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Photo by Marin Asher

Cape Coral is a “waterfront wonderland” with more than 400 miles of canals, many of which can lead kayakers right into the Caloosahatchee. Take advantage of that on your day trip by visiting four Mile Cove Ecological preserve – the locals call it Eco Park. Eco Park spans 365 acres and includes a walkable 1.2 mile loop hike that will take you right alongside the Caloosahatchee through a mangrove forest, by way of a boardwalk and a shell path. It’s a great spot for birding, with plenty of benches and two observation decks – and a Visitor Center at the entrance where you can collect information on the wildlife you might see during your visit. While there are no bikes allowed on the trail, this is a great park to launch a kayak from – on-site rentals are available on weekends between November and May – and you can fish from the observation deck. Eco Park is also home to the Veterans Memorial area.

One unique way to enjoy the water while you’re in Cape Coral is to visit sun splash family Waterpark, the largest waterpark in Southwest Florida.

Owned and operated by the City of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department, Sun Splash has more than 14 acres of slides and pools. You can visit March through September to enjoy a relaxing float down the Main Stream River Tube ride or test out one of the park’s extreme slides, including the X-celerator, which drops guests down five stories of open chute, or Cape Fear, which features a 215foot darkened tunnel.

Any day trip to Cape Coral should include a tour of Wicked Dolphin Distillery, producer of true Florida Rum with Florida sugar since 2012. Wicked Dolphin makes its rum in small batches using the largest American copper pot still in South Florida. A tour will show visitors every step of the rum process, from learning about how ingredients are sourced, to seeing how they are cooked, fermented and distilled. Of course, tours end with a visit to the Wicked Dolphin tasting room.

End your day with food and drinks in Downtown Cape Coral – it’s an exciting, ever-growing hotspot. Try the unique pizzas at nice guys beer & pizza Lounge, such as the Street Corn Named Desire, with corn, mozzarella, parmesan, white American cheese, cilantro, lime and garlic lime aioli. Two bars you need to check out Downtown are nevermind awesome bar & Eatery – it’s a grunge-rock inspired bar with gourmet food – and Cork soakers, a wine bar with what the owners describe as an “unusual menu,” including fried bologna and cheddarchive biscuits with chipotle-scented honey butter.

Photo by Marin Asher