Do We Beach House

Estero Bay — Florida’s first aquatic preserve

Here’s the thing about Fort Myers Beach that first-time visitors don’t expect: the island has two sides. The Gulf side gets the sunsets and the surf. The bay side — Estero Bay, the stretch of sheltered water behind the island — gets the wildlife. And the best way to see it is from a kayak or paddleboard.

Estero Bay was designated Florida’s first aquatic preserve back in 1966, which means its mangroves and seagrass beds have been left to do what they do best: feed and shelter dolphins, manatees, and more bird species than you can name. A morning paddle here is quiet, warm, and reliably full of life.

Where to paddle

Bowditch Point Park (north end of the island). This is the local favorite for a reason. The launch at the island’s northern tip puts you into Matanzas Pass, where the bay meets the Gulf. It’s calm water with dolphins working the channel most mornings. Parking is limited, so go early or ride a bike over. Sunset paddles from here are spectacular.

Lovers Key State Park (just south of the bridge). A short drive south, Lovers Key has miles of protected mangrove shoreline to explore and a concession that rents kayaks and paddleboards on site. If you want spoonbills and herons without leaving the dock area, this is the spot.

The bay side of the island itself. Poke around the back-bay creeks and mangrove tunnels along Estero Bay — they wind through quiet water where the island’s full-time residents keep their boats. The Mound House, a small museum on the bay side built atop an ancient Calusa shell mound, is another launch point, and local outfitters run guided paddles out to Mound Key, a shell-mound island in the bay that’s only reachable by boat.

What you’ll see

• Dolphins working the passes and channels — give them room and they’ll often cruise right past your board.
• Manatees in the warm months, usually spotted as a slow ripple or a nose breaking the surface near the mangroves.
• Roseate spoonbills — the pink ones. They feed in the shallows and look almost too tropical to be real.
• Ospreys diving for fish, great blue herons standing motionless on the dock pilings, and mullet launching themselves out of the water for no reason you can figure out.

Paddle like a local

• Go in the morning. The bay is glassy at first light and the wind builds by midday. Early is also when the dolphins are most active.
• Respect the tide. In Estero Bay the tide moves real water. Paddle with it on the way out and you’ll be glad you did. A quick tide-chart check is worth it.
• Mind the afternoon storms. In late summer and early fall, Gulf Coast thunderstorms build fast in the afternoon. Paddle early, keep an eye on the sky, and be off the water if clouds stack up.
• Sunscreen, water, sunglasses. Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and polarized sunglasses — the polarized lenses let you see rays and fish under the surface.
• Give wildlife space. Slow down for manatees and dolphins, and never chase them. It’s the law, and it’s also just the right way to do it.

Rentals & tours

You don’t need to bring a thing. Rental outfitters on and around the island offer kayaks and paddleboards by the hour or the day, and several run guided sunrise paddles and Mound Key tours — a great option if you want someone else to handle the navigation and point out the wildlife. They’ll provide life jackets (kids under 6 are required to wear one in Florida), and most will tell you the morning launch spots that are running calm.

Stand-up paddleboarding is just as easy to pick up — start on your knees, look at the horizon, and stand up one foot at a time. The bay’s flat morning water is the perfect place to learn.

When you paddle back in, the house is a short ride away — rinse off, grab a cold drink, and swap the paddles for the pool. The “Do We” Beach House is a 4-bedroom, pet-friendly home with a private pool and hot tub, about 600 steps from the sand, and all booking runs through Coastal Vacation Properties.

Check availability and book your stay →

Save this post for your trip — and if you catch a dolphin escort on the bay, that’s the photo to send us.

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