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Fort Myers Beaches

Fort Myers Beaches are located on Estero Island, just west of the city of Fort Myers. The beaches face San Carlos Bay, which itself is wide open to the Gulf of Mexico. The beaches are flat, sandy, and the water is shallow, but not very clear because of the tannin stained rivers emptying into the bay. Traffic congestion is a major problem on Estero Island and the city is trying to ease the problems by providing off-island parking and trolley service for beachgoers. The northern part of Estero Island in particular has a Key West party atmosphere, while the central and southern portions are mostly residential, with a few tall condominiums on the southern part of the island. All of the public beach accesses are on the northern and central part of the island.

Fort Myers Beach has a tremendous amount of accommodations of all types. From hotels, motels, and beach cottages to a few large resorts. There is a tourist shopping district and a large residential area.


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	Ft. Myers beach is wide and flat. Rather than being on the Gulf of Mexico, Ft. Myers Beach is on San Carlos Bay, which is wide open to the Gulf, but still not the Gulf. It is billed as the safest beach on the Gulf Coast, and this is probably true because of the very calm and shallow waters. At left is a late evening photo looking south. Note the large condominiums on the southern part of the Estero Island.

	Despite the overdeveloped situation on Estero Island, you will enjoy beach scenes like this one. Not too bad eh?

	The view of Ft. Myers pier from Lynn Hall Memorial Park beach. The pier sets the stage for the Key West-like atmosphere of the Times Square area of Ft. Myers beach with all its beach bars, restaurants, and shops. The beach is deserted because it is 8:30 am on a Sunday morning. This was the October morning that our clocks had to "fall back." Of course I forgot about this detail, so I was up and out of my hotel room an hour earlier than planned (and with an hour's less sleep). It was a good thing, because by 9:30 the parking lot was full. Cars were circling around the parking lot like sharks.

	At the north end of Estero Island is Bowditch Park. Back in 1996 when I first visited this park I was not impressed at all. Now it is a very beautiful and accessible place. This is a view of one of the shaded picnic areas.

	When you leave Estero Island to the south, you will come to Lover's Key State Park. This is a park which actually comprises 4 islands and their backwaters and beaches. There are some fairly secluded beaches here with very calm and shallow waters in this 1600 acre park. Beats the heck out of Disney, if you ask me.

	On top of Matanzas Bridge; view of Estero Island.

	Descending the tall Matanzas Bridge onto Estero Island. This is a birds-eye view of the "Times Square" area of Fort Myers Beach.

	Times Square area, near the pier, looking a lot like South Beach, Miami.

	An artistic rendering of the Times Square area, with the Matanzas Bridge visible in the distance, center.

	View of Ft. Myers Beach Pier from Lynn Hall Memorial Beach Park.

	The view north from the Ft. Myers Pier on a crowded fall weekend.

	The view south from the Ft. Myers Beach Pier. This is the "party" zone. Lots of beachfront hotels, motels, bars, restaurants, and shops.

	Halfway between Bowditch Park and the Pier, looking south toward the Pier.

	Ft. Myers Beach about mid island, in the residential area south of the Pier. Plenty of beachfront cottages for rent here.

	A view of the beach at Bowditch Park, looking north.

	Sunset over the Ft. Myers Beach Pier.

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Fort Myers Beach on BeachHunter.net

Fort Myers Beaches