Explore The Beach And Beyond

Southwest Florida’s sunshine, beaches, golf and waterfront dining have attracted tourists and retirees for generations — but word is getting around that coastal living offers newcomers more reasons than ever before to make the move to paradise.

New outdoor gathering places, entertainment venues, museums, galleries, nightlife and festivals offer year-round entertainment options. Once sleepy communities now feature everything from cat cafés, bunny yoga, goat yoga, Pilates, cold plunge spas, coffee shops spinning vintage vinyl, craft breweries, whiskey bars and cigar lounges to ax-throwing, rock climbing, smash rooms, airboat rides through the Everglades and dinner at the region’s increasingly ambitious restaurants.

Rest assured, the old-Florida charm is intact — there is just way more to do these days. There are still undisturbed mangrove shorelines, weather-beaten fish camps, roadside produce stands and tranquil water views that seem largely untouched by time. Mix that with the region’s explosive growth, and you have culture, dining, entertainment and possibilities that would have been difficult to imagine here not so long ago.

Across Southwest Florida, downtown areas are finding new energy, dining and gathering places are multiplying, upgrades are underway at parks and beaches and new community developments are underway throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. For newcomers, this means more choices — and plenty of reasons — to call this paradise home.

“I see us surpassing Palm Beach,” said Tim Savage, owner of Gulf Coast International Properties. “Historically, if someone was looking here and Palm Beach, we would lose to Palm Beach, but now the lifestyle here really can’t be beat in Florida and even the nation. We are consistently one of the top places to live in the country.”

Southwest Florida’s social scene

In the 1990s, Old U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs was lined with auto repair shops and convenience stores. Over the past two decades, though, the quaint neighborhood has steadily reinvented itself, and this year that evolution is especially visible.

New restaurants, artist cottages and events are adding life to the historic downtown. Riverside Park is undergoing the second phase of a major renovation, a new splash pad and restroom facilities are under construction at the Banyan Lot, and redevelopment of the former Bamboo Lot is bringing residential and retail space, public parking and gathering areas to the district.

“It is very unique,” said Trish Leonard, past president of the Bonita Springs Downtown Alliance. “It is very quaint, but it is also lively. It’s the small-town charm, big bright future, but it is also evolving in a way that will make you want to come downtown.”

Arts Bonita launches the Bonita Springs Art Walk on the second Wednesday of each month throughout the busy tourist season, featuring more than 40 artists. The new event joins the fine arts festival, held one weekend each month from January through March and Art & Soul nights at Shangri-La Springs, on the second Wednesday of each month from December through April.

“We want to be known as the capital of art in Southwest Florida,” said Alyona Ushe, CEO of Arts Bonita.

Midtown at Bonita, a mixed-use lifestyle development on track for completion in late 2026, promises to attract regional crowds to its wide assortment of retail, dining, commercial and residential options.

Southwest Floridians have developed a hunger for lingering and mingling, especially at mealtime. Rooftop at Riverside, Bonita Springs’ food truck park, joins Slipway, located along the Caloosahatchee River in Cape Coral, which features 10 food trucks, a marina, waterfront dining and live music. Further south, Naples’ Celebration Park has become a popular food truck destination.

Foxtail Coffee Co. offers cozy spots to linger or grab a drink to go — and at the new Book Cafe in South Fort Myers, customers lounge in comfortable armchairs and sip artisan coffee, slow-brewed chai or draft lattes, snack on pastries or bagels and peruse shelves full of books.

Nearby, Yahweh Café offers lattes and handcrafted boba teas with Korean corn dogs, mochi donuts and ice cream. At Disco Bean Coffee in Bonita Springs, DJs spin vinyl records, and retro décor channels the vibe of the ’70s and ’80s. Owner Patty Amandis caters to music and coffee lovers, as well as those searching for rare musical gems to add to their collections.

Outdoor adventures

As the weather cools (a little bit) and more people venture outdoors, a growing collection of parks is unveiling new features and attractions. Cape Coral’s Festival Park opened in August with multi-use sports fields, festival grounds and a concessions and restroom building. Along the Caloosahatchee, Jaycee Park reopened on April 30 after a major renovation that added a 5,000-square-foot splash pad, a large playground, a bandshell and recreational amenities.

Southwest Florida’s beloved beaches are also getting upgrades, including facility improvements at Bonita Beach Park, Bonita Beach Access #1 and Little Hickory Island Beach Park. Although parking may be temporarily limited during construction, LeeTran ULTRA On Demand offers a convenient way to reach the beach.

Fort Myers Beach continues its post-hurricane transformation as well. Public beach facilities are being restored, and plans are underway to replace the Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier.

For those seeking an upscale beach experience, Paraíso Beach Club is expected to open in late 2027. Members will have access to a multi-story clubhouse over-looking Vanderbilt Beach, two saltwater pools, three open-air dining venues and lounges, wellness offerings including massage and yoga, beach service and more.

Nearby, the private Port Royal Club is scheduled to reopen in fall 2026 after a $100 million redevelopment that includes a new clubhouse, multiple dining venues, a beachfront pool, spa, banquet space and more.

In 2027, Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs plans to open a new event center over-looking the Imperial River, providing space for classes, camps, educational programs and private events. President and CEO Sally Mulvena has also identified an animal health center as the next major project, with space for veterinary exams, quarantine and hurricane protection.

Eastward expansion

Many of Southwest Florida’s newest developments are expanding east of the surf and sand. For newcomers, the growth means more choices beyond the traditional coastal lifestyle, with newer communities bringing schools, health care, dining, recreation and everyday necessities closer to home.

In the early 2000s, developer Nicholas Cameratta, COO of Cameratta Companies, saw miles of untouched property and farmland east of I-75 along Corkscrew Road in Estero.

“We absolutely love the location,” Cameratta said. “The location is good — proximity to the airport, lots of shops and easy access to Fort Myers and Naples.”

Cameratta Companies opened The Preserve at Corkscrew in 2012, Corkscrew Shores in 2014, The Place at Corkscrew in 2017 and Verdana Village in 2021.

The group’s biggest project, The Kingston, a master-planned community expected to include about 10,000 homes, celebrated its grand opening in October. Development plans include commercial space and wetland restoration, preservation and wildlife habitat. “It’s transforming,” Cameratta said. “It is a huge change.”

The same eastward momentum is visible in Collier County. Ave Maria opened its first on-site public elementary school in the fall, and Freedom Ave Maria, a personalized education program for students in grades 9-12 operated by The Freedom Institute, opened a campus this year. The new Gatherpoint neighborhood by Pulte and Lennar has launched sales of its modern homes and planned resort-style amenities, while Midtown Plaza continues to attract businesses to the area.

Southwest Florida is also growing upward with the introduction of new high-rise residences, including two Ritz Carlton Residences, a Four Seasons and a Rosewood.

In downtown Naples, The Naples Players debuted The Baker Day School of the TNPAcademy of Dramatic Arts, the region’s only full-time academic and arts program for middle and high school students. Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital are also expanding women’s and children’s services through the Van Domelen Institute for Women and Children, with a planned pavilion at the NCH North campus.

Farther north in Charlotte County, Babcock Ranch continues its exponential growth, launching Tucker’s Cove, a water park-themed amenity complex in September. Businesses continue to open along B Street, the community’s new walkable downtown, and construction is underway on MidTown Marketplace. Plans are also advancing for Florida Gulf Coast University’s academic, research and outreach facility focused on sustainability and resiliency. Tampa General Medical Group Babcock Ranch opened a new preventive care, adult and pediatric primary care practice, featuring on-site laboratory services.

Travel upgrades

As the region grows, its gateways are expanding to accommodate more travelers. Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers (RSW) is in the midst of a more than $1 billion expansion that will add a new 14-gate concourse and expand passenger facilities, with completion scheduled for late 2027.

Farther north, Charlotte County Airport Authority’s Punta Gorda Airport expansion of Bailey Terminal is underway, with completion targeted for May 2027.

Perhaps this year’s best surprise for newcomers to Southwest Florida is that the beaches, sunshine and warm winters may still be the main attraction, but they are part of a much bigger story. There are downtowns made for wandering, restaurants worth discovering, parks and preserves to explore, a spectacular variety of arts and entertainment options and communities designed for nearly every version of Florida living — and there is always something new in the works — on the beach and beyond.