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Florida’s South Gulf
Coast lies along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and much of the area’s charm and island ambience comes from the multitude
of barrier islands sprinkled along the coastline. It has the feel of ‘Old Florida’, with a relaxed, subtropical,
island-style environment. In addition to the many parks and wildlife refuges in the region, there is an abundance of
recreational activities: beachcombing, canoeing, golf, windsurfing, biking, tennis, boating, fishing, water-skiing and just
plain sightseeing.
The first tourist to visit Florida’s Lee Island Coast
was Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who deposited his stone marker on Pine Island in 1513 and was later mortally wounded in
these same waters by a Calusa Indian arrow. Shell mounds, which have provided an insight into the lives of these seafaring
Native Americans, can still be found on Pine Island.
Travel: Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) (website:
www.swfia.com) offers non-stop and connecting flights across the USA and Canada, provided by all the major US and Canadian airlines. Major
European destinations are easily accessible via connections through a number of US hubs, and services are available from France,
Germany, Sweden and the UK (travel time – approximately eight hours). Airport facilities include long-term and
short-term parking, a visitor information centre (provided by the Lee Island Coast Visitor & Convention Bureau) and car
rental. Lee Tran buses run between 0600 and 2200. Another bus service is provided on
an hourly basis to a transfer point located at Daniels Parkway and US State Highway 41. Connections can be made from
that point to the remainder of the Lee Tran bus routes.
Sanibel & Captiva
Islands: Unspoiled
yet luxurious, Sanibel Island is connected to the mainland by a scenic causeway that spans the waters of Pine Island Sound.
Sanibel is probably best known for the fabulous shells found on its shores, but the reputation of its beaches is growing.
Sanibel’s main thoroughfare, Periwinkle Way, is picturesque, lush with jungle and framed by a canopy of Australian pines.
Interesting shops and unique restaurants dot the road from the Sanibel Lighthouse to Tarpon Bay Road. A variety
of eateries offer everything from fine dining to casual seafood bars. Two attractions not to be missed are Lighthouse
Park and the J N ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge, occupying more than a third of the island. The
refuge features delightful footpaths, winding canoe trails and an 8km (5 mile) scenic drive, all of which are surrounded with
sea grape, wax and salt myrtles, red mangrove, palms and other native plant varieties. Naturalists will get their best
view of the wide variety of fauna and flora from observation towers strategically placed throughout the nature sanctuary.
A short span at Blind Pass joins Sanibel
to Captiva, an intimate hideaway where Spanish pirate José Gaspar held his female prisoners captive. Several barrier
islands are accessible from Captiva by boat. Other excursions include a shelling tour to Upper Captiva or a visit to
the Cayo Costa State Island Preserve.
Fort Myers & Area:
The city of Fort
Myers is perhaps best known for its palm-lined boulevards and Thomas Alva Edison’s winter home. Edison spent 46
winters in his old-Florida-style home, a tour of which provides an insightful look at this great inventor. His home,
laboratory and experimental gardens are located on 14 acres of land on the Caloosahatchee River. For 24km (15 miles),
McGregor Boulevard is lined on both sides with statuesque royal palm trees, the first 200 of which were imported from Cuba
and planted by Thomas Edison.
The
Caloosahatchee separates Fort Myers from Cape Coral, a boating community with more canals than Venice, Italy.
In addition to the Edison Home, visitors to Fort Myers, Cape Coral and the neighbouring towns of North Fort Myers, Lehigh
and Bonita Springs can enjoy a visit to Henry Ford’s home, the Lee County Nature Center and The Shell Factory.
Fishing is a
popular pastime in Southwest Florida. The waters are teeming with fish, from delicious red snappers and
grouper to game fish such as snook and tarpon. A short boat ride away, and connected to the mainland by a short causeway
near Punta Gorda, is Boca Grande, a slice of ‘Old Florida’ on Gasparilla Island. Long known as a playground
for the wealthy, this quaint, sleepy town is a favourite spot for sport fishing – tarpon is a popular catch here.
Further south are Estero Island and Fort Myers Beach, ideal for family holidays with its safe, gently sloping shoreline and
numerous activities.
Golf
aficionados will appreciate the fact that Southwest Florida has more golf holes per capita than any other destination in the
USA.
Naples:
Naples is a charming city with an atmosphere of understated elegance. Home to cosy beach cottages and 5-star resorts, Naples is also known for its pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife.
Both the ambience and the scenery are serene, thanks
to the easygoing demeanour of the Neapolitans and the city’s meticulously maintained thoroughfares, parks and shopping
areas. A stroll along Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South’s tree-lined avenues in ‘Olde Naples’
reveals a variety of gift boutiques, antique emporia, apparel shops and art galleries, as well as a range of cafés and restaurants.
The Old Marine Market Place at Tin City on Naples Bay reflects Neapolitan history at a time when the area supplied fresh fish
from tin-roofed warehouses. Not far away, The Village on Venetian Bay is reminiscent of a Mediterranean plaza with winding
waterways and walkways. At Waterside Shops, cascading waterfalls are the central point for major retailers, clothiers
and galleries. The Caribbean Gardens Zoological Park offers 21 hectares (53 acres) of rare, endangered animals and tropical
gardens. At the Teddy Bear Museum, almost 3000 bears in every shape and size are whimsically arranged.
Naples boasts more than 53 golf courses. Professional tournaments such as the PGA Greater Naples Intellinet Golf Challenge and the
Florida Senior Open take place throughout the year.
Tennis is a close second to golf
and Naples offers community courts in a park-like setting just blocks away from the beach.
Wildlife is also plentiful
in the Naples area. Numerous venues afford ample opportunities to view endangered species such as the manatee, the American bald
eagle, and the North American wood stork. Nature lovers will enjoy a real view of Old Florida along two miles of scenic
boardwalks in the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
South of Naples is Collier
Seminole State Park, featuring guided boat tours through mangrove forests along the Blackwater River.
Marco Island &
the Southwest: South of Naples is Marco Island, located at the southernmost tip of Florida’s Gulf Coast and nearly lost amongst the Ten Thousand Islands,
a maze of mangrove isles that stretch from Naples to the Florida Keys. It is an area of stunning beauty. Marco Island, the largest and only inhabited isle, is a retreat for the wealthy.
Its pampered perfection complements
the tangled wildness and sweeping sawgrass prairies of Florida’s famous Everglades National Park, which lies only an
hour away. The Everglades is the USA’s third-largest national park. Several excursions offer a glimpse of
the country’s only subtropical region, by means of airboat tours, nature trails and safari vans. The unassuming
fishing hamlets of Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island, both locked in time, offer visitors an interactive eco-adventure
in the inspirational beauty of Florida’s final frontier. For information on the eastern areas of the Everglades,
see the Southeast Florida and the Keys sections.
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