Estero Island is a Fort Myers offshore island. The almost 11 km long and very narrow island is part of the city Fort Myers Beach.
Tourism is very lively on Estero Island, especially in the northwest area, where the house numbers of Estero Boulevard are less than 2500. To the east of this reside the locals and the more professional visitors who have a timeshare or - because of the high property prices, tend to be modest - winter quarters on the island.
The main attraction is the beach on the south side, which stretches almost the entire length of the island, is 50 meters wide in many areas and consists of wonderful, very fine, white, clean sand. Even in winter the water hardly gets colder than 18-20 degrees. In addition to swimming and building sandcastles, you can also go jet skiing, rent boats or try parasailing. It is teeming with hotels, most of which are right on the beach, but usually also offer their guests a heated outdoor pool. The beach is so extensive that you never feel pressured. Anyone who has ever spent the summer vacation in the Bay of Lübeck and has become claustrophobic there will be happy about how much space there is on a Florida beach. This also has to do with the fact that the season is not concentrated for two months, but is all year round. Estero Island experiences a small highlight around February and March, when the weather and temperatures are most pleasant and there are hardly any mosquitoes, which can be a significant problem in other seasons.
The happiest families on Estero Island are likely to be families with younger children who enjoy being on the beach and pool and who, once they get to their destination, don't want to move much from there. Day trips are mainly to the nearby nature parks; the selection of museums, architectural monuments and other educational addresses is in Lee County rather low.
With the small town 10 km away Estero Estero Island only has the name in common.
background
Like the entire Sun Coast, Estero Island was originally populated by Calusa Indians, who made their living from fishing, successfully resisted the colonization attempts of the Spanish conqueror Ponce de León in the 16th century, but were defeated in the 17th century. The rule over the coast then changed several times between the Spanish and the British. Cuban fishermen established a location on Estero Island Ranchothat they used seasonally. In the second half of the 18th century they were Ranchos bustling sites for trade between the Cubans and the Creek Indians, who had since ousted the Calusa.
When Florida became an American state in 1845, many of these families stayed and mingled with the American settlers. One of the first settlers of European descent was Robert Gilbert, who settled in 1895 in the place where the Mound House is today. It was the highest point on the island. In 1911, William Case lived on the property and built the first rental cottages on Estero Island. In 1914 the entire island was settled, mainly by fishermen and gardeners, there was also a hotel and a sawmill operated by Koreshans.
Tourism first became lively in the 1920s, after the state of Florida became fashionable overall and in 1921 a first bridge over the island, which was still in use at the time Crescent Beach was called, connected to the mainland. Hotels, a pier and two casinos were built. However, two hurricanes in 1921 and 1926 brought tourism to a standstill. It only came back to life in the 1950s. New hotels were opened, including the (no longer existing) Rancho del Marwhich also offered its guests a swimming pool for the first time. The boom in tourism and the revival of the fishing industry, which discovered abundant crab stocks off the coast, gave the island the boost that led to Fort Myers Beach gaining town status in late 1995.
getting there
The island is connected to the rest of the transport network by bridges. The use of all bridges is free of charge. In the west the (1 Mantazas Pass Bridge (San Carlos Boulevard = Route 865) to the mainland, towards Fort Myers. This bridge is a bottleneck in front of which one is often a bit stuck in traffic, especially in the direction of the island, because the four-lane San Carlos Boulevard becomes two-lane here. The bridgehead is also tight on Estero Island because it is directly adjacent to the busy Times Square.
The approach from the direction is more relaxed 1 Estero Boulevard (Bonita Springs), which with Estero Island through the Bonita Beach Causeway connected is. Behind this name is a series of four bridges that span Big Hickory Island and several islands of the Lovers Key State Park to lead.
mobility
Most visitors to the island come - for good reasons - by car. If you want to visit Times Square, where parking is very difficult, it is advisable to try the only public transport on the island: the Trolley. The trolley is a type of bus that runs every 45 minutes along the entire length of Estero Boulevard and San Carlos Boulevard. A ride costs 50 cents, a day ticket $ 1.50. Children and seniors travel at a reduced rate. The trolley corresponds to route 400 of the local transport company LeeTran. At the terminus Summerlin Square you can change to bus lines 50 and 130 at the terminus Lovers Key to line 150; for this you need separate tickets.
An alternative to driving a car is renting bicycles. There are several providers on Estero Boulevard. But cycling is more fun than on Estero Island, where you always have to share the road with the rest of the traffic Sanibel Islandwhere there is an extensive network of cycle paths.
Tourist Attractions
museum
- 2 Mound House (451 Connecticut St), small local history museum.
Streets and squares
- 3 Times square (around Old San Carlos Boulevard): The nightlife and shopping mile on Estero Island. Right next door is the Fishing Pier, a jetty that leads about 140 m to the sea. The area is extremely busy and difficult to reach by car. If you are staying on the island or on San Carlos Boulevard, it is best to come by trolley.
Parks
- 4 Bowditch Point Park (50 Estero Boulevard): Park in the far west of the island, famous for its Georgia gopher tortoises. The facility includes paths through natural vegetation that is well worth seeing and a stretch of beach. The best attraction on Estero Island. Access is free, but those who come by car have to pay a parking fee.
- 5 Matanzas Pass Preserve (Bay Road, behind the city library): Natural park on the north side of the island. Heavily infested by mosquitoes and other insects in summer. At the entrance there is a cottage built in 1921 (which is very old by local standards), which can be visited.
- 6 Lovers Key State Park (just south of Estero Island, accessible from Estero Blvd): State Park that stretches over 4 small islands. Beach, hiking trails, wild birds. (map)
Mound House
Bowditch Point Park
Bowditch Point Park is famous for its turtles
The Historic Cottage on the Mantazas Pass Preserve
Lovers Key State Park
activities
- On the mainland, in Fort Myers Beach, there are two very fun mini golf courses.
shop
Except in the extreme south of the island - no matter where you are - there is always a 7-Eleven store nearby, where you can buy the most important things. For a larger selection of food, it is better to go to the supermarket:
- 1 Topps (2545 Estero Blvd), independently owned medium-sized supermarket to the west.
- 2 Publix (4791 Estero Blvd), medium-sized, very well-stocked supermarket (chain) in the center of the island.
kitchen
Cafes
- 1 Truly Scrumptious Ice Cream Cafe (7205 Estero Blvd): The most popular ice cream store on Estero Island.
Cheap
- 2 Heidi’s Island Bistro (2943 Estero Blvd): Very popular restaurant with good German cuisine. 5 German beers on tap. The best German restaurant in SW Florida on TripAdvisor and No. 2 on Fort Myers Beach. Phone (239) 765-8844
- 3 Cabana's Beach Bar & Grill (2000 Estero Blvd.): Popular bar with a nice selection of salads, wraps and burgers.
- Lin's Garden (2943 Estero Blvd): The only Chinese fast food restaurant on Estero Island. Only mentioned here because the business stays open on days like Christmas when all other restaurants close.
medium
- 4 Caribbean Pearl Restaurant and Bar (1661 Estero Blvd): The only restaurant on Estero Island that specializes in Caribbean cuisine.
- 5 The Fish House (7225 Estero Blvd): Popular seafood restaurant.
- 6 Flippers on the Bay (8771 Estero Blvd): Good restaurant with many seafood options.
- 7 Pete's Time Out (1005 Estero Blvd, Times Square): Popular bar with a small seafood menu.
Upscale
- 8 Fresh Catch Bistro (3040 Estero Beach Blvd): Seafood restaurant considered the best restaurant on the island.
- 9 Matanzas Inn (416 Crescent St, near San Carlos Blvd): Good restaurant with a beautiful view and regional seafood cuisine.
Alternatives
There are some quite good restaurants on Estero Island, and on mainland from Fort Myers Beach some even better. After you have tried them all, you can continue with Fort Myers look around, where the selection is much larger. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a particular cuisine, you should go straight to it Naples. The range there is even greater than in Fort Myers.
nightlife
If you don't want to go back to the hotel after the sunset, which is best spent on the beach on Estero Island, you will find a number of bars in Times Square and Estero Boulevard, as well as neon light spectacles in Times Square.
- 1 Junkanoo Beach Bar (3040 Estero Blvd): Dance club with live music. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- 2 Nervous nellies (1131 1st St, Times Square): Bar with live music.
- 3 The Cottage Beach Bar and Grill (1250 Estero Blvd): Bar with live music.
accommodation
Cheap
- 1 Flamingo Inn (6090 Estero Blvd), simple small apartment hotel a bit away from the tourist hustle and bustle. Excellent value for money.
- 2 Sun Deck Inn and Suites (1051 3rd St), simple, very small hotel on the edge of Times Square with a very good price-performance ratio.
- 3 Beach Shell Inn (2610 Estero Blvd), small hotel right on the beach. The rooms are equipped with refrigerator and microwave. Swimming pool.
medium
- 4 Sandpiper Gulf Resort (5550 Estero Blvd), medium-sized beach hotel with a swimming pool. The living units are furnished a bit slippery, but spacious and equipped with kitchenettes. Very good value for money.
- 5 Lovers Key Resort (8771 Estero Blvd), good middle class hotel on the edge of Lovers Key State Park. The hotel is 13 floors high and the rooms have wonderful views. The only downside is that there isn't much beach in the immediate vicinity.
- 6 Neptune Inn (2310 Estero Blvd): Independently run and extremely nice medium-sized motel right on the beach with two heated (outdoor) swimming pools. The sun loungers that are set up around the pools can be taken to the beach (if you bring them back afterwards). The outdoor area also includes four shuffleboard playing fields (cues and discs free at reception). The residential units are tailored differently, generously dimensioned, practically furnished and accommodate up to 8 people. Unfortunately no in-house breakfast, but the units have fully equipped kitchens with stove, microwave and refrigerator. Large laundry room with more machines than most other hotels.
- 7 Wyndham Garden Fort Myers Beach (6980 Estero Blvd): This beachfront hotel is just a 6-minute walk from Fish Tale Marina for sightseeing tours and a 4.5- mile drive from Times Square with its shops and cafes. The tastefully decorated rooms have free Wi - Fi and flat - screen TVs, as well as minifridges and coffeemakers. Some offer sea views. Suites add separate living areas with pullout couches, kitchens, and wet bars. Facilities include a fish restaurant and beachfront tiki bar, as well as a heated outdoor pool and fitness center. There is also a business center and conference facilities, as well as free parking.
Upscale
- 8 Gullwing Beach Resort (6620 Estero Blvd): Comfortable and very good apartment hotel located directly on the beach in the east of the island, housed in a 12-storey high-rise.
- 9 Pointe Estero Beach Resort (6640 Estero Blvd): Luxurious apartment hotel on the beach. The system is housed in a 16-storey high-rise building.
Practical advice
- 1 U.S. Post Office, 7205 Estero Boulevard
trips
- The best sight in Fort Myers is the Edison and Ford Winter Estate. Travel time around 25 minutes.
- On Sanibel Island the wonderful J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge can be visited. Driving time ½ hour.
- Those interested in history can visit Estero the Koreshan State Historic Site visit. Driving time ½ hour.
- North-east of Naples lies the big one Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Travel time 1 hour.
- Everglades City, from where you can get to the Everglades drive is 1 hour 20 minutes southeast.
- From San Carlos Island (see Fort Myers Beach) you can take the ferry to Key West drive. Since the journey is not exactly short, at least one overnight stay should be planned on Key West.
The neighboring cities Bonita Springs and Naples are good for shopping, but require that you know exactly what you are looking for, otherwise it is easy to go under - especially on the busy Tamiani Trail.
literature
- Mary Kaye Stevens: Fort Myers Beach, Arcadia Publishing, 2012, ISBN 0738588113
Web links
- visitfortmyersbeach.co and www.fortmyersbeach.org Fort Myers Beach tourism websites
