Across the Calosoahatchee River from Fort Myers is the much younger and much larger city of Cape Coral-a haven for boaters. Access to the water is easy in Cape Coral, which lies just up the river from the Gulf of Mexico Those who don’t have their own boats can rent one or, even better, charter a boat that’s piloted by a captain experienced in the shallow, sometimes tricky Southwest Florida waters.

Conceived in the 1950’s as a Mecca for retirees, Cape Coral has come of age as a diverse community of all ages, interests and nationalities. It is Florida’s second largest city land wise, yet many are drawn by the small town feeling it retains. A stroll though Cape Coral’s shops or a stop in one of its restaurants will bring to ear a variety of Spanish and German voices mingled with English and other languages. Visitors and seasonal residents are drawn from around the world to Cape Coral’s friendly and homey environment as well as to its renowned waterfront.