Southwest Florida Insider

Unforgettable experiences in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida is a traveler’s paradise with its enticing beaches, glorious sunshine, incredible wildlife, thrilling adventure sports, engaging historical tours, and exciting nightlife. There is a plethora of experiences that visitors can choose from. Southwest Florida Insider has curated a list of some of the must-have experiences for those who are wondering “what to do in Southwest Florida?”

1. Ride an Airboat

Zip across the Everglades “River of Grass” on an airboat safari or ecotour for an incredible outdoor adventure. The Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with mangroves, hammocks, marshlands, beautiful native plant species, and exotic flowers like orchids and bromeliads besides some of the most incredible and endangered wildlife on the planet. Travelers can experience this fragile subtropical wilderness in air-driven boats that barely disturb the wildlife. An airboat ride is also a great way to see alligators in this swamp.

2. Enjoy the Sunsets

Celebrate the breathtaking sunsets in Southwest Florida that set the sky aflame with flaming red, pink, and orange hues. Travelers can visit some of the best sunset points for a romantic evening on the beach or a sunset cruise. Lovers Key, northern Captiva Beach, Blind Pass Beach, Fort Myers Beach pier, and Cape Coral Yacht Club beach offer some of the most unforgettable sunset experiences in Southwest Florida.

3. Go Fishing

A fisherman’s paradise, southwest Florida is known for its shore fishing, backwater fishing, offshore fishing charters, and sport fishing in the warm Gulf waters. The fishing pier on Sanibel offers a rewarding fishing experience with its abundant tarpon, spotted sea trout, snook, and redfish catch. The waters around Boca Grande have earned it the nickname “Tarpon Capital of the World”. Fort Myers is a fishing hotspot with its recreational fishing industry that offers a wide variety of fishes for a catch.

4. Immerse in the History and Culture

From the circus history at The Ringling’s Circus Museum to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers to the Collier County Museum and Naples Depot Museum in Naples, southwest Florida has several fascinating museums to visit. There are local theaters, state parks, botanical gardens, and historic homes. There is something interesting for everyone.

5. Get hands-on with the Wildlife

Feed a giraffe at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, feed flamingos at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, touch a stingray or feed a shark at the Mote Marine Aquarium, or handle sea urchins and sea stars at the new IMAG History and Science Center in Fort Myers. Southwest Florida is rich in wildlife and has several wildlife sanctuaries and parks to visit. Travelers can revel in the magic of butterfly trails at the butterfly gardens along the Lester Finley Barrier-Free Nature Trail in Osprey. Take home a memento of this wildlife experience by getting photographed with a baby gator at Wooten’s Everglades attraction!

6. Beachcombing

Beachcombing is a popular activity in Southwest Florida where over 400 different kinds of shells can be found washed up on the beaches of Fort Myers, Sanibel, and Ten Thousand Islands. The best times to look for shells are the hours just before or after low tide. Travelers can collect unique souvenirs of Florida’s wildlife treasures such as sand dollars, conch shells, murex shells, worm-snail shells, Florida spiny jewel boxes, and lightning whelk shells to name a few. Caspersen Beach near Venice Beach is one of the best beaches to discover fossilized shark’s teeth at the water’s edge.

With such stunning landscapes, exciting activities, and wonderful weather, it’s not surprising that many travelers often end up moving to Southwest Florida!

Why Southwest Florida Insider?

With the most insightful and carefully-curated content on the sights-to-see, events-to-attend, cuisines-to-try, places-to-stay, and the exciting nightlife options, Southwest Florida Insider is where travelers can find all they need to know about southwest Florida.