Fort Myers Vacation Rentals

The history of Fort Myers is rich, beginning as the home of the Calusa Indians, whose presence is still evident on the landscape centuries later. Ponce de Leon explored the area in the early 1500s and pirates used the nearby barrier islands as their base in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, Fort Myers was established along the Caloosahatchee River as one of the first forts during the Seminole Indian Wars and was later used during the Civil War. Thomas Edison first visited Fort Myers in the late 1800s and he and his friend, Henry Ford, made Fort Myers their winter home. It wasn’t long before more people learned about the charming riverfront town. A historic walking tour of downtown is a glimpse of Old Florida’s southwest coast.

Today Fort Myers retains its charm with buildings, homes and brick streets dating back to its earliest days. In recent years, the small city has grown into a bustling community with the downtown River District at its heart, offering dining, shopping, arts and entertainment. The region is home to over 150 spectacular golf courses. Each year the city of Fort Myers hosts the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins during spring training.

While visiting the region, tour the Edison & Ford Winter Estates to view the historic homes of the inventors, the Edison laboratory, a museum and gardens. The city hosts the much anticipated Edison Festival of Light annually in honor of the inventor. The festival features a popular nighttime parade and King and Queen’s Ball.

Fort Myers is the gateway to Southwest Florida’s popular beaches, including the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva within close proximity via the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. Both islands are known for the spectacular seashells found on their pristine sandy shores.

Fort Myers Beach, originally named Crescent Beach, is also a sheller’s paradise. The beach town, located on Estero Island and San Carlos Island, is bordered by Hurricane Pass and Matanzas Pass to the east and the Gulf of Mexico along its western shore.

Fort Myers Beach’s popularity surged in the 1950s with the discovery of Gulf shrimp, known as “pink gold,” just a few miles offshore. The shrimping industry is celebrated in Fort Myers Beach during the annual Shrimp Festival. Locals and visitors can be found year-round strolling around the Fort Myers Beach Pier and Times Square, which offers a mix of retail shops, restaurants, and live music just steps from the Gulf of Mexico.

Securing a vacation property rental in Fort Myers or Fort Myers Beach is easy through Royal Shell. Whether you want to be on the mainland in Fort Myers, taking in all the city has to offer along the beautiful Caloosahatchee River, or a few miles away in the island town of Fort Myers Beach basking in the warm Gulf waters, the decision is yours. There is a lot to choose from here in Southwest Florida.