Beaches with Food/Drinks Available:

1. Bonita Beach – Docs on the Beach (also a great place to view the sunset!)

2. Estero Beach – Pinchers (2 for 1 drinks too!)

3. Fort Myers Beach – Times Square and all the way down the beach. Sunset Grill is a favorite!

4. Vanderbilt Beach (Naples) – Turtle Club, Buzz’s Lighthouse and Gumbo Limbo at the Ritz

5. Captiva – Mucky Duck beachfront

 

Beaches without Food/Drinks Available:

1. Bunche Beach – Fort Myers

2. Bowditch Beach – Fort Myers Beach

3. Lighthouse Beach Park – Sanibel 

4. Tiger Tail Beach – Marco Island

5. Barefoot Beach – North Naples

6. Siesta Key - ~1.25 hour north

 

Outdoor Excursions:

1. Kayak Tours and paddle boards at Bunche Beach

2. Everglades National Park and airboat tours

3. Key West Express day trip via high-speed ferry from Fort Myers Beach (3.5hrs)

4. Captain Mike - Estero Bay Fishing or Nature/Dolphin/Shelling Tour from Snook Bight Marina

5. Sanibel and Captiva Islands for water sports, shops, swimming, parasailing, restaurants, beaches,etc.

6. Naples Zoo and Botanical Gardens

 

Other Outdoor Fun:

1. Rent a pontoon or other boat at Mullock Creek (minutes from The Forest Villas) and cruise the back water for 3.5 miles to the Gulf. Rentals also available from Fish Tale Marina on Fort Myers Beach

2. Shrimp Festival on Fort Myers Beach (March)

3. Look for Dolphins and Manatees – Manatee Park (Fort Myers), Isles of Capri Marina (Naples)

4. Parasailing from Fort Myers Beach or Bonita Beach

5. Jet Ski Tour from Fort Myers Beach

6. Matlacha – quirky artist community and galleries

7. Edison and Ford Winter Estates (Fort Myers), museum, lab, gardens, shops and Banyan Tree

8. Art Fair in North Fort Myers (January)

9. Edison Parade in North Fort Myers (February)

10. Bonita Blues Festival in Bonita Springs (March)

11. St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Naples and Fort Myers Beach/Santini Plaza (March)

12. Tin City in Naples to pick up a water taxi and do a bar crawl

13. Tin City in Naples to take a catamaran, sailboat or boat tour (near Docks Restaurant)

14. Lover’s Key State Park – beaches, dog beach, shelling, estuary tours, kayaking, hiking, and Mound Key

15. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island

16. Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox Spring Training (late Feb-late Mar)

17. 18-hole golf – San Carlos Golf Club, Stoneybrook Golf Club, Raptor Bay Golf Club, Eagle Ridge Golf Club, Alden Pines (Pine Island on Bokeelia by Matlacha), Colonial CC, The Hideaway CC (public May-Sep)

18. 9-hole golf – Terra Verde – par 27 course (next door) 

19. Mini golf – Castle Golf, Jungle Golf, Smugglers Cove (all Fort Myers)

20. Driving range and golf games – Alico Family Golf Fort Myers

21. Sun Splash Water Park Cape Coral

22. Tennis – numerous public courts in Fort Myers

23. Salty Sam's Pirate Cruise (all ages and adults only cruises) - Fort Myers Beach

 

Indoor Fun:

1. Aquagene Spa at the Pink Shell Resort on Fort Myers Beach

2. The Spa at Sanibel Harbour Resort – at the Marriott in Fort Myers

3. Everblades ECHL (semi-pro) Ice Hockey

4. Dave and Busters

5. Head Pinz - Bowling, laser tag, ropes, games, and food - Fort Myers

6. Baily Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel

7. Vino Picasso (Fort Myers) – BYO and Paint a tropical scene. Cost is around $35

8. Shopping Malls: Gulf Coast, Miromar Outlets, Bell Tower Mall, Coconut Point Mall, Mercato and many others.

9. Movie theaters: Gulf Coast, Bell Tower, Coconut Point.  Reserve seating at Silverspot Theater at Mercato

 

Waterfront Restaurants (Too many to list them all)

1. Three Fishermen on Cape Coral

2. Doc’s Beach House in Bonita Springs

3. Flippers on the Bay in Bonita Springs

4. Coconut Jacks in Bonita Springs

5. Sunset Grill on Fort Myers Beach

6. Pierside Grille and Blowfish Bar at Times Square on Fort Myers Beach

7. Pinchers on Estero Blvd on Fort Myers Beach

8. Bayfront Bistro at Snook Bight Marina on Fort Myers Beach

9. Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grill on Fishermans Wharf on Fort Myers Beach

10. Junkanoo on the Beach in Fort Myers Beach

11. Parrot Key Caribbean Grille on Fort Myers Beach

12. Original Shrimp Dock Bar and Grille on Fort Myers Beach

13. Nervous Nellies on Fort Myers Beach

14. Fresh Catch Bistro on Fort Myers Beach

15. Charley’s Boat House on Fort Myers Beach (old school steak house with big salad bar)

16. Bert’s Bar and Grill in Matlacha

17. The Mucky Duck on Captiva

18. Gumbo Limbo (Tiki bar and grill) at the Ritz on Vanderbilt Beach

19. Turtle Club on Vanderbilt Beach in Naples

20. The Dock at Crayton Cove in Naples

21. Isles of Capri Marina in Naples (many restaurants in the area) in addition to kayaks tours and dolphins

 

Other Great Restaurants:

1. Tommy Bahama’s Marlin Grill in Bonita Springs or Naples

2. J&C Crab in Fort Myers

3. Bonita Brunch in Bonita Springs (breakfast/lunch only)

4. Firestone Restaurant in Fort Myers – also has a rooftop bar overlooking the Caloosahatchee River 

5. Ford’s Garage in Fort Myers (burgers)

6. Prawnbrokers in Fort Myers

7. Ocean Prime in Naples

8. Claw Bar at Bellasera Resort in downtown Naples (Turtle Club owners

9. Viet Village in Fort Myers (very close)

 

Happy Hours with Great Food.  Info: Napleshappyhourguide.com for details by location

1. ​Blue Martini (Naples) 4-8 pm Daily. Wednesday is also Ladies night

2. DeRomo 3-6pm Monday-Friday

3. Angelinas 4-6pm (also has a piano bar

   • Oct 1-May 31: 4-6pm Everyday

   • June 1-Sept 30: 4-6pm Tues-Sunday

4. Café Milano (Naples) 3-6pm, Aqua (Naples), Trattoria (Naples) 3-6pm

5. Hyatt Bonita Coconut Point

6. Cosmo

7. Ruth’s Chris in Bonita Springs/Coconut Point 4:00-6:30 Mon-Sun

8. Roy’s in Promenade/Bonita Springs 3:00-6:30 pm.

9. Marco Island: Stan’s (Closed on Mondays). Also has outdoor stage/bands

10. Firestone Restaurant/Rooftop Waterfront Bar in North Fort Myers

11. Rusty’s Raw Bar and Grill – close sports bar with entertainment
     

Dancing/Music: 

1. Downtown Fort Myers River District - Nightlife music, dancing, exhibits, food

2. Piano Bar – Angelinas

3. The Center Bar - Open Air Bar (Near DiRomo’s) at the Promenade Bonita Springs

4. Rusty’s – local bands at happy hour on weekends

5. Rhythm House – close bar with entertainment and dancing

6. The Ranch – line dancing and live bands. Fort Myers

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Isles of Capri Marina in Naples – has waterfront restaurants , kayaks tours, dolfins, manatees
 

Places for Concerts/Theater/Comedy

1. Barbara Mann Performing Arts Hall (Fort Myers)

2. Artis Naples (Naples)

3. Seminole Casino (Imokalee)

4. Hertz Arena (formerly Germain in Estero)

5. Ranch Concert Hall and Saloon

6. Dinner Theater: Murder Mystery Dinner Train or Broadway Palm Theater

7. Florida Repertory Theatre  (Fort Myers)

8. Off The Hook Comedy Club (Naples)

Farmers Markets and Flea Markets - Various locations​ (Google for times and locations)
 

Other Florida Day or Short Trips

1. Tarpon Fishing on Boca Grande - Tarpon Fishing World Capital (mid-April/May through Sept) ~90 min 

2. Orlando – ~3 hour drive

   • Disney, Epcot

   • Universal, Sea World

3. Miami / Ft. Lauderdale / South Beach – ~ 2.5 hours

4. Palm Beach - ~ 2.5 hours across Alligator Alley

   • Worth Ave – the Rodeo Drive of Florida

   • Breakers Hotel – landmark beautiful hotel with restaurants

   • Henry Morrison Flagler Museum – 75-room gilded mansion

   • Drive Ocean Blvd to see Mar-a-Lago (Trump home 1100 S. Ocean Blvd) and former residences of Jimmy Buffet and Estee Lauder, and $84 million mansion at 1071 N. Ocean Blvd

5. Cape Canaveral - ~3.5-4 hours

   • Kennedy Space Center 

6. Florida Keys 

   • ~3 hours to the first and Northernmost Key Largo

   • ~5 hours to Key West 

   • Scenic driving, Seven Mile Bridge, restaurants, touring

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List created by Patti Rasor with Jill Keogh