Southwest
Florida is what vacationing is all about,
with plenty of things to do and plenty of
ways to relax. You will delight in natural
habitats, wildlife refuge and endless uncrowded
beaches. Restaurants cater to a wide palette
of tastes and dining styles. If shopping
is your interest, your days will be filled
with unique treasures, outlet bargains and
Florida fare. If golf is your game, you
will love Southwest Florida where our courses
are in perfect playing condition year round.
Festivals, fares, concerts, professional
sports, live theater and historic sites
are only a few of the activities that will
entertain you during your stay.
Getting
here is easy. The Southwest Florida International
Airport in Fort Myers offers regularly scheduled
service from most domestic and international
cities. By car, Lee County is just a 3-hour
drive from Miami, a 2-hour drive from Tampa
and a 3-hour drive from Orlando. But we
must warn you that once you get here, you
won't want to leave.
Vacation lodging
in a nutshell
Secluded,
shell-strewn Sanibel and Captiva Islands
offer the optimal uncluttered, sophisticated
beach vacation retreat. These subtropical
islands, connected to the mainland by a
scenic three-mile causeway, are the southernmost
in a chain of barrier islands stretching
along the southwest Florida coast.
In
this minimally developed paradise you will
find no traffic lights, skyscrapers, neon
signs, or chain restaurants. Zoning ordinances
mandate that all human- made structures
blend naturally into the wilderness environment.
A
national wildlife refuge takes up a major
portion of Sanibel Island. Home to roseate
spoonbills, egrets, herons, alligators,
and otters, the J.N. "Ding" National Wildlife
Refuge offers rental guests open-air tram
rides with a naturalist on board. Visitors
can also drive, bike, walk, or canoe the
winding water and land routes.
World-renown
as a spectacular shelling destination, Sanibel
Island's beaches run for 12 miles along
the south. With more than 275 shell types
washing ashore, this island is considered
the best site in the nation for collecting
shells, and third best in the world.
At
the other end of the pleasure spectrum,
Sanibel Island also has plenty of chic shops,
galleries, restaurants, and resorts. All
are artfully sheltered from the roadway
by lush canopies of majestic palms, Australian
pines, and bright floral blooms.
Captiva
Island, ranked as one of the country's most
romantic beaches, is located toward Sanibel
Island's northern tip, connected by a short,
picturesque bridge. According to legend,
Captiva Island got its name when pirate
Jose Gaspar kept beautiful women captive
here in the late 1700s. Today Captiva Island's
white beaches are legendary. More remote
than Sanibel Island, Captiva Island abounds
with outdoor beauty. It was in this peaceful
haven that Anne Morrow Lindberg, wife of
the well-known aviator, penned "A Gift from
the Sea," her best-selling memoir. The contemplative
volume includes chapters such as, "The Beach,"
"Moon Shell," and "Oyster Bed," reflecting
the treasures to be discovered here. This
tiny sliver of land contains four miles
of sandy beaches.
Off
the coast of Captiva Island and Sanibel
Island, part of Florida's Tropical Island
Getaway, are more than 100 islands. Many
are uninhabited mangrove clusters, while
others boast spectacular beaches. From
the marina, Captiva Cruises launches boat
rides to many of the outer islands, including
Cabbage Key, where Jimmy Buffet is said
to have written the words to the popular
song "Cheeseburger in Paradise."
Other
cruise vacation destinations are Useppa
Island, Boca Grande, and Cayo Costa Island.
On almost every trip, cruisers spot dolphins
jumping playfully in the wake of the vessel.
For dining, a fun place to enjoy a hearty
meal and a quirky environment is at Captiva
Island's Bubble Room, which features memorabilia
from the 1930s-1950s. The unique decor captures
the anything-goes-attitude of this tropical
island vacation hideaway.
Another
favorite is Mucky Duck, on the Captiva Island
waterfront, specializing in tantalizingly
fresh seafood. Sanibel Island offers a wider
array of dining and vacation rental options.
They also offer a dinner cruise aboard a
custom-made yacht.
To
reach this Gulf of Mexico getaway, 17 miles
southwest of Fort Myers, take Interstate
75 to Exit 21 (Daniels Parkway) west to
Summerlin Road. Get on the Sanibel Island
Causeway, pay the $3 round-trip toll, and
cross into the coast of seashells. Periwinkle
Drive is Sanibel Island's main thoroughfare.
It leads to Gulf Drive, which is lined with vacation
rentals to fit the needs of any type of
visitor. In
Captiva Island, Captiva Road is the major
passageway. A friendly Visitor's Center
is posted on the causeway on the way to
the island.
Valinda Almeida, Contributing Writer
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