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Fort Myers & Sanibel: Find Your Favorite Island

You’ll know it when you see it… Your island. And the chances are that it’s located in the paradise on earth that it southwest Florida. Here’s the lowdown on the region’s islands - so that you can pick your favorite…

Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach

Estero Island, which is home of Fort Myers Beach, has been long recognized as one of the “world’s safest beaches” because of its gently sloping shoreline. The sand is particularly soft and white, like powdered sugar. Numerous marinas operate boating and fishing charters and the local restaurants benefit from the catch, which generally includes red snapper and grouper. And if your idea of a getaway involves going shoeless the entire time, Fort Myers Beach has the perfect dress code for you.

Sanibel Island

Cross the magical Sanibel Causeway and all of your worries will vanish! Sanibel is known worldwide for its shell-collecting opportunities and the associated posture referred to as the "Sanibel Stoop". The island’s main street, Periwinkle Way, is lines with shops and restaurants from the Sanibel Lighthouse to Tarpon Bay Road, so you’ll find plenty of souvenirs and tasty treats along the way. What won’t you find? Buildings taller “than the tallest palm tree” – because that’s against the law on Sanibel Island.

Captiva Island

Captive Island is all about natural beauty. More remote than Sanibel, the island offers a laid back pace, several great restaurants, beautiful beaches and sunset views. The best sunset views can be found at the Mucky Duck, the area’s British pub, at the north end of Captiva on picturesque Andy Rosse Lane, where sunset-watching has been a tradition since 1976.

Gasparilla Island

Historic charm, cute shops and great restaurants draw travelers off the main roads to Gasparilla Island, home of the sophisticated little beach town of Boca Grande, founded by the wealthy DuPont family in the late 1800s. Accessible by boat and car via a causeway, this island offers fishing, shelling and lots of family fun. Travel + Leisure magazine named Boca Grande one of its 50 Best Romantic Getaways.

Pine Island

Step back in time on Pine Island to reminisce a period when fishing reigned as the area’s largest industry. Accessible by land via "the fishingest bridge in the USA" at Matlacha, the island is 17 miles long. With fruit and tree farms, no stop lights, miles of countryside and even a cattle farm, Pine Island feels like you’ve traveled inland rather than out-island. It is also home to the Calusa Heritage Trail, the largest Indian shell mound in Southwest Florida.

Cayo Costa

If you want to be a castaway, this is your island! Cayo Costa ranks as one of Boating World magazine’s “Great Escapes”. The beach at Cayo Costa State Park was named among the world’s best “hidden beaches” by Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s website www.Concierge.com. The state park is also popular with day visitors for its snorkeling and fishing opportunities.

Cabbage Key

A hidden paradise located on a unique 100-acre island reminiscent of days gone by. Built by famed playwright and mystery author Mary Roberts Rinehart in 1938 on a Calusa Indian shell mound 38 feet above sea level, the original inn and restaurant features the famous dollar bill bar and cheeseburgers in paradise. The restaurant walls, beams and ceilings are plastered with 70,000 $1 bills, a tradition that began in 1941 when a fisherman signed and taped his last dollar to the wall. When he returned, he would have money to buy a beer.

If you’d like to explore southwest Florida’s gorgeous islands this spring, book yourself a stay at the beachfront Best Western PLUS Beach Resort Hotel. When you’re not busy island hopping, you can enjoy uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Mexico from your private balcony.