Let’s be real: remote work is here to stay. While hunkering down at home is the norm for many remote workers, a change of scenery can make all the difference in your productivity. Add in a healthy dose of endorphin-boosting sunshine, and you may start meeting your deadlines early. For a sunny work-to-play option that’s heavy on the play, look no further than Southwest Florida.
The islands, beaches, and neighborhoods of Fort Myers are ideal for resetting and connecting with something other than your computer screen. Whether you’re craving a day trip to Sanibel Island’s white sands or strolling past the mangroves of Lovers Key State Park, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation — even in the middle of the workweek. From morning meetings over iced lattes to afternoon adventures outside, here’s a little inspiration for your dream remote-work days.
1. Ease into your emails, then head to the wetlands.
Photo: Jo Savage
Start your day at Cypress Coffeehouse in Fort Myers, where both coffee lovers and non-coffee-drinkers alike are catered to with an expansive drink menu featuring seasonal specials. Before diving into your inbox, order a maple, sea salt, and cinnamon latte or a signature plant-based energy drink. They’re sure to power you through the morning’s work tasks with a smile.
When you’re ready to switch gears, head to the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Reachable in about 15 minutes by car from the coffeehouse, this 3,500-acre wetland and upland ecosystem is an excellent place to decompress after work surrounded by plant and animal life. Take your time walking the preserve’s 1.2-mile boardwalk and you could see everything from alligators and otters to a variety of birds and butterflies. (Pro tip: The butterfly garden is a beautiful place to bring a picnic lunch.) Swing by the interpretive center to learn more about what’s there, or join a naturalist-led walk for the inside scoop on the Slough and its resident critters.
2. Fuel up on tea and tacos, then paddle the coast.
Photo: Jo Savage
Kava Culture Summerlin is a popular social hub with spacious lounge areas that are perfect for popping open your laptop. Sip your way through the menu of premium botanical teas and kava drinks until hunger strikes, then relocate to Fort Myers Beach for lunch at The Dixie Fish Co. Favorites here include Yucatán shrimp tacos, crab cakes, and coconut-crusted fish.
After eating, consider a paddling adventure with Kayak Excursions, which offers guided tours in Bunche Beach, Pelican Bay, and Big Hickory Island. You can glide through back bays and mangrove tunnels, and possibly spot dolphins, manatees, or wading birds along the shoreline, depending on the season. If you’d rather explore at your own pace, kayaks and paddleboards are available to rent for an afternoon on the water.
3. Work with water views and seafood, then get out on the water.
Photo: Jo Savage
Set up shop for a late-morning work session at Lah De Dah Beach Bar & Grill, an open-air eatery overlooking the Gulf. Order the tuna poke or a plate of crab cakes for lunch to take full advantage of the seaside setting. You could stick around for happy hour specials starting at 5 — otherwise, once you’ve cleaned your plate and taken your last call for the day, celebrate with a visit to Lovers Key State Park, located just beyond the southern tip of Estero Island.
Made up of four barrier islands between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs, Lovers Key feels surprisingly remote for being so accessible. It’s a favorite for spotting dolphins and manatees just offshore, as well as shorebirds along the beach. Rent a kayak or canoe in town and bring it here to enjoy paddling through a 2.5-mile estuary, lagoon, and mangrove forest — any remaining stress from the workday will melt away with the motion of the water.
4. Wake up with Hawaiian coffee, then have a beach day.
Photo: Jo Savage
If working remotely in Southwest Florida already feels like a getaway, Badass Coffee of Hawaii in Fort Myers Beach takes it one step further by serving Kona coffee and island-inspired orders like coconut cold brew and macadamia nut lattes. Better yet, once it’s time to shut the laptop, you’re just a 10-minute walk away from sinking your feet in the sand.
Fort Myers Beach is a popular stretch of paradise among families, shore loungers, and those who like a mellow beach day — say, someone who’s earned it after grinding all morning. There are plenty of opportunities for water sports like parasailing, jet skiing, and paddleboarding if that’s more your speed, but you’ll be in good company if you’d rather claim a patch of sand and let the Gulf breeze do the rest. For the best seashell hunting, visit in the morning during low tide.
5. Look toward the islands, then hop around.
Photo: Jo Savage
One of the best parts of work-to-play in Southwest Florida is how easy it is to turn a regular weekday into an island-hopping escape. Sanibel Island is a classic choice, with a subtropical climate and a slower pace that you can enjoy year-round.
First, settle at Sanibel Sprout, a cozy cafe with a great juice bar and vegan selections, or seek out heartier fare at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, where delicious seafood and a selection of mojitos will make you feel like you’re in the Caribbean. After you’ve wrapped up all your tasks for the day, head to Bowman’s Beach for some of the best shell collecting on the island. It’s also a great place for paddlesports to explore the shoreline from the water.
6. Start the day downtown, then wander waterways.
Photo: Jo Savage
Grab a window seat at Good Ground in downtown Fort Myers if you like craft coffee, minimalist settings, and a vibe that welcomes remote workers. Be warned, though: at some point, the Great Calusa Blueway will start calling your name. Stretching nearly 200 miles through inland tributaries and wetlands, the paddling circuit was designed specifically for kayakers and canoeists to explore the mangrove tunnels, tidal rivers, and estuaries that crisscross the Fort Myers area. Mapped routes can point you toward convenient launch sites and suggested day trips that make it easy to plan a few after-work hours on the water.
In Southwest Florida, remote work doesn’t have to mean staring at the same four walls all day, every day — it can mean rotating waterfront offices, lunch breaks that double as adventures, and commutes that read more like pleasant strolls. If you’re ready to swap your Zoom background for the real thing, don’t wait any longer to make the islands, beaches, and neighborhoods of Fort Myers your next work-to-play base. 
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