Do you want to relax and chill out? The island beaches are perfect for that. Beautiful white sand, space for everyone to spread out, even at holiday periods, and warm water to splash around in to your heart's content. Our favourites are Lighthouse Beach, on the south of Sanibel; the beach at the end of Captiva (just drive as far as you can!), and Lovers Key at the bottom of Estero Island (beyond Fort Myers beach).
Some want more action, at least some of the time. On Fort Myers Beach you can engage in all forms of active beach activities: parasailing, windsurfing, etc. You can hire a kayak, a bike, a boat or even a Harley Davidson, or visit a floating casino.
Then there's the fantastic wildlife, from the Everglades in the south, to the Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve on Sanibel, Corkscrew Swamp Preserve, manatees in the Caloosahatchee River (near the power plant) in the cooler months, and if you're really lucky, dolphins playing in the surf on the beaches. If you want to see dolphins from the beach, our experience is that Sanibel's Lighthouse beach is great for that, and some recent guests saw lots off Lovers Key in April. Here's a selection of the wildlife seen recently by us and guests:
Lakes Park is within easy walking distance of the house, and is great place just to walk of bike, or just hang out with the kids. There's a 2.5-mile paved trail for running, roller blading or biking. It has fresh water lakes, fishing for bass and catfish, and canoeing. There's also a Fragrance Garden, playground, fountain park, picnic areas, a great miniature train ride. It's a haven for all kinds of birds and other wildlife, including alligators. At Christmas, we saw eagles, osprey, wood stork, anhinga and lots, lots more.
Children of all ages will also the love the crazy golf in the area. There's good one near Lakes Park, and more on the road to Fort Myers beach. Over the river in Cape Coral there's Sunsplash Water Park, open April to October
Arcadia is the home of the rodeo in Florida, with real, live cowboys in action. And baseball fans can see Boston Red Sox or the Minnesota Twins play some of their pre-season warm up games just a mile down the road. And you're only an hour and a half from Busch Gardens, Tampa's very own theme park.
You could visit historic downtown Fort Myers, to see the historic and fascinating Ford & Edison houses and their wonderful gardens, and the Burroughs home. There are good theatres too. We love Sarasota, with its terrific Ringling Museum. The Mote aquarium is also good, and has a great boat trip with their own marine biologists to show you the marine life that lives in the bay. Terrific with children, of all ages. Naples is a great place to visit, and is just 40 minutes away. Tin City is in the heart of old Naples, and is a fun place to spend some time wandering. Venetian Bay is worth a visit (upscale boutiques and good dining). And if you fancy a slightly longer trip, the Dali museum and St Pete's Pier make for a great day out up on Tampa Bay.
The dining in the area covers the range from all the expected family favourites to haute cuisine. We especially love the seafood. Here are just a few we've particularly enjoyed:
Jacaranda is quite a special place to eat. Matzaluna's is really great for kids (and anyone who likes to create art whilst they eat - wax crayons are available for all guests)! A recent discovery is Greenhouse Grill. These are all on Sanibel.
Matzaluna's is part of a group of restaurants that we are eating our way through. We have yet to be disappointed. Prawnbroker, on McGregor Boulevard, is the latest addition to our list, and we were impressed. The food was great, and the atmosphere. It's a really nice place to go, for tourists and residents alike. For the car spotters amongst you, there's plenty of automobile real estate in the car aprk.
Joe's Crab Shack in downtown Fort Myers is a must for anyone who loves seafood, and has a great view over the water across the Caloosahatchee.
Pincher's Crab Shack on the way to Fort Myers Beach is great for a buzzy atmosphere, great for kids & adults alike. If you want an beach bar with a bit of life about it and some night time action, Junkanoo, also on Fort Myers Beach, is a beach bar & dance club that comes highly recommended. And if you don't want to go that far, try Fishmonger, an un-prepossessing place from the outside, on the right before you get to the bridge over onto Fort Myers Beach. It has some of the best food we've eaten in the area. And not just fish - the ribs are fantastic, and the Key Lime Pie is to die for! It's a fun place to eat, with wall to wall fish tanks to watch in-between courses.
And not least, the Mucky Duck on Captiva, which has the best sunset view you can imagine (we think so, at least). Last st but not least, there's the shopping.
Within a three-minute walk or a 60-second drive is a super Sweetbay supermarket / grocery store. It has excellent fresh produce and foods such as sushi, fish and steaks and an extensive selection of everyday and fine US and international wines. It opens until late every day (typically 11.00 p.m.) And if you're arriving very late and tired, 7-11 (24 hour convenience store and gas / petrol) is literally just round the corner. A real life-saver in an emergency. Blockbuster, Walgreens (for British guests, this is the equivalent of Boots), the UPS store (for stamps for your postcards, FAX, etc) and more are just round the corner by the Publix supermarket / grocery store.
And for fashion, the huge Miromar Outlets, Tanger Outlet Mall, Bell Tower Shops and other shopping malls are all within a 15 minute drive. Miromar has the biggest and best selection of upscale designer stores for miles. The small Tanger Mall is on the way to Sanibel, and is also pretty good; check out the Italian deli in the back right corner; great sandwiches. Wal-Mart is within 10 minutes and has all the usual great bargains. Bell Tower Mall has a large multiplex cinema, as well as a good selection of great shops, including Fresh Market - if you're from the UK, think Waitrose.
Slightly further afield, there are 2 other places. St Armand's circus on Lido Key, just by Sarasota is a great place to hang out & do a little window shopping in the upscale boutiques all around it. Near to both the Ringling museum and the Mote aquarium, it makes a good place to spend a little time & eat. Also worth knowing about for the 'Abercrombie & Fitch' brigade is the Coastlandcenter Mall at Naples.
If you want to use this holiday to get or stay fit, there is an excellent health club within 5 minutes. Myerlee Fitness, near the house on Winkler Rd at Myerlee Plaza, is great. Friendly, very well equipped, and the owner does deals by the day, week or any other combination. Bikes are for hire on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and elsewhere.