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Fort Myers’ beaches speak for themselves regarding fun and beauty as do the blue-green waters surrounding the barrier islands and estuaries, but this boater’s paradise has a personal side as well. This intimacy is found with a dip of the paddle into the salty mangrove islands and shallows that no motor craft can enter. This is nature’s domain and the best access is provided with a canoe or kayak.
The slow flit of a paddle through the water is less disturbing than the roar of a motorboat or jet ski, thus the paddler has a much greater chance at discovering and experiencing a manatee feeding her baby, dolphins splashing and performing acrobatics, or getting close with more than 300 types of birds found around Fort Myers.
New to paddling or just outside of familiar waters? Contact one of the many Fort Myers kayak outfitters and they will take care of the trip plans, maps, boats, and any other equipment necessary for your adventure. Many offer guided trips and personalized tours. Their intimate knowledge of the area may take you places the guidebooks don’t mention.
If you plan to bring your own boat, make sure you get a good map and compass. A GPS receiver is highly recommended for finding your way through the mangrove-lined channels. Contacting the local shops can also glean some good pointers and areas of interest not to miss.
The main paddling destination, in fact the reason many paddlers visit Fort Myers, is the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail. This 190-mile trail provides access to some of the best paddling waters around Fort Myers. The area even recognizes the significance of the trail with an annual paddle festival each fall.
Unlike other water trails this one is marked by signs providing location numbers that correspond with a series of free maps available at outfitters, marinas, retail sites, parks, boat ramps, office buildings, chambers of commerce, airports and visitor centers. Three maps divide the trail into manageable distances and provide information on water access points, dining, lodging and camping. For more information and access to the downloadable maps contact the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau at (800) 237-6444, or check out www.greatcalusablueway.com.
If you just want to drop in and paddle, access to the water and a boat rental is available through many of the Fort Myers beachside hotels. If you aren’t staying at a hotel on the beach, you can launch your boat from any beach near a public access point. One of the easiest beach access points is Bunche Beach. The parking area is about 50 feet from the water and the Great Calusa Blueway Paddle Trail runs along the beach.
Access to Estero Bay and Mound Key, a mound of shells built by the Calusa tribe long before the Spanish arrived in Florida, is available from Lovers Key State Park. The park offers access to the bay behind this barrier island and to the seaside beaches. Kayaks can be rented from either location.
From Fort Myers Beach, Bowditch Point is another easy access point that also puts you on the Calusa Blueway. Bowditch Point also offers beach access with bathrooms, showers and grills.
Sanibel Island is a short jaunt across the toll causeway. The causeway offers several areas to park and launch your own boat. The island is popular for shell collecting and sugary sand beaches. Of these nationally recognized beaches, Bowman’s Beach has a small boat launch out of the parking lot and Lighthouse Point also offers easy access to beach launches.
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge encompasses Tarpon Bay, one of Canoe and Kayak and Paddling Magazines’ top paddling destinations. Access and boat rental is available through a concessionaire with the refuge. If you can only go paddling one time, Tarpon Bay should be your destination. Take the river tour or the 8-mile bay tour.
So many miles of shoreline, channels and several rivers are available for the paddler to explore. The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail provides information and guidance through much of the area and is well worth exploring. Regardless of your reason for visiting Fort Myers, a quiet paddle can create a lasting memory for yourself or your entire family.
Note: When you go paddling you need to bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a towel, lots of drinking water, sunscreen, and a snack. Insect repellant is a must; mosquitoes and no-see-ums will eat you up. This is less so in the winter, but depending on the area no-see-ums can be relentless year round, especially if you are loading your boat at dusk.
Article by Matt Crane
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