Start from 38 curated places around Fort Myers, FL, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
The Veranda
Two restored turn-of-the-century homes connected into a fine-dining landmark that has anchored Fort Myers' special-occasion dining scene for decades. The menu draws from Southern regional traditions — grouper, rack of lamb, shrimp-and-grits — and the courtyard under the live oaks is among the most romantic settings in Southwest Florida.
Izzy's Fish and Oyster
New England-style seafood in the heart of downtown, with raw bar selections, lobster rolls, and Gulf catch prepared simply and well. The casual waterfront-style interior draws a relaxed crowd and the raw bar tends to be where the most interesting orders happen.
Trails & outdoors
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Boardwalk
A one-mile elevated boardwalk threading through one of Southwest Florida's most productive urban wetlands, where alligators are a near-certain sighting and great blue herons work the water below foot level. The boardwalk is easy enough for all ages and offers the most concentrated wildlife encounter accessible from Fort Myers.
John Yarbrough Linear Park Trail
A 10-mile paved multi-use trail following the Ten Mile Canal through the urban core of Fort Myers, flat, well-maintained, and genuinely popular with cyclists, joggers, and anyone who wants distance without traffic. The canal scenery is quiet for a city environment and herons and ibis work the banks throughout.
Things to do
Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center
A restored Neoclassical federal building on First Street that has become the cultural anchor of the River District, with a programming calendar that runs from independent film and gallery exhibitions to live concerts, theatrical performances, and the annual Island Hopper Songwriter Festival.
Florida Repertory Theatre
One of the Southeast's most respected regional theater companies, performing in the historic Arcade Theatre on Bay Street through a September-to-May season that mixes Broadway-caliber musicals, dramas, and comedies with new works developed through its PlayLab program. The Wall Street Journal has called it one of America's top repertory companies.
Landmarks & sights
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
The adjacent winter retreats of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford sit along McGregor Boulevard with 21 acres of botanical gardens, a working research laboratory, and a 15,000-square-foot museum. The banyan tree Edison planted here became one of the largest in the continental US. Give yourself at least two hours to do it justice.
Downtown Fort Myers River District
First Street and the surrounding blocks form the historic core of Fort Myers, with restored storefronts housing independent restaurants, galleries, and theaters spilling down toward the Caloosahatchee. The district anchors Southwest Florida's arts scene and draws a lively evening crowd.