Fort Myers Beach

Famous for its sugar-white sand beaches, fishing, and shopping, Fort Myers Beach is a major tourist destination in tropical Southwest Florida that has grown rapidly in recent years.

Warm water, numerous shorebirds, excellent shelling, live music, spectacular sunsets, and rich marine life is the minimum you will get if you decide to visit Fort Myers Beach. It’s a relaxing and friendly place to be with a good variety of things to do. There are many restaurants, resorts, and family-friendly attractions in the area.

Location and Access

Fort Myers Beach is a two-hour drive from such popular destinations as Miami or Clearwater. There is a single beach road and the traffic can be really heavy in the high season. To make things worse, finding a parking spot near the beach is also a big challenge. It’s a very popular beach that sees plenty of visitors.

Amenities

There are restrooms and showers on site. You can rent an umbrella and a chair for less than $20. If you get hungry, there are various dining places close by. If you have your own food, there are covered picnic tables for your convenience.

Sand and Water

One of the things that makes Fort Myers Beach so popular is its soft white sand, from which you can collect a variety of shells. The water is warm but often not so clear and with some amount of seaweed you have to wade through before you can start swimming. The sea is quite shallow. However, there are no lifeguards so please exercise caution in the water and keep a close eye on children.

Entertainment

Fort Myers Beach has a lot to offer to families as well as single tourists from boating, parasailing, miniature golf to shopping, thrifting, lighthouse, and pirate ship tours. If you like museums, don’t miss Henry Ford's and Thomas Edison's winter estates. If you’re interested in fishing, go to the fishing pier where you can rent poles and buy some bait at a reasonable price.

Marine Life

On Fort Myers Beach, you can see a plethora of marine life species including dolphins, stingrays, starfish, sea turtles, sand dollars, manatees, snails, marine hermit crabs, seagulls, pelicans, and much more. Please do not touch, move, or in any way harm these animals – remember that Fort Myers has laws about harming local species.

Driving Time

• 2 hours 30 minutes from Miami, FL
• 2 hours 35 minutes from Tampa, FL
• 3 hours 40 minutes from Orlando, FL

Hotels and rentals

If you're considering staying for one or even a few nights, there are plenty of options available near the beach. Chose your preferred accomodation type and your favourite room provider:

• Nearby rentals from VRBO.
• Nearby rooms and properties from Booking.com.

Beaches nearby

Additionally, there's a number of beaches near Fort Myers Beach which you can visit:

• Newton Park Beach (1 mile)
• Lovers Key State Park Beach (4 miles)
• Lighthouse Beach (6 miles)
• Bonita Beach (7 miles)
• Causeway Islands Park Beach (8 miles)