The Fort Myers area offers boaters every amenity on and offshore.
Fort Myers, Florida, is a fabulous place to visit by water. The city has everything a boater wants, including wonderful marinas, beaches, nature, culture, a great downtown, and easy access to shopping and restaurants. Unfortunately, the area was deeply impacted by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. Marinas and anchorages on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, downtown Fort Myers, and neighboring Cape Coral were all affected. Many marinas were destroyed and have not yet been rebuilt. But those that have are excited to welcome boaters back to the area. Progress is being made daily, so it is worth a call at the time of your visit to see if a marina’s status has changed.
Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach is on Estero Island so it’s easy to reach by boat. If you decide to stay at the beach, you have a few options of where to dock. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina is located right on the Gulf at the end of Estero Island. Docking is on the north side of the island just inside Matanzas Pass with the hotel across the street directly on the beach. Dockage includes access to full resort amenities such as pools, restaurants, the beach, and spa. The marina has floating docks with 30-, 50-, and 100-amp power and a pump-out. Rates are among the most expensive in the area due to the amenities. It’s a lovely resort although the boat slips roll with passing wakes during the day. You can always choose to stay in the hotel if you want a break from the boat. Pink Shell is about a mile walk to other restaurants on Fort Myers Beach. pinkshell.com
The Matanzas Pass Mooring Field is centrally located at the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge and is run by the town of Fort Myers Beach. All reservations are made via Dockwa. The mooring field has access to a public dinghy dock as well as many restaurants and shops.
Snook Bight Marina is in the middle of Estero Island. It offers wet slips as well as dry dock storage and boat rentals. The marina suffered storm damage, but the docks have been rebuilt. Snook Bight has a pool, boater’s lounge, and restaurants on-site and is across the street from a public beach that is far less crowded and beautiful. The marina has a fuel dock and pump-out, and shares the parking lot with Publix, so provisions are very easy to access. If you want to be on the beach but out of the fray of the touristy crowds, this may be a good choice. Snook Bight is almost three miles to downtown restaurants. snookbightmarina.com
Most hotels have not reopened on Fort Myers Beach; however, a brand-new Margaritaville Beach Resort (margaritavilleresorts.com) did open right at the center of town in December 2023, if you are looking for a place to stay on shore. Head north to Captiva, and ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa (tween-waters.com) has a marina that is open, as well as other hotel lodging.
What to Do
One of the best meals on Fort Myers Beach is just over the Matanzas Pass Bridge: Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille (docfords.com). Uber, walk, or bike over the bridge or take your dinghy to Doc Ford’s dock. Dixie Fish Company (dixiefishfmb.com) and Bonita Bill’s (bonitabills.com) waterfront café are on this side as well. On the beach side of the bridge are Nervous Nellie’s (nervousnellies.net), Snug Harbor (snugharbor.restaurant), and Matanzas Inn (matanzas.com) for good dining options. Many more places are still being rebuilt and hope to be back open soon.
Take in some history of the area by stopping by the Mound House which is built on an ancient Calusa Indian shell mound on Estero Island. The Mound House offers kayak and eco tours, guided walks, and other exhibits. moundhouse.org
You can reach Sanibel and Captiva Islands from Fort Myers Beach. If you have access to a car or want to take your boat out for a quick ride, they are an easy trip.
Enjoy the beaches, fabulous shelling, and restaurants or visit the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The wildlife refuge is part of a large undeveloped mangrove ecosystem and home to many birds and other animals. The free visitor’s center offers a detailed education of the area. For $10 per vehicle, you can drive through the refuge stopping at several points to walk trails and climb lookouts. Time your visit with low tide for best viewing! dingdarlingsociety.org
Downtown Fort Myers
If you choose to travel up the Caloosahatchee River to downtown Fort Myers, you will find many things to do and places to see, but all three downtown marinas were destroyed by Ian. The Marina at Edison Ford (marinaedisonford.com) is the only marina that has been rebuilt to date; however, due to a landlord dispute the marina remains closed. They plan to open either October 1st or November 1st, so call first. It is located behind/below Pinchers restaurant, providing very easy access to a drink or quick meal. The Marina at Edison Ford has fixed docks, 30- and 50- amp power, and a pump-out available. It’s a 15- to 20-minute walk downtown and very close to Publix for provisions (about two blocks).
One highlight of downtown Fort Myers is the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Located a block from the Marina at Edison Ford, the estates encompass gardens, a museum, and the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Opt to tour the free gardens at your leisure or pay to tour the museum and/or the winter estates. The museum is a great mix of the history of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s careers along with the fun Ford, Edison, and Harvey Firestone all had together in their earlier years. The museum is quite interesting, but the walking tour of the winter estates is fantastic. The winter estates are set on gorgeously manicured grounds, and learning about the houses and peeking inside is a treat. Choose to do a self-guided audio tour or a guided tour. The tour provides several interesting tidbits about the contributions Edison and Ford brought to downtown Fort Myers.
Historic downtown Fort Myers has lots to offer from shopping to dining to theater and public art exhibits. Downtown has an active calendar filled with Friday night Art and Music walks and other similar events and festivals. There are too many restaurants to name, but some favorites are: Al Capone’s for brick-oven pizza, Izzy’s Fish and Oyster for fish, The Lodge for barbecue, Firestone for fine dining, Mason’s for lobster rolls, and Ford’s Garage for great burgers. Scoops on First is a good choice for ice cream. Several downtown venues have live music many nights of the week. Moving into the square, the 86 Room has live music Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, and the square has an outdoor stage and concerts many Friday and Saturday nights.
Looking for something quieter? The Florida Repertory Theatre is in the historic Arcade Theatre (floridarep.org). You may also want to check out the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center for a variety of art exhibits and special events as well as its rooftop live music schedule (sbdac.com).
If you have a car available, visit Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve (sloughpreserve.org), just about a 15-minute drive from downtown. It is very similar to Ding Darling on Sanibel; however, from downtown, this is much closer and easier to get to. The Interpretive Center is free and contains a very detailed museum. Once finished there, head out on the trails choosing between two loops. Both are on a well-maintained boardwalk. You may even spot an alligator.
If you want a couple of nights off the boat, the Luminary Hotel downtown is very popular. luminaryhotel.com
Marinas Near Downtown Fort Myers
Cape Coral is just across the Caloosahatchee River and has Cape Harbour (a Safe Harbor marina) that was undamaged and offers transient slips. To access the marina, boat through the remnants of the Chiquita Lock. Large boats make it through each day, but boaters should be aware of the swift current for the short run through.
This marina offers pools, restaurants, live music, and laundry on-site, as well as a fuel dock and pump-out. All the Cape Harbour shops and restaurants are walkable from the marina. You will need a car or an Uber to get to downtown Fort Myers. shmarinas.com
The Boat House Tiki Bar and Grill in Cape Coral has a fuel dock and a long and usually very busy face wall for shallow docking. A dinghy or any smaller center console boat can tie up here. theboathouseusa.com
Farther north on the Caloosahatchee on the way to or from Lake Okeechobee is Hinckley Sweetwater Landing Marina. It offers some transient slips as well as a pump-out and fuel dock (gas only). The Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill in Fort Myers is on-site and provides daily live music, a pool, and outdoor dining on the river. The Boat House also has many slips for dinghies or small day boats to dock while you eat. Hinckley Sweetwater is about a 25-minute drive downtown.
With everything to offer from great beaches to fantastic food and live music options, the Fort Myers area has something for everyone.
-by Laura Stein
