Barrier Islands & Beaches

The Gulf-front barrier islands and beach communities of Lee County, including Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island, Sanibel, and Captiva. Fort Myers Beach is a lively resort town connected to the mainland via the Matanzas Pass Bridge, known for its wide sandy beach, Times Square pedestrian area, and laid-back atmosphere. Sanibel is world-famous for shelling, the J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge, and a carefully planned low-density environment. Captiva, connected to Sanibel's north end, is a tiny resort enclave. All three communities sustained catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and are in various stages of rebuilding, with permanent population below pre-storm levels but tourism substantially recovered.