbor. The Myakka River offers incredible fishing and boating opportunities.Boaters who head north on the river will ...

Placida and ‘Old Florida’ fishing village

Placida is perhaps the center of the compass for this segment of the Gulf Coast. From the docks of this tiny but colorful fishing village, charter boats and nature cruises head out into Gasparilla Sound and Charlotte Harbor. Visitors can head south over the Boca Grande Causeway to the shops, ...

Enjoy Florida scenery by kayak

Since Florida is surrounded by water, kayaking has become an activity that allows many to enjoy the beautiful scenery firsthand.Lucy Crook, a Florida native, began kayaking 39 years ago and soon started competing. She said kayaking added an exciting dimension to her and her husband's camping ...