We just returned from a great experience spending the week of July 4th at Fort Myers Beach. Here are a few tips that might help you plan for a great trip of your own.
Our Day – July 4th at Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach is located on Estero Island in Lee County Florida. Like all of the “islands” that we have visited, we get super excited just driving over the bridge! There is just something about that laid back island feel that we can’t get enough of.
We knew it was going to be packed so our strategy was to arrive before 8:30 a.m. to claim our spot on the beach and hang out for the entire day. We drank iced coffee, watched the parade, absorbed some Vitamin D and watched all of the interesting people gathering on the beach.
Check out my Summer Beach Items on Amazon post. Read about other beach experiences here.
Our little group witnessed some pretty exciting things, too. We saw countless boats anchored on the sand bars. 8-10 young adults lifting a massive inflatable unicorn over beach umbrellas down to the water. A “Trump Boat” and so much more. If you love to people watch, 4th of July on Fort Myers beach needs to be on your list!
Parade – July 4th at Fort Myers Beach
Who doesn’t want to attend a fun parade on the 4th of July? The bridge to the island closes at 9 a.m. in preparation for the parade which traveled down Estero Blvd. The bridge was closed until approximately noon so make sure you arrive on island BEFORE 9 a.m. if you want to catch the parade. Roadside signs warned visitors days before so we had plenty of warning of the bridge closure.
That parade was not super elaborate but a lot of fun. Many of the floats tossed candy to the kids and everyone had a great time. It was very family friendly.
Times Square
The Times Square area is located right over the bridge to the island and is home to many tourist shops, restaurants, ice cream shops, access to the pier and more. We spent time in this area after lunch. I picked up a Fort Myers Beach towel (for our collection)and our daughter got a Henna. It’s a fun, walkable area.
Parking – July 4th at Fort Myers Beach
There are several small parking areas and a beach tram (The Fort Myers Beach Trolley & Tram) you can take for CHEAP!
Parking on Fort Myers Beach is NOT cheap. Depending on time of year (supply & demand) parking varies in price but this week we paid $15-$20 for the day. Some restaurants do offer dinner parking which is complimentary but it is clearly identified as “Not Beach Parking”.
If you plan to hang out on the beach, my suggestion is to go early and spend the day to get your money’s worth with the parking fee or take the Beach Tram. Next time, we will definitely try the Tram. It’s really nice to have access to the car if you need anything but honestly, the trolley/tram looks fun and what a bargain! The Beach is very walkable so once you arrive there is really no need for a car unless you just need to store belongings throughout the day.
July 4th at Fort Myers Beach – How about Crowds?
Apparently, the week of July 4th at Fort Myers Beach is the busiest week of the summer. It definitely was a hopping place all week but it never felt overwhelming. This is a big deal for me. I am typically quite crowd-averse and become quite anxious in packed situations. So, I have to say I was a little anxious about spending July 4th at Fort Myers Beach.
For us, the solution was arriving early and set up our home base for the day. We didn’t have to fight big crowds to find a spot on the beach and parking wasn’t a chore. It was crowded but I imagine there are years when it is much more crowded and thankfully it never felt overwhelming.
There were people having a grand time with large groups as well but I never felt like it was an inappropriate place for our teenage daughter to spend the day. But, of course, she was with us and not a group of her 16-year-old peers there without us.
Facilities
FacilitiesOne of the things that I REALLY love about this beach was the available facilities and beach access. There were visitor restrooms (air conditioned) near the pier. Additionally, our daughter went up to one of the beachfront restaurants a couple of times to use the restroom and was never given a hard time.
I’ve written a few times about our love for Marco Island, Florida. We genuinely love Marco but I have to say that Fort Myers Beach is much easier from the perspective of a day visitor.
July 4th at Fort Myers Beach – Wait Staff, Vendors, etc.
Every worker we encountered (and we went to the beach every day of our week-long visit) was great. I’m sure there are exceptions but we never experienced a rude server, a cranky bartender or barista during our visit.
In general, everyone was warm and welcoming. Two of our favorite spots were Shuckers at The Gulf Shore and Sunset Beach Tropical Grill. Both restaurants were extremely convenient from our spot on the beach and offered great, friendly service and live entertainment at various times. Is there anything better than listening to live music while watching the tide roll in?
July 4th at Fort Myers Beach – Fireworks?
Are their fireworks on Fort Myers Beach? Well, YES! Fireworks are launched right from the Pier! In fact, a few locals joked that each year they set the pier on fire.
Do I have pictures? I’m sorry, No. 🙁
The fireworks were scheduled for 8:45 p.m. Prior to this time a storm rolled in with heavy rain and strong winds. Sand was flying everywhere. People were scattering. So we raced to our car. We had just finished dinner so our beach stuff was already stowed in our car.
At this point, we assumed that the display would be rescheduled so we headed back to the condo. We had been at the beach for nearly 12 hours at that point so we had a very full day.
They did shoot the fireworks off in the rain so we did miss it. But, that’s ok. That’s life and even if we didn’t see the display we had a great day on Fort Myers Beach.
Have you ever been to Fort Myers Beach? Tell me about YOUR experience by commenting below.
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Happy Travels!
Jillian