Estero Florida
Estero is a small town located along Highway 41 between Fort Myers and Bonita Springs in beautiful southwest Florida and is just minutes away from the Southwest Florida International Airport. Estero is Spanish for "estuary", meaning where the river joins the sea. Known for its abundant wildlife, the Estero river is the home for osprey, hawks, eagles, great blue herons, otters and other wildlife along its shores.
Estero offers many entertainment, dining, and shopping options including the Miramar Outlet mall and one of the largest and newest outdoor mega-malls in southwest Florida the Coconut Point Town Center. The Germain Arena, one of Southwest Florida's more popular attractions is the home of several professional minor league teams including the Florida Everblades hockey team, the Sea Dragons basketball team, and the Firecats arena football team as well as the host for many concerts and activities.
Estero is also the home of Southwest Florida's only four year university, Florida Gulf Coast University which opened in the late 1990's with many accredited programs.
Estero History
Estero's colorful history is full of many stories of Spanish explorers and conquistadors, Calusa Native Americans, citrus and cattle plantation owners, and the Koreshan religious group. Like much of Southwest Florida, Estero was the home of the Calusa Native Americans who formed fishing settlements around the tributaries and estuaries in the area where they flourished until the arrival of the Spaniards.
In the 1500s, Spanish explorers stumbled across the area which they named “Estero,” the Spanish word for estuary. Wanting the rich lush land as their own, the Spanish sent to famous conquistador Ponce de Leon to conquer the Calusa; however, the Calusa fiercely defended their lands and ultimately drove the Spanish back out to sea. Eventually the Calusa did fall in defeat but not from battle but from the common illnesses from which they had no protection. The Calusa disappeared sometime in the late 1700s.
Like its neighbor, Bonita Springs, Estero was settled in the late 1800s forming several citrus and farming plantations who flourished in the area for many years.
One of its most unique inhabitants, the Koreshans, a Utopian society settled in Estero in 1904 under the leadership of Dr. Cyrus Teed. The remaining descendents of the group deeded the Koreshan property to the Sate of Florida in 1961.
Over the years, Estero has shifted from a farming and citrus community and is now well known as a popular retirement community due to its unsurpassed beauty and pleasant climate.
Estero Real Estate
The Estero real estate market offers a variety of lifestyle choices from secluded living along the peaceful Estero River to private gated communities. Its closeness to nature and desired location between the cities of Fort Myers and Bonita Springs has helped the area retain its real estate value making it an excellent investment or retirement choice.
With a myriad of shopping choices, southwest Florida's only four year university, Florida Gulf Coast University and the Germain Arena, Estero's is rapidly becoming one of the most popular real estate choices.
No matter your Estero real estate needs, Buyers and Sellers First Choice is here to help you find the perfect Estero property. Feel free to give us a call or click the "Search MLS" button in the top left corner to begin searching the local MLS database for your Estero home.