Head to Florida’s southwest coast for outdoor fun, great food, beaches, and history. Explore fun things to do around Fort Myers Beach.
I opened floor-to-ceiling shutters inside my room at Outrigger Beach Resort. I caught my breath as I gazed on sparkling Gulf waters, white sand, and tall palms through the sliding glass doors. I couldn’t wait to discover all of the fun things to do around Fort Myers Beach, FL. This is a great spot for a relaxing beach vacation.
Exploring Outrigger Beach Resort at Fort Myers Beach
I started my own exploration of the area by wandering around Outrigger Beach Resort. My Beachfront Efficiency room was very welcoming. In addition to those floor-to-ceiling views, a dining table with four chairs stood beside the fully equipped kitchenette. Two queen beds flanked the adjacent sitting area and wall-mounted television.
Sunlight pours into my Beachfront Efficiency, through sliding glass doors. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
During our first evening here, our small group shared dinner and drinks at the expansive Deckside Café. Live music played and a crowd congregated near the adjoining TikiBar. Many people walked barefoot, often with cups full of shells. Just before sunset, a parasailer floated above calm water.
Beachfront guest accommodations afford gorgeous views of beaches and water. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
I returned to my room as a full moon rose. With my lights burning low, I took several photos before quickly closing the large shutters. Between May 1 and Halloween, all Fort Myers guests staying in beachside rooms must close their shutters or curtains to protect nearby nesting turtles. The Town of Fort Myers Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Ordinance also requests that people avoid using flash photography or flashlights on the beach at night. Lights disturb nesting turtles and their hatchlings. Guests must also avoid touching turtles or their nests.
The next morning, I was delighted to see a turtle nest, during an early beach walk. Another guest pointed out a small crab resting on the sand. After I returned to the resort, I grabbed a solo breakfast at the café, savoring a huge Spanish omelet. Thick humidity covered the tabletop and a tiny lizard skittered across a nearby wall. Patrons chatted with the servers. I was ready to discover all the fun things to do around Fort Myers.
Exploring Lovers Key State Park
My first stop was Lovers Key State Park, home to four barrier islands. Inside the park, a knowledgeable guide prepared us to take a short kayak trip in an estuary. From our two-person watercraft, we briefly saw several manatees as we waited for other kayakers to enter the water.
The top edge of one deep gray manatee back slightly crested above, and then glided beneath the water. Several yards away we saw the top of a manatee head and one eye, as the massive creature played in the placid water.
“You’re lucky,” said our guide. “They don’t come out all the time.” I couldn’t stop grinning.
A manatee swims in the Orange River near a kayak in Fort Myers, Florida. Photo by LagunaticPhoto via iStock by Getty Images
Throughout the kayak tour, our guide shared area history and information about local vegetation. Mangroves grow plentifully here. So do lush stands of short palms. They intermingle with pine trees whose branches grow at least 10 feet above the ground. After our kayak adventure, a quick tram ride to the park beach revealed two miles of pristine sand and calm waters along Estero Bay.
This Lovers Key State Park beach had plenty of activity on a late October afternoon. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
We also visited a not-for-profit education facility overseen by Friends of Lovers Key. Since May 2021, gatherings here have educated those of all ages about the area’s barrier islands and fabricated canals. There’s an Eco-Arts Summer Camp for kids, a Speakers Series, and Nature at Noon programs. Trails for Tails and Artist-in-residence are other favorite activities.
Things to Do in Estero Bay Preserve State Park
Outdoor experiences abound inside nearby Estero Bay Preserve State Park, making this another great option for fun things to do around Fort Myers Beach. Rent a boat or paddle a kayak, hop on a bike, or take a hike amid natural beauty. Camp or picnic and then view plentiful birds and other wildlife species. This 10,000-acre park is also a great place for unobstructed star gazing.
Dining in the Fort Myers Beach Area
Of course, when you have so much fun while exploring the Fort Myers Beach area, you have to stop for meal. I enjoyed lunch at Fort Myers Beach’s all open-air Dixie Fish Co., established in 1937. I chowed down on a gigantic, delicious BLTAE sandwich. A Southern twist on the classic, it featured fried green tomato and fried egg, plus avocado and spicy mayo served on sourdough.
I couldn’t get enough of this delicious riff on a classic BLT, at Dixie Fish Co., in Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
I also considered ordering the Grouper taco, with slaw and mango jalapeño sauce. As we enjoyed our meal, we could see dozens of boats tethered in adjacent waters.
On a different day, we drove about half an hour to Pine Island. Our first stop was the four-star Tarpon Lodge Restaurant, which occupies a welcoming 1926 Bokeelia lodge building. Inside an expansive dining room wrapped with fine mesh screens and white woodwork owner, Rob Wells greeted our group. Macrame-covered hanging lamps, rope-wrapped posts, and sculpted wood fish surrounded us. Waters at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor flanked a wide green space and tall palms immediately behind the restaurant.
Housed in a 1926 building, Tarpon Lodge restaurant serves up old-school charm alongside tasty meals. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
The charming building also featured original wood floors, brick fireplaces, and taxidermied fish. Near an antique map in the foyer, tropical prints decorated chair cushions. As I savored Blackened Fish Tacos with black beans and rice, others enjoyed meal-sized salads, massive burgers, and crab cakes.
Exploring Pine Island
After lunch, we departed for the neon-bright buildings of Matlacha (mat-la-shay). The little town reflects a longstanding artistic community on this island. More than 200 members comprise the Pine Island Art Association, which began upwards of four decades ago inside the old Matlacha Fire Station.
At Island Visions (gallery), we explored multiple rooms of nature-inspired art. A swimming manatee and crowded beach filled painted canvases. Carved flamingos awaited the perfect garden spot. Handcrafted glass and ceramic jewelry reflected nature’s color palette and shapes.
Psychedelic colors marked many Matlacha buildings, including Leoma Lovegrove Gallery and Gardens. Photo by Lisa Waterman Gray
Our next stop was Leoma Lovegrove Gallery and Gardens. Floor-to-ceiling brilliant-hued paintings and three-dimensional art filled indoor walls and a lush, waterfront garden. Perhaps Lovegrove’s most intriguing piece was her massive outdoor mural. It was her ‘take’ on how the Beatles appeared on their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Along the same thoroughfare, I briefly stopped by a tiny clothing shop and CW Fudge Factory.
Remembering Local History
In Bokeelia, we also spent time at The Randell Research Center and Pineland Archaeological Site. Celebrating 20+ years, this site was home to a Calusa village for more than 1,500 years. When Spaniards arrived, during the 1500s, they considered the Calusa to be a race of giants. Calusa males averaged 5’8” tall versus the Spanish male, each of which averaged about 5’2” tall.
The Calusa people practiced communal living atop 17 mounds built with shells; today only five remain. They used shells and shark teeth for tools, as the only stone available was limestone. By the 1600s, the Calusa people held 60 towns. But they were hounded out of this area by the early 1700s, moving south through Florida. Finally, many were sold into slavery and shipped to Cuba, where most died of foreign diseases.
Much of the Calusa history has been pieced together via missionary journals. A memoir by the translator (Hernando de) Escalante Fontaneda has provided more important background information. And their painted/sculpted artwork is among the most renowned in North America.
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Enjoy the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Photo by Jillian Cain via iStock by Getty Images
Finding More Fun Things to Do Around Fort Myers Beach
We didn’t have nearly enough time to explore all the fun things to do around Fort Myers Beach and its adjacent communities. But great destinations, weather, and people created a terrific trip. Be sure to check out Wander for more great ideas on where to visit in Florida and more of our favorite hotels that serve as home bases when you travel.
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