Do We Beach House

Most packing lists for Fort Myers Beach are written by people who have never stood in the sand here at 2pm in July. This one is different.

Ask ten visitors what they wish they’d packed for a Fort Myers Beach vacation and you’ll get the same three answers: more sunscreen, fewer shoes, and a better beach bag. Everything else is noise.

So let’s skip the generic list and get into what actually matters when you’re staying a few hundred steps from the Gulf — including the handful of items that turn a good trip into an easy one, and the four things you should leave at home on purpose.

What to Actually Pack for the Beach Itself

Start with the sun. Southwest Florida sits at roughly 26 degrees north latitude, which is roughly the same intensity as the Bahamas. That means two things people underestimate: how fast you burn on a hazy day, and how quickly the sun drains your energy if you’re not hydrating.

• Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher. Buy two bottles per person for a week. Reapply every two hours — the sweat and saltwater here will eat through it faster than you expect.
• A UPF 50 rash guard. The single best investment for kids and anyone doing a full beach day. It covers more reliably than lotion and you don’t have to reapply it.
• Wide-brim hats and polarized sunglasses. The glare off white quartz sand and emerald water is genuinely intense. Polarized lenses make the water look better and your eyes thank you.
• Two swimsuits per person, minimum. One hanging to dry while you wear the other. On a humid island, nothing dries overnight.
• One soft-sided cooler bag. Hard coolers won’t collapse into a beach bag and take up the whole trunk. A soft bag with a shoulder strap is the move.
• Reusable water bottles. Two per person. Fill them, freeze them, bring them. There is no beverage service on the beach.

What Most People Overpack (Leave These Home)

Half of an overstuffed suitcase is dead weight. Here’s what consistently goes unused:

• Extra pairs of shoes. You will live in flip-flops or sandals. Bring one pair of closed-toe shoes for the off chance you go somewhere nicer or want to paddle, and that’s it.
• Heavy denim and closed jackets. Even in January, daytime highs here sit in the 70s. One light layer for an air-conditioned restaurant is plenty.
• Formal outfits. Fort Myers Beach is a flip-flop and linen kind of island. Nice-casual is the dress code almost everywhere, including most of the waterfront restaurants.
• Your own beach umbrella and chairs — until you confirm. Many vacation rentals provide beach gear, but it varies house to house. Ask your property manager before you fly with a chair, then decide. If you’d rather rent, island outfitters deliver to the door.

Gear for the Pool, the Hot Tub, and the Backyard

If your rental has a private heated pool and hot tub — and ours does — you’ll spend more time there than you expect. A few small items make an outsized difference:

• A second swimsuit and a lightweight cover-up for walking between the pool and the house, especially if you’ve got guests going in and out all day.
• Waterproof phone pouch. Cheap insurance. Especially near a hot tub, where phones meet water with depressing regularity.
• Poolside speaker. Small and portable. Check the house rules on quiet hours — neighborhoods here have respectful noise expectations, particularly after 10pm.
• A packable towel or two beyond what’s provided. Extra towels are always the thing you run out of first with a group.

What Changes by Season

The Kids and Pets List

• Kids: swim floaties, sand toys (the dollar store version is fine), a sun hat that ties under the chin, and a couple of beach-friendly books or a tablet with a waterproof sleeve. If you’re potty training, bring swim diapers from home — they’re pricier and harder to find on the island.
• Dogs: leash, extra towels, a portable water bowl, and a mat or blanket so a sandy pup isn’t on the furniture. Fort Myers Beach is genuinely dog-friendly, and plenty of waterfront spots welcome well-behaved pets on the patio. Bring pet waste bags; beach and town rules are enforced. And if you’re traveling with a pet, confirm pet policies before booking — ours is a pet-friendly house, but each rental differs.

Southwest Florida Quirks Worth Packing For

• Afternoon rain is a scheduling issue, not a vacation-ending one. A packable rain jacket beats an umbrella in the wind off the Gulf.
• No-see-ums come out at dusk. Tiny and near-invisible, they’re a real thing at the water’s edge around sunset. A picaridin-based spray works better than you’d expect and won’t melt your gear.
• Sand gets everywhere. Bring one bag just for beach stuff so it doesn’t migrate into your suitcase. Rinse before you get back in the car.
• Everything is casual. If you’re debating whether to pack it, the answer is usually no.

Buy This When You Arrive, Not Before

Don’t haul it on a plane. There’s a Publix a short drive from the island, plus neighborhood grocery options across the causeway and on San Carlos Island. Pick up the bulky or perishable stuff after you land or roll in:

• Beach chairs, umbrellas, and a cheap cooler
• Sunscreen refills and aloe vera
• Groceries, coffee, and drinks for the week
• Bait and tackle if you’re fishing, or stop at a local bait shop for advice on what’s biting

One more tip: booking your rental with a full kitchen means you can eat breakfast at the house, pack lunches, and save your restaurant budget for the places worth it. On a group trip, that’s an easy few hundred dollars back in everyone’s pocket.

One Thing Worth Checking Before You Pack

Ask your property manager two questions: what beach gear is already at the house, and what’s the closest grocery store. Those two answers will eliminate half your suitcase and one grocery run. If you’re booking the “Do We” Beach House — a 4-bedroom plus den, 4.5-bath home that sleeps 11 with a private heated pool, hot tub, and the beach about 600 steps away — your booking goes through Coastal Vacation Properties, and they can answer both questions in a single email.

Fort Myers Beach has been rebuilding and reopening stronger since Hurricane Ian, and the island today is full of new restaurants, rebuilt properties, and that particular energy you only get somewhere that refused to quit. Come see it.

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