4 Best Sights in Estero/Bonita Springs, The Lower Gulf Coast

This one isn't exactly easy to find since it's accessible only by a quiet neighborhood road around the corner from buzzing Bonita Beach Park, but it's well worth the effort if you appreciate natural coastal habitats with fun interpretive programs. Shells here are bountiful as are gopher tortoises that may park in the shade of your car. Stop by the nature center to join a ranger-led walk through the trails and gardens, or take up a paddle and go kayaking. There's no towel-jockeying here along the wide-open space (the preserve as a whole is 342 acres), and refreshments and beach rentals provide ample comfort while you unwind in the pristine sands. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; walking.

It's an ongoing party on this rowdy stretch of coast, the easiest by far to reach from the inland areas south of Fort Myers. Local favorite hangout Doc's Beach House, open from breakfast until the wee hours of the night, keeps bellies full and libations flowing. Other food and sports vendors camp out here, too, making it nearly impossible to resist an ice cream or a ride on a Jet Ski. Shaded pavilions between the parking lot and dunes are a great way to cool off from the sweltering heat—just don't sit too close to the picnickers barbecuing. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; windsurfing.

One of Florida's quirkier sites is named for a religious cult that was active at the turn of the 20th century. It preserves a dozen structures where the group worshipped a male-female divinity and created its own branch of science called cosmogony, which claimed the universe existed within a giant hollow sphere. The cult foundered when leader Cyrus Reed Teed died in 1908, and, in 1961, the four remaining members deeded the property to the state. Rangers and volunteers lead tours and demonstrations, and the grounds are lovely for picnicking and camping. Canoeists paddle the Estero River, fringed by a forest of vegetation the Koreshans planted.

Opened in 1936 by two retired moonshiners from Detroit, this was one of the state's first roadside attractions and remained little changed until 2013, when the family decided to close its doors—and, thus, ending a rich chapter of Florida tourism history—forever. In stepped Florida landscape photographer John Brady, who negotiated a lease with the founding family and transformed the old-style cramped zoological gardens (that once featured Florida panthers, black bears, crocodiles, alligators, and tame Florida deer) into a botanical garden by conserving the flora and fauna following contemporary standards. Now in focus are diverse gardens that include old-growth trees like kapok, banyan, candle nut, egg fruit, plumeria, jaboticaba, mahogany, cashew, avocado, and mango, as well as integrated animal exhibits with tortoises, turtles, smaller alligators, flamingos, and a butterfly garden. The original buildings have been preserved and made into a modern gallery that showcases Brady's photography.