Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

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Natalie Preddie is a freelance travel writer living in Toronto, Canada. She contributes to the Travel & Leisure, Toronto Star: Travel, Star Touch Magazine, PAX Magazine, The Baby Post, Travel & Style and her popular travel blog, The Adventures of Natty P. In 2014, Natalie won the Canadian Public Relations Society: Young PR Pro of the Year Award. This year, Natalie won Travel Writer of the Year 2015 for her series on Ontario’s Norfolk County. Follow her on Twitter @_nattyp.

Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

This past June, I beach hopped, spent time in Thomas Edison’s lab, ate homemade ice cream and was overwhelmed by the beauty, wildlife and history of Fort Myers & Sanibel. A short two-hour flight from Toronto, this destination more than triples in population throughout the winter months, mostly Canadians and Americans looking to escape the cold.

But that’s not all. Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel 

Spring break attracts crowds of University students looking to get their ‘wet n’ wild’ on and in between, the area hosts families, couples and other vacationers looking for a well deserved, relaxing and restful holiday. Located in Florida’s Lee County, the area boasts 50 miles of sparkling white sandy beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The sunsets alone are worth the trip.

I was ‘born to beach’ so for me, Fort Myers & Sanibel was the ultimate destination. For my fellow sun lovers, you know that nothing tops lying on a giant towel along a pristine beach and searching the horizon for jumping bottle nosed dolphins, riding Seadoo’s or bobbing in the salty water with friends. For shellers, Fort Myers & Sanibel is famous for their 400 species of shells collected by the county’s unique ‘scoop’ shape in a prime current location. Born To Beach: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. 

As a pregnant traveller, this was a fantastic ‘babymoon’ destination and I was outfitted in the best summer gear from Thyme Maternity. My favourite three beaches were Fort Myers Beach North, Fort Myers Beach/Times Square and Captiva Beach. Here is why:

Fort Myers Beach North

We checked into Sandpiper Gulf Resort located directly on the white sandy beaches of Fort Myers Beach North. My room looked directly onto the Gulf of Mexico and it only took minutes to get out of my travel gear and onto the sand.

Separated from the masses and with other properties far enough away, this beach was clean and quiet while families built sandcastles, couples played in the warm water and small groups of girls flipped in their sun chairs.

Captiva Island

Captiva Island itself is the perfect beach town. Green and luscious, here wild and plant life is protected by the government and beaches are award winning. Zero fast food joints, no traffic lights and a speed limit of 35 mph, this island provides a true eco-friendly tropical getaway.

Located off of the equally as stunning Sanibel Island, Captiva has some of the areas most beautiful (and expensive) vacation homes. From Gulf view mansions to palm tree-surrounded condos, Captiva is a destination where I could definitely see myself spending winters…and summers in fact.

The main ‘street’ is Andy Rosse Lane, a quaint stretch with boutique shops, eclectic restaurants and quirky art galleries that leads directly to the beach. The water is clear and many shades of blue, a white sandy slope taking one once again into the Gulf. The lush backdrop that lines the beach makes Captiva Beach a truly serene experience.

 

Fort Myers Beach/Times Square

The sunset. While on Fort Myers main beach, I grabbed an ice cream and walked along the boardwalk to watch the sunset over Lee County.

 

I was mesmerized as the red, yellows and oranges painted the sky. The sun glowed majestically in the sky, sinking lower and lower until he took his final bow, leaving a crowd in awe of what they just saw. I think someone actually clapped. It was truly beautiful.

Visit http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/ for more information on beautiful Fort Myers & Sanibel.