Fort Myers Beach Florida Vacation

Fort Myers Beach Florida vacation, All Year  More Pictures  |  Map  |  More Info

The area around the Fort Myers Beach Pier is a popular family beach destination with a full day of activities just steps away. We always try to get parking here at the Lynn Hall Memorial Park because it is so convenient and easy for a full day at the beach. It's paid parking but there are showers and restrooms, the fishing pier, a variety of restaurants and shops right on the beach. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico in Fort Myers is typically calm and warm to hot; great if you don't want to jump waves or boogy board though. I think one of the most unique experiences comes at low tide. The sandbar gets exposed and this allows you to walk far out and then just lounge in inches of water. You will have to go through a couple spots where the water is chest deep to get to the farthest sandbar but everybody is doing it and it really is a lot of fun.

If you are not interested in crowds then keep driving south away from times square where you will find numerous beach parking areas along Estero Drive. This is were you can gain some space between beach towels, shovels and buckets. Lovers Key State Park is about an 8 mile drive south from the Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier. It is one of four barrier islands and was listed as one of the top ten beaches in the U.S. Lovers Key Park has bay side and ocean side property. The park has a boat ramp and also offers kayak, canoe, and bike rentals. Most of the time we park at the first island of Lovers Key. You pull off the road, bumpy bump over some rough patches and onto a dirt area where people are parked. Most locals come here to fish from the beach and under the bridge. Here you can also walk all the way to the end of Lovers Key Beach and back, but it is a very long walk. We have done this a couple of times and both times we probably passed about ten people. However, if you want to look more civilized then drive to the official Lovers Key State Park headquarters and parking lot where you can take a tram around the state park.

The atmosphere around Times Square is lively with people walking around either fully clothed or in bathing suits. There are regular street performers, souvenir shops, outdoor dining as well as ice cream and pizza parlors. And to watch all the excitement just sit down anywhere to take it all in. Make sure you have your camera ready. There is always music playing in the area either coming from a boom box or the oceanfront grill. There is a volleyball net usually set up and plenty of beach to kick around a ball. Our two great memories at the pier are the sunsets and fireworks. There are beautiful skies with loads of color during sunsets which provide a terrific backdrop for a family picture. Another one of our favorite experiences was a Fourth of July firework display. The beach was crowded, the parking lot was at capacity and so were the streets, people everywhere, cops too, but I can't wait to do it again. The fireworks are shot off the end of the pier and when you look up to see them explode, if feels as if they are right on top of you. I actually had to give my neck a rest from time to time from looking up for so long.

The Lee County Trolley has a stop at Times Square and it runs along the beaches on Estero Boulevard with many stops. You can carry all of your beach stuff and fishing gear on the trolley too. There are a lot of marinas that offer boat rentals and fishing charters. This area of the Gulf Coast is well know for big game fishing in calm seas. Since you won't be surfing here you can rent jet skis instead or go parasailing.

Above: Picture of brown pelican on fishing pier in Fort Myers Beach. Pelicans and seagulls are all over the pier. They may seem brave but they are more scared of you than you should be of them even though they have a hook at the end of their bill. However, if you have a fish in your hands then the pelican's bravery scale goes up a few notches. Dog beach is a great place to visit even if you don't have a dog.

Towards the end of the day people start gathering around the beach and boardwalk just waiting to see the spectacular sunset of Fort Myers Beach. I think I have close to a hundred pictures of the sunsets and constantly changing sky of each day. It's hard to resist not filling your SD card or taking rolls of film trying to capture the beauty of the west coast sunsets on your Fort Myers Beach Florida vacation.

    

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