Cape Coral is located in southwest Florida near Fort Myers. Our family has always loved vacationing on nearby Sanibel Island. During 2020, we rented a home in Cape Coral for 10 days during the coronavirus pandemic and discovered just how much we liked the area. It’s unique due to its 400 miles of canals. If you should ever visit the area, here are a few of our favorite things.
Restaurants
There are a lot of great dining options in Cape Coral. For pizza, we really like Dante’s. Their salads, wings and pepperoni rolls are also worth ordering. Another great pizza option is Overtime Pizzeria and Sports Pub. They have a nice large menu as well. Ginger Bistro is our favorite for Chinese cuisine. Keg & Cow is known for their craft beer selection and burgers. The Lobster Lady is your go-to for all things seafood. If you are looking for ice cream, you can’t go wrong with either Cape Creamery or Ice Cream Club.
Things to Do
Beaches
You don’t go to Cape Coral for the beaches. There is a small public beach at the Yacht Club Community Park. However, it’s not the “beach” you are currently visualizing in your head. The Yacht Club Beach is on the Caloosahatchee River and is a small little family beach. Within 45 minutes of Cape Coral you can be at Ft. Myers Beach, Sanibel beaches or Bonita Springs. Further away (about an hour or so) are Naples and Captiva.
Kayaking
With so many canals, there are plenty of places to kayak. Most rental homes have kayaks available for use.
Fishing
Whether you prefer fishing off of a dock in the canals, off a kayak or boat or bridge, or going to more open waters around the local islands, there is plenty of fishing to do!
Jim Jeffers Park
On the northwest side of town, Jim Jeffers is our favorite park. It is right next to a school and has a playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and a large soccer field.
Camelot Park
Camelot Park is in the southwest part of town. The park is 6 acres and located in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. There is a playground, picnic tables, walking trail, 2 tennis courts (pickleball lines too!), and restrooms.
Shopping
There are lots of places to shop in and around Cape Coral. In Cape Coral, you have your basic Target, TJMaxx, Homegoods, Lowes, Publix, and Walgreens to name a few. There are a couple of thrift stores. We’ve definitely checked out a Goodwill or two. If you want a bigger box store, head over to Ft. Myers. Look up Cleveland Avenue and you’ll find almost everything you could imagine – Costco, Dick’s, SuperTarget, Marshall’s, Old Navy, Total Wine and more.
Wildlife
There are a few things to look for while you are in Cape Coral. Burrowing Owls can be found on a lot of empty lots. In the canal waters you might see stingray, manatees, dolphins, and a variety of fish (including Jumping Fish!) depending on where you are located.
Other Areas to Explore
Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Sanibel Island is one of our favorite places to spend the day. Check out my post HERE for more details about Sanibel.
Matlacha and Pine Island
This is a neat area to explore. Matlacha is an “Old Florida” fishing village. You will find some unique boutiques and galleries here. We had good carry out from Yucatan. You can continue to Pine Island which is the largest island in Florida. It has a different feel than neighboring islands – more residential and agricultural. It is a nice drive out to the northern part of the island called Bokeelia. There are highly recommended restaurants on Pine Island (Tarpon Lodge and Capt’n Con’s Fish House), but we have not been to any yet. There is also a ferry that leaves Pineland Marina and will take you on a day trip to Cayo Costa.
Fort Myers
Fort Myers is a short drive over the bridge from Cape Coral. More to come on that area in a separate post yet to be written.
What do you like about Cape Coral?
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