Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Here’s a good article about Fort Myers Beach in Florida. Apparently, you can have the best of both beach worlds; busy party like beaches, or quiet undeveloped beaches.

Fort Myers Beach, Fla. — I was definitely overdressed as I strolled the sand in my T-shirt and shorts, carefully stepping around barely clad sunbathers baking on the beach.

It could have been a scene from my youth, this long stretch of shoreline packed with bronzed bodies, seemingly unaware of the decades-long warnings about cancer and wrinkles that forced many of us to cover up years ago.

Indeed, this was the beach of my youth. My grandparents bought land on this barrier island, seven miles long and a mile wide at its fattest, in the early 1960s, long before the king conch was replaced on his throne by the high-rise condo.

I returned last spring to see what had become of this sandy strand from my past, the place I chased crabs, constructed castles and searched the surf for sand dollars.

In fact, aside from a few more condo complexes and some cheesy T-shirt shops, it’s largely the same.

At the northern end: a public beach and pier, packed day and night with families, couples and college spring-breakers looking to score.

At the southern end: idyllic Lovers Key State Park, a perfect antidote to the crowds, more than 1,600 acres of undeveloped land where kayakers and beach walkers have permanently won the battle with developers.

In between: miles-long stretches of condos and hotels on a nearly perfect span of sand. The beach has been dubbed “the world’s safest” because of its gentle slope and lack of any undertow.

If only it all was a bit easier to get to.

We sat in our rental car for 40 minutes on a Sunday afternoon, inching across the two-lane Matanzas Pass Bridge, which connects the island to the city of Fort Myers. Depending on the time of day and year, the wait to cross the bridge can be a few minutes or a few hours; late-morning crossings during the winter and spring are almost always bumper-to-bumper.

And because the slender island is served by just one main north-south route (Estero Boulevard), the congestion rarely eases once you’re off the bridge. It can take hours to travel the length of the island, en route to your condo or restaurant, the community pool or Beach Movie Theater.

So either plan your arrival right or park your car for the afternoon and head for the water.

If you like your beach bustling, spread your towel at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, known simply as “the public beach” when I was a kid (it was renamed in 1979 after a sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed there).

Here you’ll find parasailing and Jet Ski rentals, kids balancing on Boogie boards, even a man pushing an ice cream cart down the hard sand. When I was there, an Eric Clapton cover band playing in a nearby bar entertained the beach front while a trio of students started a pickup volleyball game.

It’s a grand, greasy mix of kids, coeds and couples.

The center of the action is the 600-foot-long public pier, packed with both real anglers and those angling for attention. It even has its own gift shop.

Adjacent to the beach is the community’s downtown area, known as Times Square, filled with outdoor eateries, tattoo and piercing parlors, and shops jammed with shell art and T-shirts with silly sayings (“I only drink beer on days that end in Y”).

Your teen will love it here, guaranteed.

In an effort to avoid Estero Boulevard traffic, my husband and I made an early morning visit to Lovers Key, one of Florida’s busiest parks, and had the place almost to ourselves.

Crossing a footbridge on the walk to the beach, we saw hundreds of schooling stingrays in the briny water below, which by itself was worth the price of admission (yes, Florida state parks charge an entrance fee; $5 per vehicle).

Thankfully, the beachcombers here seem far more interested in searching for shells than showing off body art.

IF YOU GO

Getting there

Nearly every major airline flies into Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers. Fares vary widely depending on time of year and when you book.

Getting around

In an effort to ease congestion on the Fort Myers Beach, LeeTran, the region’s public transportation system, runs a shuttle bus along Estero Boulevard, the beach’s main drag. But most people end up renting a car anyway, to get to the beach from the airport. The shuttle buses get stuck in the same traffic as the cars and motorcycles, but at least you’re not adding to the pollution.

Where to stay

• The condo is king on Fort Myers Beach, which has about 50,000 total overnight units, including hotels and campsites. Our choice was the Silver Sands Villas, a small complex two blocks from the action at Times Square. Twenty brightly colored condos set amid lush landscaping give this place a Key West feel. Because of its location across the street from the beach, the prices, even during high season, are reasonable: $179 to $219 per night. www.silversands-villas.com .

• For a resort atmosphere, try the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, on the beach a short walk from the public pier. www.pinkshell.com .

Where to eat

Leave your South Beach duds at home; casual dining is the rule here.

• Matanzas Inn, a waterfront restaurant on the bay side of Fort Myers Beach, has local favorites, including stuffed grouper, steamed shrimp and gator tail (no, it’s not illegal to eat alligator, and, yes, it tastes like chicken). www.matanzasrestaurant.com .

• JoJo’s at the Beach, a colorful, open-air restaurant at the Pink Shell Beach Resort; try the shrimp and Key lime pie. www.pinkshell.com .

Attractions

The entire beachfront is public, with more than 30 access points along Estero Boulevard (parking is $1 per hour). On the rare bad-weather day, head into town and tour the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, the Southwest Florida Museum of History or the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum. www.fortmyers-sanibel.com ; 1-800-237-6444.

Posted on November 6, 2007 - Filed Under Beach Vacations, Beaches to Avoid, Recommended Beaches and Places

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