Things to do in Fort Myers
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French Connection
This place features good service, big sandwiches, quiches, crepes, salads and a killer French onion soup. Outdoor tables and a friendly bar (with an eight-hour happy hour from 11:00 to 19:00) rounds out the appeal.
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Veranda
A cornerstone of downtown Fort Myers, the Veranda combines two historic homes with delicious French-inspired cuisine – love awaits.
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Guided Walks & Fauna Tracks
A 2000-acre woodland and wetland, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve acts as a filter collecting run-off water during heavy rains. Before making its way out to the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, the water is filtered by the slough, where sediment and pollutants settle or are absorbed by the plants. It's an interesting place to visit during the wet season (June through October), when water up to 3ft deep flows through the area.
The preserve also has an otter pond, a mile-long boardwalk lined with benches, free guided walks (call for times), a picnic area and an amphitheatre used for flora and fauna talks.
From downtown Fort Myers, take Cleveland Ave south to Colonial Blvd (Hw…
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Lakes Park
This innovative and scenic county park encompasses two original creations: the fragrance garden and a miniature train village. The garden was created in 1991 as a place where visually impaired and wheelchair-bound visitors could smell, feel and even eat herbs and flowers. The gardens were built by volunteers from the Master Gardeners Club, Boy and Girl Scouts and at-risk students from a nearby high school.
The miniature train (7.5in gauge) tootles around the 1.25-mile track every 15 minutes. In case you're looking for something else to do, you can rent boats here, too. Lakeside Marina rents canoes for around US$8 per hour. There are alligators in the lake and on the small…
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Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Say ‘American innovation’ and Thomas Edison (lightbulb, phonograph, voice recorder telegraph, etc.) and Henry Ford (mass production, Ford motors) are good contenders for word–image association. Both of these frontier pushers chose Fort Myers as their warm-weather winter-break spot, and their Estates are one of the prime tourism draws in Lee County. Each estate drips with Florida architectural heritage (including one of the state’s first modern swimming pools), while adjacent gardens are a wonderful green escape. A museum extensively catalogues the lives of Edison and Ford, and special events, concerts and educational days spring up throughout the year. Prices and times su…
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Key West Express
Kicking back on the Key West Express will save you 300 miles of driving and seven hours in the car. The high-speed ferry leaves Fort Myers Beach in the morning and arrives at Key West in the early afternoon; it arrives back in Fort Myers Beach at around 22:00. All in all you'll have about 5½ hours in Key West. Round-trip tickets (adult/child/senior around US$140/around US$120/around US$130, including parking) cost the same even if you're not returning that day.
To reach the ferry, head south on San Carlos Blvd (Hwy 865) toward the Sky Bridge to Fort Myers Beach; just before the bridge, turn right on Main St and left on Fisherman's Wharf.
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Fort Myers Historical Museum
This museum is a hit with kids if only to tour the Esperanza, a private Pullman railroad car. Permanent exhibits document the city's history and include Calusa and Seminole artifacts and a display on Colonel Myers - the man for whom the city is named (though he never actually visited his namesake fort). Other exhibits include a Spanish cannon, a complete saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon) skeleton and an early rural pioneer home, or 'cracker' house. There is also an exhibit on Fort Myers' two WWII training bases, which trained British, American, Canadian, Russian and Yugoslavian pilots and gunners.
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Imaginarium Hands on Museum
- Fort Myers, USA
- Sights › Other
This excellent science museum, with over 60 exhibits, is favored by the wide-eyed kid in everyone. Don’t miss the weather-forecasting exhibit, where kids can pretend they are meteorologists and present the weather using monitors. There is also a tornado machine and exhibits on ozone depletion and weather; touching a cloud is pretty neat. A 3-D theater runs shows at 1pm and 3pm. Outside, a ‘dig pit’ lets kids look for fossils and shark teeth, while the lagoon teems with tons of freshwater fish and other Florida aquaculture. Check out the coral-reef tank, aquariums and reptile retreat.
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GAEA Guides
GAEA Guides offers superb, ecofriendly tours with professional naturalists and run a variety of tours through the Great Calusa Blueway. With almost 200 miles of kayaking routes, the Great Calusa Blueway is like a watery circulation system that beats throughout Lee County. The warm, calm waters are a joy to paddle through, and there’s a lot you miss on land that’s only visible by boat. Check the website for information on ‘trails’ throughout the county and where they can be accessed.
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Seminole-Gulf Railway Murder Mystery Tours
Founded in 1888, this railway operated between Arcadia and Naples with a second line running between Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice. Today, it offers 3½-hour, five-course, murder mystery dinner tours on the line's restored trains; reservations are required.
The station is near the intersection of Colonial Blvd and Metro Pkwy; from downtown, take Cleveland Ave south to Colonial Blvd east until you think you'll run out of gas; the terminal is on the left.
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State Farmers' Market
On Thursdays from 07:00 to 15:00, visit the colorful farmers' market underneath the entrance to the Caloosahatchee River Bridge in Centennial Park. This is not to be confused with the State Farmers' Market, which is a restaurant buyers' hangout with two retail produce stands and a simple restaurant specializing in Southern dishes like grits, fried chicken and barbecue.
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Liquid Cafe
By day this cool café has very good pies, specialty sandwiches, salads and coffee, as well as local art on the walls and funky chess chairs. By night, you can sample over 60 different bottled beers, check out the open mic on Tuesday and listen to bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Stop in and hang a while on the outdoor patio.
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La Trattoria Caffe Napoli
Run by the illustrious Gloria, this place fuses Cuban and Italian cooking with excellent results. Order the catch of the day – the fish special can be cooked in a spicy Cuban sauce or with Italian seasonings. Make sure to try the deep-fried plantains, they are loaded with garlic, and ultradelicious.
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Lee County Sports Complex
The Minnesota Twins play at Lee County Sports Complex, just southwest of the intersection of Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway. During the regular season, the Fort Myers Miracles (the Minnesota Twins minor-league baseball team) play here.
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Bottom Line Lounge
Just north of Winkler Rd, Bottom Line has a predominantly gay crowd, with a good mix of lesbians, but all are welcome. Bar-top dancers gyrate and drag queens come out nightly except on Saturdays and Mondays. On Thursdays you can drink $5 mason jars of Long Island iced tea. Yowza.
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Fort Myers Farmers Market
Held every Thursday under the Caloosahatchee Bridge, the Fort Myers Farmers Market is an excellent option for self-caterers, who can purchase fresh greens, produce, cheese, fruits and other products directly from area growers and agriculturalists.
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Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins play at Lee County Sports Complex, just southwest of the intersection of Daniels Pkwy and Six Mile Cypress Pkwy. During the regular season, the Fort Myers Miracles (the Minnesota Twins minor-league baseball team) play here.
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Morgan House
This casual but (nonetheless) fine dining establishment draws loyal patrons for sandwiches, salads and burgers. At night the menu ranges from chicken and steaks to seafood and pastas, so you're bound to find something satisfying.
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Adventures in Paradise, Inc
Try to organize island-hopping tours with touring services like Adventures in Paradise, Inc, which offers boat rentals, fishing tours and ‘dine around’ tours, where you cruise out to the waterfront restaurant of your choice.
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Sandy Butler
This combined fine-ingredients market and restaurant offers very reasonably priced fine dining in Greater Fort Myers. Truffle pasta? Gorgeous. Best of all, you can pick up your own truffles (chocolate and fungi) as you exit.
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McGregor Cafe
The location alone – tucked away in a residential area of high palm trees and bottle-green lawns – makes this cafe worth recommending. Then we tried the food. Amazing. Classic American fare, elegantly served.
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Bill Hammond Stadium
Forget daylight savings – residents of Fort Myers measure the seasons by the beginning and end of baseball spring training. Minnesota Twins fans literally camp for spring training tickets to Bill Hammond Stadium.
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Gulf Coast Town Center
This massive shopping center is a major center of commercial and social life. Located near the airport, it concentrates every major brand label you can think of into a plaza ringed by several huge box stores.
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Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
The best dinner theatre in Fort Myers puts on Broadway and off-Broadway musicals throughout the year, accompanied by good food. It also features a children’s theatre. Check the website for a season schedule.
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Origami
Despite a bland shopping-center setting, Origami is the local pick for excellent sushi. There are a variety of rolls and sashimi to choose from, all very fresh. Portions are large and prices very reasonable.
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