Best Vacations Blog

There are few things that are more quintessentially Southwest Florida than the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival. For two days every March, locals and visitors visit Fort Myers Beach to enjoy the parade, meet the Shrimp Festival Queen, and participate in arts and crafts, the shrimp-eating contest and the iconic shrimp boil and dinner. Approximately 30,000 people come out to the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival. Parade and...

Naples is known for being a cultural and artistic hub in Southwest Florida and people come from all over to enjoy the annual two-day Naples National Art Show. In 2018, Sunshine Artists Magazine ranked it No. 18 out of 25 art shows in the country—and it’s easy to see why. The show has been a Naples stable for decades! The Naples National Art Show is one of the oldest art...

Stroll through downtown Fort Myers and enjoy the unique works of art, warm weather, glimpses of the Caloosahatchee River, Fort Myers waterfront, and meet artists from around the world. ArtFest Fort Myers began in 2001 and it’s one of the largest and most beloved art festivals in the country. Professional artists from nearly all 50 states showcase their work in the downtown River District, where the streets are blocked off,...

Southwest Floridians get to experience a variety of restaurants at a discounted price from Marco Island to Cape Coral during Sizzle SWFL Restaurant Week. The event also donates $1 from every Restaurant Week meal sold to the Sizzle SWFL FGCU Food & Beverage Scholarship. You can eat like a king or queen, and it benefits a great cause. It’s the best of both worlds. The semi-annual, charity-driven Sizzle SWFL Restaurant...

The Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship will make Fort Myers Beach its home for 10 days at the end of November and the first day of December. The American Sand Sculpting Championship is the largest sand sculpting competition in the United States and people come from all over to compete. More than 30 sculptors from eight nations, including World Class Master Sand Sculptors and amateurs, will compete in a sequence of...

If you’re visiting our slice of paradise to celebrate the holiday with your loved ones, you’ll need to know which Southwest Florida restaurants are open on Thanksgiving to help plan your day. That is, unless you want to go to the grocery store, haul everything back home, and spend the entire day cooking up a feast. If you do, we salute you and ask that you save us some leftovers....

There is something about Southwest Florida and boating. The two seem to go together like two peas in a pod. That’s one of the reasons the annual Fort Myers Boat Show is so popular. The collection of boats that line the streets of downtown Fort Myers from Nov. 21-24 is one of the most complete displays of boating vessels and boating products on the Sunshine State’s West Coast. When you’re...

No one has time to eat out at every restaurant in the county while they’re on vacation. But at the Annual Taste of Lee Food Festival, you can sample as many Lee County restaurants as your stomach will allow. The Sixth Annual WINK Taste of Lee features the best of restaurants from Lee County. Attendees can also look forward to a kids area, and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and live...

There is no shortage of Southwest Florida Halloween events every year. Our slice of paradise may not have the typical crisp fall weather but we do have tons of Halloween spirit. From the traditional haunted walks, fall-themed walks and pumpkin patches, to a pet costume contest, low-key events for younger kids, and adult-friendly haunts, there is something available for ghouls and goblins of all ages at Florida Halloween events. Have...

The Hobie 16 worlds championship sailboat races are back in the United States. And they’re not going just anywhere—they’re coming to Captiva Island. More than 500 sailors compete in the Hobie 16 World Championship. They come from 25 countries and six continents. The Hobie 16 Worlds will feature three world championship disciplines—pen, Youth and Women’s—along with three additional disciplines: Great Grand Masters Cup,  Masters Cup, and Masters Cup. The races...