Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Lauderdale
We flew indirect with Delta via Atlanta and I was impressed with the Delta aircraft, seating, service and food. After a 2-hour layover, we boarded for Fort Lauderdale which was another two-hour flight. Our base for three nights was the Hotel Morrison at Dania Beach which is a well-located hotel for the airport. Huge bedrooms, a small quiet pool, good bar and self-serve breakfast. From here we could venture out and investigate the area including a fabulous Segway tour of Fort Lauderdale (well recommended), an Everglades airboat ride at Sawgrass Recreation Park (very interesting and exciting), and a tour of Bonnet House Museum, Flamingo Gardens and Sawgrass Mills Mall. We had a site inspection and a fabulous lunch in the waterfront Bistro Restaurant of the super 4* Sonesta Hotel which is situated on Fort Lauderdale Beach with all rooms facing the ocean. Followed by a tour of Pier 66 Hotel & Marina with its fabulous tower, grill and leisure options. Our group had a little downtime one evening in Las Olas which is known as shoppers’ paradise and I think higher end than Miami. Lots of beautiful restaurants, bars and a great nightlife.
Following our city base, we then moved across the state to Fort Myers which is just a three-hour drive from Lauderdale.
Our base for the next two nights was the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina. Located directly on a beautiful white sand beach with paddle boarding, kayaking and other water-sports available, this 4* hotel offers studios, one and two-bedroomed apartments with beach views and three restaurants. A perfect family getaway! We had lunch at the Pinchers Crab Shack in Fort Myers, followed by a tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estate which is a ‘must see’ attraction in south west Florida. Walking around the inventors 1886 14-acre riverfront estate, laboratory and experimental gardens including the winter home of Henry Ford, with its display of Ford vehicles, was a treat.
Day five of our trip started off with breakfast on Sanibel Island at the Island Cow restaurant followed by a site inspection of the magnificent South Seas Island Resort on Captiva with its 13 pools, six restaurants, marina, spa and golf course. Most accommodations are self-catering, so you can make the most of the resort and area, which is surrounded by a 330-acre wildlife preserve where dolphins and manatees are regular guests. There’s also lots of activities to keep you busy including kayaking, sailing, boating, bicycling, golf, and tennis. We then boarded the Lady Chadwick and cruised the Gulf up to Cabbage Key Island to enjoy a ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ at the island’s only restaurant. The highlight of the day was seeing manatees and dolphin - the dolphins love playing and jumping in the wake of the boat! It was awesome to see them so close to us!
Another site inspection of the 4* Sundial Beach Resort & Spa with its fully equipped condominium accommodations and panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. A quick inspection of the Outrigger Beach Resort which is a mid-range, comfortable hotel located right on the most amazing beach in Fort Myers ended the day then a fantastic dinner at the Fresh Catch Bistro. Flying home direct with Virgin Atlantic in Premium Economy enabled us to get some sleep on the overnight flight with extra leg room and reclining seats.
This was a whirlwind tour of Florida’s south east and south west coasts and we packed a lot into five days. The service everywhere was friendly and efficient, and Wi-Fi was readily available. The weather was very humid (almost the 40’s) and the rainy season is normally June to October. Sanibel and Captiva Islands are just a four-hour transfer from Orlando and can easily be combined to make a perfect twin centre Disney/Beach holiday.
Please give me a call if you are thinking of planning your next holiday to Florida and hopefully I can give you some valuable guidance on the best areas to visit!