Naples and Fort Myers

Southwest Florida opens onto the Gulf of Mexico, with light-colored beaches, barrier islands, mangroves and slow rivers. Fort Myers, on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, is the gateway, served by Southwest Florida International Airport. It was there that Thomas Edison spent his winters beginning in 1886, and later Henry Ford, his neighbor: their two homes, with the laboratory and gardens, form the region’s most visited museum.

To the west of Fort Myers, a bridge leads to Sanibel, an island known for the shells that accumulate on its beaches and for the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, which covers much of the island with mangroves and waterfowl. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum tells the story of shells from around the world. To the south, between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs, Lovers Key State Park has beaches and channels for kayaking.

Naples, farther south, is a city of beaches, golf courses and a historic downtown of tree-lined streets around Fifth Avenue South. It has a large botanical garden and, to the northeast, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, with a boardwalk through the largest old-growth stand of bald cypress in North America.

The region suffered significant damage from hurricanes Ian, in 2022, and Milton, in 2024; beaches, parks and museums have reopened gradually, and some structures are still under repair. Winter, from December to April, is the high season, with dry weather; summer is hot and rainy.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Fort Myers, Naples, Sanibel.