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It’s not just the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel Island that lure people in. The nine communities that make up this coastal expanse are packed with action. Our guide takes you from secluded islands to century-old estates, with some unexpected stops in between. Let’s get moving!

By Amanda Gleason

Stay here...

South Seas Island Resort Paddleboarding, kayaking, and WaveRunner tours await at this resort, surrounded by a wildlife preserve and 2.5 miles of shell-covered shoreline.

The Cabbage Key Inn This secluded island hideaway invites you to unplug with your own cottage and private dock.

Bridgewater Inn Experience reel life just inches from the world’s “ﬁshingest” bridge, or throw a line out your back door at this over-water inn, a favorite of anglers.

Hit the high seas and…

Go With the Flow

Ready to get carried away? Let the wind do the work in a two-hour introductory sailing class at the Offshore Sailing School. Founded by Steve Colgate, whose curriculum vitae includes the America’s Cup trials and the Olympics, the school has graduated some 125,000 seaworthy students since its opening in 1964. The classroom? A 26-foot keelboat on which you’ll adjust the sails for different wind conditions as well as master jibing and tacking, two turning maneuvers that change the wind from one side of the vessel to the other. Steadfast seafarers can take advantage of the school’s weeklong or private family courses, or its sailing certification program, in which students live and learn onboard a yacht for six days. “There’s just something about the feeling of adventure you get from being out of sight of land and ready to handle whatever nature has in store for you,” Colgate says. Anchors aweigh!

Find a keepsake at…

Savvy On First Revamp your wardrobe with sea-glass jewelry and handbags made from recycled soda can tabs at this funky, eco-friendly boutique.

Norman Love Confections At this sweet shop, indulge in five flavors of dark chocolate made from cocoa beans grown in different regions around the globe.

Art aficionados can get inspired while…

Gallery Hopping

Home to 13 independent art galleries and craft shops, the community of Matlacha (pronounced MAT-luh-shay) is splashed in turquoise, canary yellow, and purple. Step inside Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens to ponder a piece of Beatles-inspired artwork by local artist Leoma Lovegrove, or paint a coconut to send back home. Next door at WildChild Art Gallery, work from more than 120 Florida artists is on display. (Check out Jan Bailey’s intricate woodcarvings of local fish.) Keep the creative vibes flowing back in downtown Fort Myers, where, on the first Friday of each month, at least 10 art galleries—along with a slew of shops, restaurants, and bars—stay open late so you can paint the town well into the night.

Settle in for an evening at…

Bubble Room One towering slice of rum cake can easily feed three people at this quirky restaurant, which stays aglow in holiday lights year-round.

Blu Sushi The artful cuisine lures you in, but the fantastical cocktails keep you around. Sip on the favorite “Aloha Mr. Edison.”

The Veranda Flash back to the early 1900s as you feast upon Gulf shrimp cocktail at this seafood haven, housed in two turn-of-the-century homes.

Landlubbers can sift the sand on a…

Conch Quest

Around here you might see people contorting their bodies in a move known locally as the “Captiva Crouch.” Worry not if you don’t have rhythm—the name refers to the position shell seekers assume as they comb the 50 miles of area beaches, where some 400 shell varieties are strewn on the sand. Perfect the pose on a half- or full-day shelling excursion with Captiva Cruises to remote Cayo Costa State Park, accessible only by boat, where you’ll scour the land for perfectly preserved starfish, conch shells, and sand dollars. Keep your eyes peeled for the grand prize: the rare, brown-speckled junonia, which will earn you a spot in the local paper if found. Pack a picnic (the island is restaurant-free), and toss in some clear fingernail polish—coating your sand dollars helps lock in their ivory color.

You'll want to check out…

Sanibel Sea School Kids and adults alike can soak up knowledge on local ecosystems before exploring them with expert guides at this marine life education center.

Florida Repertory Theatre Holiday favorites such as It’s a Wonderful Life come alive in the historic Arcade Theatre built in 1908.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Drive, bike, or hike your way through this 6,400-acre expanse known for its large population of migratory birds.

Curious about Edison and Ford?

Tour The Estates

In 1886 the finishing touches were put on Thomas Edison’s vacation empire, a vast spread fronting Fort Myers’ Caloosahatchee River that served as a winter escape from his New Jersey home. In 1916, Henry Ford bought the house next door. Today visitors can tour the 20-acre site where these American masterminds used to fish, picnic, and entertain presidents. Amble through Edison’s house, a green-shuttered beauty ringed by a sprawling veranda; saunter down Royal Palm Alleé, a grandiose path that leads from Ford’s home to the river; or try to ID some of the 1,700 types of plants growing on-site (you can’t miss the colossal Indian banyan tree). This month, stick around after hours during Holiday Nights, when the illuminated homes remain open until 9 p.m. Now that’s a bright idea.

Getting There Fly into Southwest Florida International Airport, about 16 miles southeast of downtown Fort Myers.

Getting Around Rent wheels to traverse the network of bike routes that zigzags throughout the area. More than 25 marinas make boat travel an easy option, too. thebikeroute.com, southwestfloridamarinas.com

Getting Out Watch decked-out boats float by at the Captiva Village Holiday Boat Parade on December 10.

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