Estero

A town with an unusual beginning, Estero is a destination for world class shopping, a center for the region’s higher education and home to several areas of natural beauty. The Calusa Indians made Mound Key in Estero Bay, now Mound Key Archaeological State Park, the capital of their empire, taking advantage of the shallow bay rich with shellfish. The Calusa and the pioneers and pirates who came after them were long gone by the time the Koreshan Unity, a utopian society, settled near the Estero River and built their own small empire, which would last until the early 1960s. Their settlement can still be viewed today at Koreshan State Park where the winding Estero River offers a peaceful place to canoe or kayak.

Today Estero is home to Miromar Outlets, with 140 designer outlet stores, as well as Coconut Point, an outdoor shopping destination with restaurants, cinema, and a boardwalk. Estero is also the home of Florida Gulf Coast University. Founded in 1997, FGCU now has an enrollment of 15,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs on its environmentally friendly campus. The nearby Hertz Arena is home to the ECHL team the Florida Everblades, and with 7,000+ seats, hosts big-name concerts and events year-round.

With a population of about 34,000, Estero real estate includes condos and waterfront estate homes, to a wide variety of gated communities with popular amenities, many of which include award-winning golf courses, tennis and water recreation opportunities. Fine dining and family-friendly restaurants give lots of nearby options to most neighborhoods. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of Estero is the proximity to all of Southwest Florida. With easy drives to both Naples and Fort Myers, and the nearby Southwest Florida International Airport, Estero is the perfect place to come home to after adventures around the region.