37 Best Sights in The Lower Gulf Coast, Florida

To experience what this part of Florida was like before civil engineers began draining the swamps, drive 17 miles east of North Naples to these 13,000 acres of pine-flatwood and cypress forest, grass-and-sedge "wet prairie," saw-grass marshland, and lakes and sloughs filled with water lettuce. Managed by the National Audubon Society, the sanctuary protects North America's largest remaining stand of ancient bald cypress, 600-year-old trees as tall as 130 feet, as well as endangered birds, such as wood storks, which often nest here.

This is a favorite destination for serious birders and is the gateway to the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. If you spend a couple of hours to take the 2¼-mile self-guided tour along the boardwalk (which is completely wheelchair accessible), you'll spot ferns, orchids, and air plants, as well as wading birds and possibly alligators and river otters. A nature center educates you about this precious, unusual habitat with a dramatic re-creation of the preserve and its creatures in the Swamp Theater.

Fort Myers's premier attraction pays homage to two of America's most ingenious inventors: Thomas A. Edison, who gave the world the stock ticker, the incandescent lamp, and the phonograph, among other inventions; and his friend and neighbor, automaker Henry Ford. Donated to the city by Edison's widow, his once 12-acre estate has been expanded into a remarkable 25 acres, with three homes, two caretaker cottages, a laboratory, botanical gardens, and a museum. The laboratory contains the same gadgets and gizmos as when Edison last stepped foot into it, and you can see many of his inventions, along with historic photographs and memorabilia, in the museum.

Edison traveled south from New Jersey and devoted much of his time here to inventing things (there are 1,093 patents to his name), experimenting with rubber for friend and frequent visitor Harvey Firestone, and planting hundreds of plant species collected around the world. Next door to Edison's two identical homes is Ford's "Mangoes," the more modest seasonal home of Edison's fellow inventor. The property's oldest building, the Edison Caretaker's House, dates from 1860. Guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available. One admission covers the homes of both men; separate museum-and-laboratory-only tickets and botanical-garden tour tickets are also available.

Kids love the wonderful interactive exhibits at this lively museum–aquarium combo that explores technology, physics, weather, and other science topics. Check out the stingrays and other marine life in the aquariums, touch tanks, and the USS Mohawk artificial reef tank featured on Animal Planet’s show Tanked. Feed the fish, turtles, and swans in the outdoor lagoon; see a tarantula, python, hissing cockroach, juvenile alligator, and other live critters in the Animal Lab; dig for dinosaur bones; watch a 3-D movie in the theater; take part in a hands-on Animal Encounter demonstration, and touch a cloud. Other highlights include the Mini Museum early childhood area, Backyard Nature, aquaponics area, Nano Lab, Idea Lab engineering design center, Build-Your-Own-Coaster, and Science of Motion. History exhibits include underwater plane wrecks, a Columbian mammoth, and giant ground sloth, as well as a replica Cracker House.

Head here to cool off when summer swelters. Nearly two dozen wet and dry attractions include 10 thrill waterslides; the Sand Dollar Walk, where you step from one floating "sand dollar" to another; pint-size Pro Racer flumes; a professional sand volleyball court; a family pool and Tot Spot; and a river-tube ride. Rates go down after 2 pm, plus the park offers Family Fun Night specials.

This cool, contemporary museum at Artis–Naples displays provocative, innovative pieces, including renowned miniatures, antique walking sticks, works by modern and contemporary American and Mexican masters, and traveling exhibits. Dazzling pieces by glass artist Dale Chihuly include a fiery, cascading chandelier and an illuminated ceiling layered with many-hued glass bubbles, glass corkscrews, and other shapes that suggest the sea. This installation alone warrants a visit, but with three floors and 15 galleries, your cultural curiosity is sure to pique elsewhere, perhaps in the glass-domed conservatory. Reward your visual arts adventure with lunch at the on-site café.

Once called Captiva Beach, this park is acclaimed as one of the nation's most romantic beaches for its fabulous sunsets—the best view on Sanibel and Captiva. Shells stud the white, wide sands. The parking lot is filled with potholes and is small, so arrive early, watch where you're driving, and bring an umbrella if you need shade. The beach can get crowded, especially in the busy winter and spring seasons. Facilities are limited to portable restrooms and a volleyball net, but stores and restaurants are nearby. South Seas Island Resort lines the north end of the beach. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunsets; swimming; walking.

To see what Florida looked like centuries ago, visit Babcock Ranch northeast of Fort Myers. During a 90-minute excursion, you ride in a converted school bus through several ecosystems, including the unusual and fascinating Telegraph Cypress Swamp. Along the way, an informative and typically amusing guide describes the area's social and natural history while you keep an eye peeled for alligators, wild pigs, all sorts of birds, Florida panthers, and other denizens of the wild. The tour also takes in the ranch's resident cattle and cougar in captivity. Reservations are needed for tours.

This one isn't exactly easy to find since it's accessible only by a quiet neighborhood road around the corner from buzzing Bonita Beach Park, but it's well worth the effort if you appreciate natural coastal habitats with fun interpretive programs. Shells here are bountiful as are gopher tortoises that may park in the shade of your car. Stop by the nature center to join a ranger-led walk through the trails and gardens, or take up a paddle and go kayaking. There's no towel-jockeying here along the wide-open space (the preserve as a whole is 342 acres), and refreshments and beach rentals provide ample comfort while you unwind in the pristine sands. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; walking.

It's an ongoing party on this rowdy stretch of coast, the easiest by far to reach from the inland areas south of Fort Myers. Local favorite hangout Doc's Beach House, open from breakfast until the wee hours of the night, keeps bellies full and libations flowing. Other food and sports vendors camp out here, too, making it nearly impossible to resist an ice cream or a ride on a Jet Ski. Shaded pavilions between the parking lot and dunes are a great way to cool off from the sweltering heat—just don't sit too close to the picnickers barbecuing. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; windsurfing.

Affiliated with the University of Florida's natural history museum in Gainesville, this 0.7-mile interpretive walkway explores the site of an ancient Calusa village—more than 1,500 years old—with excellent signage, two intact shell mounds you can climb, the remains of a complex canal system, and ongoing archaeological research. Check the website for special tours and lecture events.

Get a look at Florida's native animals and habitats. Boardwalks and trails lead through subtropical wetlands, a birds-of-prey aviary, and a screened-in butterfly house. There are snake, alligator, butterfly, and other live-animal demonstrations several times daily. Museum exhibits include an Exotic Species room and the Insectarium. The domed, state-of-the-art, 90-seat planetarium hosts astronomy shows daily and special laser shows.

There's something for everyone at this beach just west of the Third Street South shopping area, but what gets the most attention is the historical pier, which extends well into the Gulf and offers the best free dolphin-viewing around. Sunsets are a nightly ritual, and dodging anglers' poles is to be expected. The concession stand sells food for humans as well as for fishy friends, and, on the sand below, teenagers hold court at volleyball nets; families picnic on blankets; and a handful of other people swoop up cockles, fighting conchs, and coquinas. To avoid the commotion, head south on Gulf Shore Boulevard, and take your pick of the public access points. The sands here won't have the facilities of the pier—or facilities, period—but the solitude can't be beat. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunsets; swimming.

A quiet day at the beach gets an adventurous start when you board a tram and careen down a ¾-mile boardwalk through shaded mangroves and a network of canals. At the end is a pretty, secluded patch of sand where the calm surf is perfect for swimming. In addition to sunbathing, shelling, and sand-castle building, you can spring for a kayak and meander around the marsh. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming.

Each year, this clinic cares for and rehabilitates more than 5,000 wildlife patients, from bald eagles to loggerhead sea turtles. The center offers a look inside the world of wildlife medicine through exhibits, videos, interactive displays, touch screens, and critter cams that feed live footage from four different animal spaces. Wildlife walks give a behind-the-scenes look and can be reserved for $25 per person. This is an excellent facility, but the displays may be too graphic for young visitors.

To get a feel for local history, stroll the vignettes and temporary exhibits inside this museum, as well as the parklike displays outside it. A Seminole chickee village, native plant garden, swamp buggy, reconstructed 19th-century fort, steam logging locomotive, and more capture important Naples-area developments from prehistoric times to the World War II era. You can even pack a lunch and picnic in the shady backyard.

Here you can connect with nature by taking a 45-minute boat tour (ages two-plus) along the Gordon River, renting a kayak, or going on a guided nature walk. The Dalton Discovery Center highlights six Florida ecosystems in its exhibits, which include a spectacular aquarium that's home to a loggerhead sea turtle and a touch tank where you can learn about the many animals found on local beaches. Preschoolers can have hands-on fun at the Little Explorer Play Zone. The on-site wildlife hospital's viewing area gives you a peek at staff working on any number of animals. Check out Cinema Sunday and other events in the Nature Center.

ECHO is an international Christian nonprofit striving to end world hunger via creative farming. The fascinating 90-minute tour of its working farm takes you through seven simulated tropic-zone gardens and has you tasting leaves, exploring a rain-forest habitat, visiting farm animals, stopping at a simulated Haitian school, seeing urban gardens grown inside tires on rooftops, and learning about ECHO's mission. Although the group is faith based, the guides are far from preachy, and the organization is all-inclusive, equipping and training people regardless of their beliefs.

If you have time, consider also taking the Appropriate Technology Tour. Slightly shorter than the basic farm tour, it's held in a covered facility where you'll see simple but ingenious contraptions that solve everyday problems in the developing world, like pressing seeds and making rope (spoiler alert—one involves a bicycle-powered saw). The ECHO Global Nursery and Gift Shop sells fruit trees and the same seeds ECHO distributes to impoverished farmers in 180 countries. Check the website for tour schedules.

The island's beaches are its greatest prize and lie within the state park at the south end. The long, narrow beach ends at Boca Grande Pass, famous for its deep waters and tarpon fishing. The pretty, two-story, circa-1890 lighthouse once marked the pass for mariners. In recent years it has been restored as a museum that explores the island's fishing and railroad heritage. The lighthouse is closed in August.

This bright, cheery, 30,000-square-foot ode to playful learning has 12 state-of-the-art permanent galleries that do not disappoint. Kids of many ages and abilities (exhibits were designed to be accessible for children with special needs, too) will love the gigantic Banyan Tree, a focal point at 45 feet tall and a climbing obstacle of sorts; the Farm & Market, a cooperative playground where roles are assigned (a harvester or cashier, for example) to subtly encourage team building and math skills; and the Green Construction zone, where hard hats and eco-friendly building materials will inspire future architects.  The museum is in the same place as the Sun-N-Fun Lagoon water park, and it's possible to do both in one day.

One of Florida's quirkier sites is named for a religious cult that was active at the turn of the 20th century. It preserves a dozen structures where the group worshipped a male-female divinity and created its own branch of science called cosmogony, which claimed the universe existed within a giant hollow sphere. The cult foundered when leader Cyrus Reed Teed died in 1908, and, in 1961, the four remaining members deeded the property to the state. Rangers and volunteers lead tours and demonstrations, and the grounds are lovely for picnicking and camping. Canoeists paddle the Estero River, fringed by a forest of vegetation the Koreshans planted.

This beach is guarded by the frequently photographed Sanibel Lighthouse, built in 1884, before the island was settled. (Although it's not currently open to the public, there's talk of refurbishing the lighthouse so visitors can climb to the top.) The surrounding park curves around the island's eastern tip, so there's waterfront on both the Gulf and the bay, where a fishing pier draws avid anglers, and shaded nature trails connect the two shores. The park is listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail because of its fall and spring migration fallouts. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunrise; walking; windsurfing.

Once a little-known secret, this out-of-the-way park encompassing 1,616 acres on four barrier islands and several uninhabited islets is popular among beachgoers and birders. Bike, hike, walk, or paddle the park's trails (rentals available); go shelling on its 2½ miles of white-sand beach; take a boat tour; or have a beach picnic under the trees. Trams run regularly from 9 to 4:30 to deliver you and your gear to South Beach. The ride is short but often dusty. North Beach is a five-minute walk from the concession area and parking lot. The new center includes an exhibit hall and outdoor discovery areas with observation decks. Watch for osprey, bald eagles, herons, ibis, pelicans, and roseate spoonbills, or sign up for a free excursion to learn fishing and nature photography. On the park's bay side, across the road from the beach entrance, playgrounds and a picnic area cater to families, plus there are boat ramps, kayak rentals, and a bait shop. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

At the 17-acre park in the commercial northern part of Estero Island, the wide, sandy shore slopes gradually into the usually tranquil and warm Gulf waters, providing safe swimming for children. And since houses, restaurants, condominiums, and hotels (including the Best Western Beach Resort and Pink Shell Resort north of the parking lot) line most of the beach, you're never far from civilization. There are picnic pavilions and barbecue grills, as well as playground equipment and a free fishing pier. The park is part of a pedestrian mall with a number of beach shops and restaurants steps away. The parking lot fills early on sunny days. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunsets; walking.

Here you might glimpse Florida's most famous, yet often hard to spot, marine mammal. When Gulf waters drop to 68°F or below—usually from November to March—the sea cows congregate in these waters, which are warmed by the outflow of a towering nearby power plant. Pause at any of the three observation decks (the first nearest the outflow and last at the lagoon usually yield the most sightings, as does the fishing pier) and watch for bubbles. Hydrophones on the last deck allow you to eavesdrop on their songs. Periodically, one of these gentle giants—mature adults weigh an average of 1,000 pounds—will surface. Calusa Blueway Outfitters runs the visitor center/gift shop and offers kayak and canoe rentals, as well as clinics and tours to paddle the canals and get a closer look.

Marco Island was once part of the ancient Calusa kingdom. The Key Marco Cat, a statue found in 1896 excavations, has become symbolic of the island's prehistoric significance. The original is part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection, but a replica is one of the items on display that illuminate the ancient past at this museum. Three rooms examine the island's history with dioramas, artifacts, and signage: the Calusa Room, Pioneer Room, and Modern Marco Room. A fourth hosts changing exhibits focusing on the settlement history of the island. Outside, the yard was built to look like a Calusa village set atop a shell mound with a water feature and chickee structure.

Majestic royal palms, some planted by Thomas Edison, line one of the city's most scenic streets and are the root of its "City of Palms" moniker. The boulevard runs from downtown to Summerlin Road, which takes you to the barrier islands.

One of Naples's most culturally exciting attractions, the botanical "gardens with latitude" flourish with plants and decorative elements from Florida and other subtropical locales including Asia, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Highlights of the 170 acres include a Children's Garden with a butterfly house, tree house, waterfall, cave, Florida Cracker house, and hidden garden; an infinity water lily pool; an aromatic Enabling Garden with a how-to theme; and a dramatic waterfall feature. A visitor center offers a café, restaurant, and three gardens, including an one with more than 1,000 orchid species and cultivars.

The lush 44-acre zoo got its start as a botanical garden in 1919 and has since drawn visitors curious to see lions, cheetahs, bears, gazelles, and a wildly popular giraffe herd. It also offers glimpses of such endangered creatures as red-ruffed lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, François' langurs (leaf monkeys), snow leopards, mountain bongos (a type of antelope), and Florida panthers. Other attractions include two kids play zones; the Reptile Rendezvous show; and the Primate Expedition Cruise, which sails past islands populated with monkeys, apes, and lemurs. Meet-the-keeper experiences, alligator feedings, and educational Safari animal presentations are scheduled regularly.

Houses in 19th-century South Florida were often built of tabby mortar, a concrete-like material made of sand and seashells. For a fine example of such construction, stop by Palm Cottage, built in 1895 and one of the Lower Gulf Coast's few surviving tabby homes. The historically accurate interior contains simple furnishings typical of the period. Next door to the cottage, Norris Gardens was designed to reflect turn-of-the-last-century garden trends. Docent tours of the home are included with admission; for an extra $10, join the two-hour walking tour of the garden and historic district held on Wednesday morning (reservations required).

In the midst of 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Marine Estuary, the center dramatically interprets the Everglades environment and local history with interactive models, aquariums, an art gallery, a film, tours, and "coastal connections" programs (45 minutes, at 11 and 2 daily). It's on the edge of the estuary, about five minutes east of Marco's north bridge on Collier Boulevard. Take a walk along Observation Bridge, a 440-foot pedestrian bridge that spans the reserve's creek from the center's second floor, and connects with 1½ miles of nature trails and leads to a creekside viewing platform. Guided and self-guided walks are available. Kayak and boat tours are also available through advance registration. Exhibits include an interactive research boat, a display on the importance of the Gulf of Mexico to coastal communities, and another on global climate change. Geocaches can be found on the trail and in the parking area.