Cape Coral | City of Canals Boater’s Paradise
This city on the Gulf Coast awaits you with the most canals worldwide. Here you can sail directly from your own boat dock to the open sea, discover dolphins, manatees, and sometimes even an alligator right at your house’s canal access by the idyllic pool home. Florido is already waiting for you!
Cape Coral – the most Important at a Glance
- Water paradise – With over 400 miles of waterways, Cape Coral is a paradise for boaters and water sports enthusiasts.
- The best travel time is from November to April with pleasant temperatures and little rain. Even though the city is busiest then because of the snowbirds, these months are perfect for outdoor activities.
- Nature Recreation – Beautiful parks like Rotary Park, stunning sunsets at Cape Coral Yacht Club Beach.
- Beaches Islands – Sanibel and Captiva Island are located just off the coast and are known for their shell beaches and nature reserves.
- Quality of life leisure – Golf courses, waterfront restaurants, and relaxed Florida lifestyle make the city ideal for vacationers and expatriates.
Climate and Weather
Florida Car Rental Guide Offers
All information about booking, insurance providers – with direct comparison at the end.
Restaurants near You
Culinary tips for breakfast, lunch, dinner local specialties
Information Route Planner
| Size | 115.1 sq mi |
| Population | 234,132 (Estimate 2024) |
| County | Lee County |
| Coordinates | 26° 38 “81° 59” W |
| Area code | +1 239 |
| Visitor Center | Chamber of Commerce |
The Perfect Day in Cape Coral
The perfect day begins with an extensive breakfast by the pool of our newly occupied vacation home. We review the events of our road trip in the rental car and look forward to a week of relaxation in Cape Coral. Afterwards, we pack the cooler with cold drinks and head out on the motorboat parked behind the house on the canal to the Caloosahatchee River.
Here we find a quiet spot where we cast our fishing rods, put our feet up, pull the sun hat over our face, and relax. The numerous birds around us chirp and tweet us into a seaside feeling. We stay for an hour here, an hour there, and hopefully return hours later with a catch for the evening’s grilling pleasure “home”.
We celebrate this during the stunning sunset, while all the uncaught fish in the canal express their joy at having escaped by splashing about. In a nearby open-air bar, we bid farewell to this wonderful day in Florida with live music. Or we chill at Cape Coral Beach and watch the anglers. Often there are stunning Florida sunsets included for free.
Activities Highlights
3075 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel, FL 33957
Beaches
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Nature Parks
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Events
Living in the City on the Water
Cape Coral – it sounds like sun, freedom, and lots of water. And that’s exactly what this city in Southwest Florida is: A paradise for water sports enthusiasts, boat owners, nature fans, and anyone longing for relaxed quality of life.
What makes Cape Coral special are the approximately 400 miles of artificially created canals – more than in Venice. Many properties have direct water access, making the city a hotspot for boaters and snowbirds. Whether for a tour on the Caloosahatchee River or a trip to the Gulf of Mexico – from Cape Coral, you’re quickly on your way.
But “Cape”, as the locals affectionately call it, is more than just a boater’s paradise. The city on Florida’s west coast has grown significantly in recent years – over 220,000 people now live here (as of 2023). Nevertheless, Cape Coral has maintained its relaxed, almost small-town charm.
Restaurants with Live Music
The heart of the city beats in Downtown – with restaurants, cafes, small shops, and regular events like food festivals, live music, and markets.
A highlight is the Cape Coral Beach, a community beach right on the river, with palm trees, a playground, and sunset views. After the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, the area is currently being modernized – like many parts of the city, which is noticeably changing: more modern, sustainable, and livable.
Nature enthusiasts are drawn to the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, where wooden walkways, mangroves, and kayak tours showcase a piece of wilderness. Families enjoy the Sun Splash Waterpark, one of the largest water parks in Southwest Florida.
Cape Coral deliberately does not focus on mass tourism. Instead, visitors can expect vacation homes with pools and boat docks, privacy, and a lifestyle like the locals. Ideal for those seeking relaxation – or considering staying permanently.
Business Showcases
The following companies offer useful services in and around Cape Coral.
History of Cape Coral
Cape Coral, the second-largest city in Florida by area, is a young city in Lee County, whose boom began in the late 1950s. In 1957, the “Gulf American Land Corporation” was founded, which transformed the land of brothers Leonard and Jack Rosen north of the Caloosahatchee River into its waterway splendor. Canals and roads were built into the fallow and pasture land, resulting in 640 km of waterways and canals, some of which provide access to the Gulf of Mexico.
The first houses were only built in 1958. Thanks to an active advertising campaign, Cape Coral grew quickly, but new property owners soon discovered that the highly touted land was miles away from the amenities of civilization and thus essentially worthless. Those who consciously bought properties here and had thoroughly informed themselves beforehand knew what they were getting into and enjoyed a decent increase in value in the years to come.
In 1964, the Cape Coral Bridge was built, connecting Cape Coral with Fort Myers. With increasing population growth, another bridge, the “Midpoint Bridge”, was built in 1997, connecting both cities even more closely. The Yacht Club in the southeast of the city was established in the 1960s. Areas such as the “Gold Coast” in the east or the “Pelican Area” in the south followed. In 1970, Cape Coral was incorporated as a city. In 2020, the city had about 190,000 residents and in winter, thanks to tourists and “Snow Birds” (chilly Americans from the north driven to Florida by the snow), about 20,000 more.