Sports & Fitness

Staying active is the default setting here. Year-round outdoor weather powers a culture of morning beach walks, flat cycling miles from Sanibel's 25-mile path network to Punta Gorda's quiet streets, kayaking in Estero Bay and Rookery Bay, and golf, tennis and pickleball in nearly every community. Spectators get big-league spring training in Fort Myers (Red Sox and Twins), Florida Everblades hockey at Hertz Arena and FGCU athletics in Estero.

Community fitness has become an amenity arms race in the best way: resort-style gyms, lap pools, group classes and full-time wellness staff are now standard in newer developments, and regional parks add ballfields, waterparks and leagues for every age. If your ideal week involves more movement than meetings, this coast obliges.