The SWFL guide
Things to do in Southwest Florida.
This guide gathers the best days out across the Southwest Florida communities Peggy Lotz serves: Miromar Lakes, Estero, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Naples. Beaches, waterfront dining, golf, boating, shopping, arts, and family attractions, each one a real place you can plan around today, all within an easy drive of 10000 Isola Way.
Beaches
Gulf days, within a short drive.
From the gates of Miromar Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico is closer than it feels: Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach are a short drive west, and the state parks of North Naples are a bit further south down U.S. 41. The beaches below are the ones residents actually plan their weekends around, from wild state-park stretches to town beach parks with playgrounds and concession stands.
Lovers Key State Park
A 712-acre state park on four barrier islands between Estero Bay and the Gulf, with about two miles of undeveloped beach, a kayak pavilion, and a boat ramp for paddlers.
floridastateparks.orgBarefoot Beach Preserve
An undeveloped barrier-island preserve at the Bonita Springs and Naples line, roughly 342 acres of nature trails and wide Gulf shoreline, with a nature center at the entrance.
visitnaplesfl.comBonita Beach Park
A Lee County park on Little Hickory Island with swimming, picnic pavilions, and sand volleyball, plus a beachfront restaurant on site.
leegov.comFort Myers Beach (Estero Island)
The island's main family beach parks sit near Times Square and the fishing pier, with Bowditch Point Park at the north end known for sunsets and dozens of public beach accesses along Estero Boulevard.
visitfortmyers.comDelnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
A mile of pristine Gulf beach in North Naples with tidal pools at low tide and a marked swim area, reached through a scenic mangrove-lined entrance.
floridastateparks.orgVanderbilt Beach
A Collier County beach park at the west end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, across from The Mercato, with a public parking garage and easy Gulf access.
visitnaplesfl.comDining
Waterfront tables and neighborhood favorites.
Southwest Florida dining runs from dockside seafood shacks to white-tablecloth rooms, and the area around Miromar Lakes has both within minutes. Inside the gates, Blue Water Beach Grill and the clubhouse dining rooms are reserved for residents and their guests. Just outside, the restaurants below are some of the dependable, well-loved options across the five communities.
Two more easy choices sit at Miromar Outlets: Da Michela Osteria Italiana (damichela.com) for Italian dinners and Banh Mi & Tea Estero (banhmitea.us) for quick, flavorful lunches.
The Dock at Crayton Cove
A longtime Naples dockside restaurant in Old Naples serving fresh seafood with views of Naples Bay.
dockcraytoncove.comM Waterfront Grille
Upscale dining along Gulf Shore Boulevard North in Naples, with a waterfront dining room and a serious wine list.
mwaterfrontgrille.comRiverwalk at Tin City
A waterfront dining and bar district on the docks at Tin City, where several restaurants share views of Naples Bay and the boats.
riverwalktincity.comRusty's Raw Bar & Grill
A casual raw bar and grill on U.S. 41 in Estero serving oysters and fresh seafood in a laid-back setting.
rustysraw.comRodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse
Churrasco-style Brazilian dining at Coconut Point in Estero, with continuous table service of grilled meats and a wide salad bar.
rodiziogrill.comRistorante Farfalla
A fine-dining Italian restaurant in Estero, a considered choice for special evenings out.
ristorantefarfalla.comGolf
Championship courses, private and public.
The Miromar Lakes Golf Club is a private, optional membership for residents, and it is the course you can reach by golf cart from the front door of 10000 Isola Way. For tee times without a membership, Bonita Springs, Estero, and Fort Myers hold some of the most respected public layouts in the region, from a Nicklaus design in the cypress to the freshly modernized city course in Fort Myers.
Miromar Lakes Golf Club
The community's own Arthur Hills Signature championship course, redesigned by Drew Rogers in 2017. Golf membership is optional for residents.
miromarlakes.comSaltleaf Golf Preserve
The former Raptor Bay in Bonita Springs, redeveloped and reopened in 2024 as a public resort course with an 18-hole championship layout plus The Leaf, a 9-hole walking par-3.
saltleafgolf.comOld Corkscrew Golf Club
A Jack Nicklaus-designed championship course in Estero, carved through cypress and pine with an Audubon-certified natural setting.
visitfortmyers.comFort Myers Country Club
The city-owned 18-hole public course on McGregor Boulevard, fully modernized and reopened in 2022.
fortmyers.govEastwood Golf Course
Fort Myers' second municipal course, a public 18-hole design where water comes into play on ten holes.
fortmyers.govBoating, marinas & paddling
From the community lakes to the Gulf.
Boating in Southwest Florida happens at three scales. Inside Miromar Lakes, two private marinas and 700 acres of freshwater lakes handle the kayaks, paddleboards, and small craft of daily resort life. Minutes away, the Estero and Imperial rivers offer calm, shaded paddling with rental outfitters on the water. And for the full Gulf experience, the marinas and docks of Naples line up day trips, jet skis, and cruising on Naples Bay.
Miromar Lakes marinas
Two private marinas inside the gates, with 700 acres of freshwater lakes for kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating right from your neighborhood.
Read the community guideEstero River Outfitters
Rentals and tours on the Estero River, an easy, canopy-shaded paddle minutes from the community.
esteroriveroutfitters.comCGT Kayaks
Kayak and paddleboard rentals on the Imperial River in Bonita Springs, a paddling stretch of the Great Calusa Blueway.
cgtkayaks.comBonita Jet Ski & Parasail
Jet ski rentals, dolphin tours through Estero Bay, and parasailing off Bonita Beach.
bonitajetski.comNaples City Dock
The city-run dock in Old Naples where you can walk the waterfront, watch the boats, and join excursions on Naples Bay.
naplesgov.comNaples Bay Resort & Marina
A resort marina on Naples Bay with boat slips and easy water access to the Gulf of Mexico.
naplesbayresort.comShopping
Outlets, open-air centers, and the Naples boutiques.
Estero alone gives you Miromar Outlets and Coconut Point, two of the most visited shopping destinations in the region, both minutes from the gates of Miromar Lakes. Further south, the centers of Naples run from the big-box convenience of Coastland Center to the boutique-lined waterfront of Tin City and the shop-and-dine districts of Old Naples.
Miromar Outlets
An open-air outlet center on Corkscrew Road with more than 140 shops and restaurants, minutes from the community's gates.
miromaroutlets.comCoconut Point
A sprawling open-air lifestyle center in Estero with department stores, boutiques, and restaurants around landscaped plazas.
simon.comGulf Coast Town Center
An open-air retail and dining complex off Interstate 75, near Florida Gulf Coast University and Southwest Florida International Airport.
gulfcoasttowncenter.comTin City Waterfront Shops
A waterfront village in Naples with boutiques, restaurants, and boat access, next to the Riverwalk dining district.
tincityofnaples.comCoastland Center
A traditional indoor mall in Naples with department store anchors and a central location on Tamiami Trail.
coastlandcenter.comArts & culture
Museums, concerts, and a festival season all its own.
Culture in Southwest Florida is anchored by the institutions below: the grand performances and galleries of Artis-Naples, the history and gardens of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, and the independent venues of downtown Fort Myers. Around them, a busy festival calendar fills the season. In Fort Myers, the Alliance for the Arts on McGregor Boulevard keeps galleries and a theater busy with exhibitions, performances, classes, and monthly night markets.
The season also brings the Bonita Springs National Art Festival at Riverside Park through January to March, ArtFest Fort Myers downtown each year, the Fort Myers Art Walk on the first Friday of every month, and the Naples Artcrafters Fine Art & Craft Show at Cambier Park on second Saturdays from November through April. Dates and participant lists change each year, so check each festival's current schedule before planning around one.
Artis-Naples & The Baker Museum
Southwest Florida's premier performing and visual arts center, home of the Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum, a three-story museum with 16 galleries of modern and contemporary art.
artisnaples.orgEdison and Ford Winter Estates
The adjacent winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford on the Caloosahatchee in Fort Myers, with an inventions museum, Edison's 1928 botanic research laboratory, and more than 20 acres of gardens.
edisonfordwinterestates.orgSidney & Berne Davis Art Center
A restored historic hall in downtown Fort Myers' River District hosting concerts, exhibitions, theater, and film throughout the year.
sbdac.comFamily-friendly attractions
Days the kids will retell at dinner.
Southwest Florida is quietly excellent for families. The animal experiences between Naples and Fort Myers are the region's best-known draw, and the museums and gardens below give rainy afternoons and school breaks a proper destination. On top of these, the beach parks above include playgrounds, picnic areas, and calm swimming water for younger children.
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
A 43-acre accredited zoo set within a historic botanical garden, with nearly a mile of paths, giraffe feeding, and a Primate Expedition Cruise.
napleszoo.orgGolisano Children's Museum of Naples
A two-story interactive museum in North Naples built for hands-on, learn-through-play exhibits that keep kids moving.
cmon.orgIMAG History & Science Center
A Fort Myers museum with more than 60 hands-on exhibits, aquariums, touch tanks, and a 3D theater for young explorers.
theimag.orgCalusa Nature Center & Planetarium
A Fort Myers nature center with boardwalk trails, a planetarium, and live animal exhibits.
calusanature.orgNaples Botanical Garden
170 acres of cultivated gardens and restored natural areas, including a hands-on Children's Garden designed for younger visitors.
naplesgarden.orgThree ways to spend a day
A few itineraries to borrow.
A slow beach day
Start at Lovers Key or Bonita Beach Park with the morning low tide, lunch at a raw bar on the way home, then circle back for a sunset drink on the lanai, overlooking the fountain.
A boating morning
Paddle the Estero or Imperial River before the heat builds, explore the mangrove shorelines of Estero Bay, and end with a dockside table at Tin City or Crayton Cove.
A culture afternoon
Spend the afternoon at The Baker Museum or the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, then stroll a gallery district and finish with dinner in Old Naples or downtown Fort Myers.
Practical notes
Timing, tides, and the season.
Peak season runs roughly November through April, when the beaches, marinas, and restaurants are at their busiest and the weather is at its most reliably beautiful. The summer months are quieter, with smaller crowds and lower-season pace at many Gulf-front spots.
Several Gulf-front parks and facilities are still completing post-hurricane recovery, so parking, trams, and pier access at state and county parks have been changing. Always check a park's or destination's current status, hours, and fees before you drive out.
Golf memberships, tee times, and marina services vary by property and season, so confirm availability directly with the course or marina you plan to visit.
For the inside-the-gates version of this list, the Neighborhood page and the Guide to Miromar Lakes cover the community's own beaches, clubhouse, and dining.
Facts and sources
Park details come from Florida State Parks (floridastateparks.org), Lee County Parks & Recreation (leegov.com), Visit Fort Myers (visitfortmyers.com), and Visit Naples (visitnaplesfl.com). Golf, boating, dining, shopping, arts, and family listings link directly to each destination's own website. Amenity details for the community reflect the listing notes for 10000 Isola Way and miromarlakes.com. Hours, fees, and seasonal schedules change, so verify current details with each destination before you go.
Make Miromar Lakes your home base.
Every destination on this page is a short drive from 10000 Isola Way. Come see the home, the community, and the region in one visit with Peggy.