Nov 15, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

November 2005

CONTACTS: Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose or Jessica Doyle (239)338-3500

Soft adventure expands with the Great Calusa Blueway along The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

LEE COUNTY, FL  Exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities are now even better for visitors to the The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida with the grand opening of Phase II of the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail.  Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, manatees, and more than 300 species of common and rare birds accompany kayak and canoe enthusiasts along nearly 100 miles of marked waterways and trails along the Gulf of Mexico coast.

Phase I opened in 2003, meandering through bays and rivers from Bonita Springs to Fort Myers Beach.  This first stretch of the popular trail received the designation of National Recreation Trail from the U.S. Department of Interior.  The second phase now extends along Pine Island Sound's outer islands  Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva, and Caya Costa.  Another option takes a route up Matlacha Pass, then forks between Pine Island's Jug Creek and Charlotte Harbor's Annie's Creek.
 
Novice to experienced paddlers can get up close with outstanding flora and
fauna while exploring back bays, aquatic preserves, wildlife refuges, creeks, bayous, rivers, and mangrove forests.  Many of the trails follow the course charted some 2,000 years ago by the area's earliest residents, the Calusa Indians.  In fact, paddlers can discover significant archaeological sites on Mound Key, once inhabited by this tribe.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Mound Key archaeological site includes inland water courts, ceremonial shell mound, and canals that are a part of the history of this complex society that inhabited the island from about 100-1750 A.D. 
The reasons are clear why both Paddler and Canoe & Kayak magazines have recognized The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel as among the best U.S. kayaking destinations. 

The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail provides a comfort level for paddlers with calm waters, clear signage, mostly shallow and narrow trails that are protected from boat traffic, and Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.  Navigation is also made easy with free maps of the blueway, available at kiosks, hotels, parks, public buildings, and outfitters.  With numerous launch points and a route that avoids channels, the trail is appealing for outings lasting a few hours to week-long adventures.  For those who want to go it alone, there are numerous canoe and kayak rental businesses.  Outfitters offer guided trips to view sunrises and sunsets, bird rookeries, manatees and dolphins, shelling, archaeology, and history.  Starlight and full-moon excursions are also available.
Another popular feature of the blueway is that paddlers have various stopping points available with choices in sightseeing, dining, and overnight accommodations.

"Kayaking our waterways is the perfect way to combine wildlife, adventure and recreation into a vacation," says Nancy MacPhee, recreation supervisor for Lee County Parks and Recreation.  "It is great exercise with little impact and you can get to places where motorized boats cannot go.  It looks much like it did when the Calusa were here.  It is just a great experience.  The signage and maps provide helpful tools for paddlers to explore the area without a guide if they wish."
 
Considered one of the fastest growing water sports, kayaking is a popular activity for visitors to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.  For observing a variety of wildlife, gliding through scenic mangroves, or mastering paddle techniques, the area offers some of the best year-round kayak waters in the eastern U.S.

Funded by the area's tourist development tax, the canoe and kayak trail is a project of Lee County Parks and Recreation and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
For information on the blueway, including downloadable maps, go to: www.greatcalusablueway.com .  For information on planning a vacation in the Fort Myers and Sanibel area, go to:  www.FortMyersSanibel.com . 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel  include: Sanibel & Captiva islands, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres. Images of the Great Calusa Blueway available upon request.

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