Following are various types of waterfront living to be found in SW Florida. Beachfront, Bay front, river front, lake front, fresh & saltwater canals; direct access, sailboat access, restricted access, basin view…whew! Whatever the choice, let my waterfront expertise guide you.
BEACH/GULF FRONTAGE
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The most expensive and most expansive views. Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline-you’ll find single family homes, mansions and condos to choose from. SW Florida offers the islands of Sanibel, Captiva, Estero (Ft. Myers Beach), Hickory (Bonita Beach) & the coastline of Collier County.
BAYFRONT
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Bay frontage is not as costly as gulf frontage, offers a wide variety of options from condos to mobile homes to single family homes and townhouses. Typically an easy walk to the Gulf and affords many water sport options, i.e. kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, etc.
RIVERFRONT
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The Caloosahatchee River, is the main river in Lee County. 67 miles long in runs out of Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico and is part of the The Intra-Coastal Waterway system. You can navigate the ICW by boat from The Gulf of Mexico, up the Caloosahatchee, through Lake "O" and out into The Atlantic near Stuart, FL. The Imperial River is 9.3 miles meandering through Bonita Springs and spilling to Estero Bay-fewer houses, smaller yet over $500k. And then there’s Estero River, 6.4 miles of water which flows through Estero and also into Estero Bay. River access and views vary widely depending on what part of the river you're on.
Saltwater & Freshwater canals
Saltwater canals - found in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Ft. Myers, and Estero & Bonita Springs. The city with the MOST canals and MOST AFFORDABLE homes and or vacant land on a Gulf Access OR Freshwater canal would be Cape Coral. Cape Coral has 400 miles of canals w/one third being saltwater/Gulf Access. Prices are determined by location, access, (bridges or lock systems - see below), location, width of canal and view (intersecting canals, basins, lakes, long view down the canal).
Bridges – determine access. Four main bridges-Edison, Mid-Point, Cape Coral, Caloosahatchee plus the numerous smaller bridges found in Cape Coral and parts of Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Estero.
Sailboat – easy access to the river, no bridges (except for Cape Coral Bridge, Edison, Mid-Point), no power lines, typically deeper water, no locks. Now, some people believe a lock is an impediment and some do not.
Direct Access – no bridges but could be a power line or a lock.
Unrestricted- no bridges, no boat locks (SW Cape has a boat lock), no power lines
Restricted access – "low" bridge or lock; if your vessel has a Fly bridge, mast height over 45ft, fixed radar/antenna and perhaps a draft of 3ft or more…you’ll need to pay attention to location. Bridge heights for The Cape are measured at mean tide. You can check with Cape Coral’s Marine Division 239-574-0809 who may also have bridge heights for other Lee county cities. Cape bridge heights range from 8'4" to 11'5". You can still be on restricted access to the Gulf but out on the ICW wihtin 15 minutes and run to the Gulf. And, there are areas of The Cape that will take you 45 minutes to get to the ICW...but it can be a very nice ride.
Freshwater Canals-The Cape has the longest freshwater canal system in Lee County. You can boat on these canals but they DO NOT allow access to the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the canal systems have access to several large lakes.
Lakes-many planned developments have them and cost is about 15-20% higher than a dry lot.
