Fort Myers Mini Guide
What Can you Tell me About Fort Myers?
The city is built and named after the site of the original fort built to aid the US Army in the wars against the Seminole Indians who had occupied
Florida since before Europeans had landed there. The original fort was established in 1850 and after the war, began to be surrounded by houses of people keen to populate the area but still wanting to be secure. Such was the growth of the city that in 1886 it was officially incorporated. Today the city is a prime holiday destination, marketing itself as having perfect weather, great entertainment and a laid-back feel to life.
How can I get to Fort Myers?
Southwest Florida Airport serves the city and is less than five miles from Fort Myers. Most flights there are internal or Canadian although Air Berlin operates a route from Dusseldorf in Germany. British visitors can either fly to Dusseldorf before catching the Air Berlin flight or fly to one of the major US cities and connect there. Bus number 50 gets you into the city from the airport in around 25 minutes.
What Can I Do and See in Fort Myers?
For those that love nature, it’s hard to beat the Butterfly Gardens. There, they breed every type of butterfly that lives in Florida and let them fly almost free under huge nets. Each day, the newly hatched butterflies are released into the park. On a historical note, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford both had summer retreats built in Fort Myers and today both are open to the public. As well as being able to see the opulent lifestyle of each inventor, the houses hold an exhibition of their greatest inventions. For the health conscious, Fort Myers prides itself as a destination for cyclists and there are dozens of marked routes around the area.
What is There That’s Special to eat in Fort Myers?
As with much of the southern US, Florida is heavily influenced by Hispanic cuisine and Fort Myers combines these influences with the freshly caught fish from the Gulf of Mexico. Dishes like Cajun prawns or Gumbo are popular and to end healthily, there’s plenty of Florida fresh fruit to finish.
What Can I Buy to Take Home to Remember my Stay?
Much of the souvenir trade there focuses on coral and jewellery made from it and the occasional sharks tooth! Somehow snow globes made it here too even though snow hardly ever falls this far south but as collector’s pieces they make an interesting gift. You can buy exotic shells too from stalls on the coast but be warned that most of them are imported and sold as local to con the tourist.
What Festivals do They Celebrate in Fort Myers?
They don’t really do festivals there although with a large Hispanic population, religious occasions are keenly celebrated. The focus in general is on having a relaxed good time and the most popular venue is the Groove Street Grille on Parkway.