Things To Do in Fort Myers When Friends and Family Visit You at Cypress Cove

When people retire to Florida, friends and family are bound to visit. That doesn’t end when they move to Cypress Cove. Thanks to the maintenance-free lifestyle, they now have even more time to enjoy quality experiences when their loved ones visit beautiful Southwest Florida.

We checked in with two residents who have a regular stream of visitors to get their best suggestions on things to do in Fort Myers when family visits.

Here is active retiree and Cypress Cove retirement community resident John Schwandke’s “Top Six List of places we show visitors when they come to visit us in Fort Myers Florida” along with his excellent commentary and tips:

#1 Fort Myers Beach Pier and Times Square. I’ve yet to meet a person who isn’t impressed by a walk out to the end of the pier and everything you see along the way. Colorful beach umbrellas and happy beach goers make any camera lens smile. Watch people fishing…or pose with a pelican. The older pelicans frequently perch along the pier rail and seem comfortable letting humans pose with them for a photo. While there, I recommend having a bite to eat at the Pierside Grill. The food is good, the place is clean, and the view from there is the best on the beach.

#2 Take a leisurely drive across the Sanibel Island Causeway. The scenery is spectacular. If you have time, find a place on the northside to pull over and park. This is the best place from which to watch kiteboarders, pods of dolphins swimming close to shore, and spectacular sunsets. Sometimes, late in the day, it looks like a drive-in movie theater as cars line up in a row waiting for the “show” to start.

#3 Another adventure for newcomers to Sanibel Island is the Sanibel Thriller. This is a bonafide narrated history tour that completely circles the island in a fast boat. It’s family friendly, but they don’t call it “The Thriller” for nothing! I recommend sitting toward the back of the boat. You may get a little wet, but you are practically guaranteed to get some fabulous photos of dolphins jumping through the wake of the boat. When the 90-minute tour ends, I recommend having lunch at the iconic Gramma Dot’s. It is located right there at the marina and is an island favorite.

#4 Miniature Golf anyone? Fort Myers has a new PopStroke eat, putt, and drink mini-golf courses. There are two courses at the same location. One is similar to what you are accustomed to. But the more popular of the two is a Tiger Wood designed mini course built with synthetic turf, bunkers and rough to provide more of a challenge. Food, beverage, and memorabilia is available both on and off the course. It’s definitely different and a whole lot of fun!

#5 Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is a wetland ecosystem with an elevated boardwalk trail. I tell our visitors, “You will see what this area looked like before being inhabited by snowbirds.” Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to go. I’ve seen otters, alligators, turtles, wading birds, and even wild hogs. Boy are they noisy when they pass through! It is a quintessential Florida experience and as close as you can get to seeing the Everglades without having to drive there.

#6 If you want a boating experience while you are here…don’t waste time renting a boat. (That’s too much work!) Explore Estero Bay and make your day an unforgettable one with Captain Kelly. We take visitors on a three-hour private dolphin and eco tour aboard Captain Kelly’s pontoon boat. Refreshments are included and it is surprisingly affordable. In my opinion this is hands-down the best boating tour in Fort Myers. I’ve booked with her several times and no two trips were the same.

Wow! Thanks, John, for your awesome adventure suggestions!

Now we talk to another very active resident at Cypress Cove, Donna Miceli. She says these places are her family’s absolute favorites and have turned into treasured traditions. Here they are in her words with helpful tips and great dining suggestions:

#1 Favorite beaches: Blind Pass Beach (just as you go over the bridge onto Captiva) is their favorite because it’s large and a great place for beach walking. It has a very small parking area, so get there early. Other favorites are Bowman’s Beach, (which has the largest parking area), Lighthouse Beach (which tends to be quieter than some of the others), and Algiers Beach.

#2 Captiva Cruises is a must. Every time my youngest daughter visits, especially when she brings a friend, she wants to take the afternoon dolphin cruise. I enjoy it too, and we’ve never been disappointed about the number of dolphins we see.

#3 No visit is complete without a trip (or two) to Love Boat Ice Cream.

#4 Explore Lakes Park and play miniature golf next door at Castle Golf.

In addition to the “must do” items above, my family enjoys going to downtown Fort Myers and having lunch at one of the many good restaurants down there. If they bring a friend who has never visited the Edison Ford Estates, we go there as well.

Speaking of restaurants, these are just a few of our favorites:

Doc Fords (especially the one on Captiva) for great seafood and outside dining
Schnapper’s Hots for hot dogs, hamburgers and other casual dining options on Sanibel
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria for wonderful New York style pizza and other Italian food
Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill for excellent lobster salad sandwiches, oysters and other seafood
La Trattoria Cafe de Napoli (“Gloria’s Place”) for high quality, creative Italian and Mediterranean food
Fat Katz Sports Bistro on Daniels Parkway for excellent food and casual dining
Rock’n Sushi in Gateway for great sushi and equally great Thai food
Thai Star on Orion Drive also has great Thai/Asian food

My family and friends also love eating right here in the Cypress Cove Dolphin Dining Room. My young grandson loved the buffet when he visited recently so we had to have lunch there EVERY day. He called it “infinity dining!” He also enjoyed going to the beach but was quite happy just being right here at Cypress Cove, swimming in our big pool, playing ping pong, and exploring the native plant garden to catch bugs and lizards.

So, there you have it! The best advice from those in the know. You can stay as busy or relaxed with your out-of-town guests as you would like in Fort Myers, Florida.