It’s often hard to be in a beautiful place like Fort Myers, Florida while it’s raining. While in sunny Florida you want to swim in the pool, lounge on the beach or enjoy a cold beverage at a local bar. I’ll share my top spots if you’ve found yourself in Fort Myers, Florida on a rainy day.
The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill
My first spot is The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill in Fort Myers. It’s made my list for a couple of reasons; number one is the awesome atmosphere of the bar. There is a circular bar under a huge Palapa Structure right next to the water where boats can dock. There’s a pool area where you can hang out with a cold beverage in the sun, they even have Adirondack chairs in the sand if that’s more your style. However, in the rain we decided to cozy up under the Palapa for some beachy beverages and pretend like it wasn’t raining. If you’re more interested in watching sports, they have a huge tv perfect for any sports enthusiast. The bar has bands playing every day from 5:00-9:00 pm and you can look up their schedule on their website. They literally have something for everyone at The Boathouse.
The second reason to visit The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill is because they have some pretty great food and drinks. Obviously, with a beach bar you are going to get your fill of shrimp, fish and other awesome seafood. But they do have other options for the picky eaters, wings, nachos, burgers, and even chicken tenders. They have the quintessential beach cocktails like rum punch, daiquiris, and pina coladas. If you are into mules, they have some fun craft mules like a creamsicle mule. If you’re a beer drinker, they have rotating taps along with local brews and your classic beer choices. They even have a non-alcoholic beer if you want the taste without the buzz. They literally have something for everyone when it comes to food and drinks.
The third reason I think you should frequent this spot is to help the business rebuild their Cape Coral location. In 2022, Hurricane Ian ripped through Cuba, Florida, and the Carolinas. The storm had a devastating effect, particularly in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples. The storm even collapsed bridges that connected nearby islands, leaving residents trapped for several days. The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill in Cape Coral is rebuilding, but frequenting their bar in Fort Myers will only help them in their rebuilding process.
The Firestone Sky Bar
The Sky Bar opens daily at 4:00 pm and is a neat place to see the water and the views of Downtown Fort Myers. It does have a canopy over the bar area, so it’s a great spot for a drizzly day. They have a good watermelon martini that I asked them to go lite on the simple syrup to cut the carbohydrates, it was delicious.
If you’re looking for something late night with live entertainment, The Sky Bar is the place to go. With a dance floor and bottle service you’ll be sure to have a fun night. But if you are looking for a chill spot in the early afternoon it will also do the trick.
Bimini Bait Shack
The Bimini Bait Shack is an all-around fun time. The second you walk in you’ll be looking around at fish in tanks, an oyster bar clad with oyster shells all over the wall, and a stage above the large bar. The bar sits on the second story above their parking lot and looks out over The Gulf of Mexico. This makes for great views as the storm clouds are rolling in during your rainy day in Fort Myers.
They often have live music on the stage above the bar. In order to tip the entertainer, you place your tip on a conveyor belt that sends it up to them. It’s a fun way to get you interacting with the live musicians. The bar is even made out of a fish tank, you literally dine one top of fish surrounded by plexiglass, it is definitely a unique experience.
The bar is lined with frozen drink machines that hold your favorite flavors of daiquiris from peach to mango. They even have a rotating flavor of the week. You can mix and match your flavors and even add a floater. If you are into the frozen beachy drinks, this is the place for you. If you’re not into the frozen daiquiris, you can find literally anything else here: beer, mules, handcrafted cocktails inspired by the islands, and even tasty mocktails if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic pick me up.
As for food, you can’t go wrong with their oysters! You can find other delicious seafood here like clams, shrimp, snow crab legs, you can even bring in your own cleaned and boned fish for them to cook. Their Bahamian conch chowder is definitely a must have. Again, you can also get the classic chicken wings and burgers here if you’re not a seafood eater.
The Lodge
The Lodge is a pretty cool place if you’re into craft beers. With a self-tap wall of craft beers that change every once in a while, you have the opportunity to pour yourself a beer by the ounce to try out what tickles your fancy. If you’re not into the craft beers, they do have a list of cocktails as well. Of course, I always happen to be a pain and ask for a change in my signature cocktail… I ordered their peach tea; normally made with peach tea whiskey, iced tea and simple syrup. I asked the bartender to hold the simple syrup and then I put a splash of sweet n’ low in it and it was absolutely delish! There really is a way to drink the fun cocktails with a little less carbohydrates.
If this is your first time reading an article from Astonished Abroad then you may be a tad confused about why I’m cutting carbohydrates. When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Although I take insulin to cover the amount of carbohydrates I consume, I prefer not to drink my carbohydrates as much as possible. I do still like to enjoy a tasty beverage; I’ve just found ways to cut a little extra carbohydrate where I can. If you have Type 1 Diabetes, I recommend you check out my post Successful Travel with Diabetes.
If you are into BBQ like we are, then The Lodge is the place to find it. With BBQ platters, wraps, even BBQ tacos you’ll find the BBQ of your dreams at this spot. BBQ will be sure to cheer you up while it’s raining.
Fort Myers on a Rainy Day
These are just a few of the fun and unique places I’ve been to on a rainy day in Fort Myers. Of course, all of them are exceptional places when it’s not raining as well. Drop a comment below if you have recommendations for my next trip to Fort Myers.
Also, if you’re looking for ways that you can help Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian check out the Fort Myers Beach Chamber website. You’ll find donation links and other ways that you can help the businesses that were affected by the hurricane.