Ben and I took a trip to Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, Florida! We stayed at Pyramids in Florida, which we discovered on Airbnb. Not only were the pyramids a unique experience, but they were also really centrally-located, which allowed us to explore a variety of places in and around Fort Myers!

Things to Do in Fort Myers, Florida

• Visit Bonita Beach and Sanibel. There are a lot of beaches to choose from along the Gulf Coast, but our favorite beaches of all were Bonita Beach and Sanibel. On the first day of our trip, we watched a beautiful sunset at Bonita Beach. Sanibel is known for its shells! We visited twice and really enjoyed looking for seashells.
• Visit Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. On the last day of our trip, we visited Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, a nature preserve in Fort Myers. The preserve is just off of a busy road, but once you’re on the boardwalk trail, it feels like you’re miles away in nature. There were really fun lookouts, and though we didn’t see any alligators, we did see turtles and birds.
• Visit Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Edison and Ford Winter Estates is located in downtown Fort Myers. Visiting was a true highlight of our trip. Ben and I both love history, architecture, and nature — and the winter estates combined all three. We purchased tickets and then downloaded the free app to guide us through a walking tour. After visiting the gift shop (We buy ornaments from every place we travel to together!) we sat by the Caloosahatchee River and saw a manatee swim by!

Things to Do in Sanibel Island, Florida

• Visit J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Because we visited on a rainy day, Ben and I felt like we had the entire wildlife refuge to ourselves. Prior to our trip, I had purchased a seashell identification guide and a bird identification guide specifically for our trip. We saw so many birds, manatees, and a shark all while passing through the wildlife refuge.

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip to Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, Florida! If we were to go back, I’d love to spend more time in Sanibel and Naples, both places were beautiful and offered so much to explore!