Fort Myers Beach Real Estate Area Information and Homes for Sale in Lee County, FL.


	Fort Myers Beach Homes for Sale

Fort Myers Beach

The history of the Fort Myers Beach region dates back hundreds of years. The last homesteader staked his claim in Estero Island in 1914. Those were the days before the bridge linked the island to the mainland of the Fort Myers area. A wooden swing toll bridge was the first bridge built in 1921. The toll was 50 cents for five people. The 1926 hurricane washed it away and severed the slim neck of land attaching San Carlos to the mainland, making it an island. Today, it's still called Hurricane Pass.

In the 1870s, pirates plied their trade along the shores. And they weren't the only sailors frequenting the island's waters. Juan Ponce de Leon may have sailed the waters around Estero Island at about 1513. Hernando de Soto may have also dropped anchor in front of Estero Island in 1539. Relics of skulls and other artifacts found on Mound Key suggest that Spanish conquistadors may have passed through the beach area and perhaps built a fort on the hill on Mound Key.

But the aura of mystery surrounding Mound Key belongs to the first settlers, the Caloosa natives. The Caloosa's origins remain obscure but some scholars such as Rolfe F. Schell in his book, History of Fort Myers Beach, suggest that they may have traveled by rafts from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Fort Myers Beach today enjoys a reputation for friendly folks, a wide, palm-shaded beach, and great family vacations. The city gets very busy in February and March as snowbirds, college students, and locals all congregate and the full-time population of 6,000 swells to nearly 50,000.

At the north end of the beach, a casual beach village with shops and restaurants is clustered along a tree-lined pedestrian walkway. The south end of the beach provides a wide selection of beachfront resorts in addition to Lovers Key State Park. In between, there are parks, recreation areas and marinas that feature fishing and boating charters that include daytime sightseeing, evening dining and dancing as well as offshore gambling. There is also every imaginable water sport available including jet skiing, parasailing, wind surfing, sailing, water skiing and more.

The beach hosts an annual sand sculpting contest in November and the Shrimp Festival in March draws thousands to the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet. A 5K run precedes the event. A July 4th fireworks display and old-fashioned family day kicks off the annual Independence Day Festival. In addition, there are golf tournaments, the Taste of the Beach, New Year's Eve Celebrations, Offshore Powerboat Races and other sporting events. Even Santa rides his boat along the shoreline in the Christmas Holiday Boat Parade.

However, activities aren't confined to just the gulf side of the island. The Matanzas Pass Wilderness Preserve overlooking Estero Bay features more than 40 acres of live oak hammock and 4,000 feet of mangrove shoreline with an abundance of wildlife to enjoy from an elevated boardwalk.

Lynn Hall Memorial Park provides bathhouses and parking for beachgoers and people fishing from the 600-foot fishing pier. Balls bounce around the basketball, tennis and volleyball courts at Bay Oaks Recreation Center. Shelling at Lover's Key State Recreation Area rivals that of the neighboring island of Sanibel. Trams ferry visitors over Oyster Bay to Lover's Key Barrier Island. Visitors can rent kayaks and canoes and take boat tours of the area, and picnic areas and barbecue grills are conveniently located along the Lover's Key beaches.