The Secret Harbor City Ideal for Retirees Who Love to Travel the World

If your post-work plans include frequent getaways, Cape Coral, Florida, is a retirement destination worth considering. Tucked along the Gulf Coast, this waterfront city of roughly 240,000 people offers a scenic but practical home base, with convenient access to travel options and a surprisingly affordable cost of living.

Whether you want to catch a flight abroad or paddle your kayak to a nearby island, Cape Coral makes living out your travel dreams easy. Let’s explore what makes it a compelling city for retirees with a taste for adventure.

Travel Accessibility

Cape Coral’s appeal to travel-loving retirees starts with its unbeatable access to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). Only a mile from the center of Lee County, RSW is a major hub for worldwide travel. It’s served by 15 airlines—including Delta, United, and JetBlue—which provide routes to 64 domestic and seven international destinations.

The airport’s location off Interstate 75 and relatively small size also make coming and going much less stressful—invaluable for older travelers who want to avoid traffic and sprawling terminals. As a result, RSW was J.D. Power’s third-ranked medium-sized airport for customer satisfaction in 2024.

In addition, Cape Coral is uniquely positioned for water-based travel thanks to its over 400 miles of navigable canals. That’s more than any other city, including Venice, Italy. Many residents can launch boats, kayaks, or paddle boards from their backyards, allowing for leisurely visits to picturesque destinations, like Pine Island.

If you’d rather not have to steer or power your vessel, you can always hitch a ride on someone else’s. For example, the Silver King Dolphin & Beach Taxi offers daily round-trip service from the Westin Cape Coral Resort to Fort Myers Beach for just $40 for non-guests. The water taxi makes multiple trips when fully operational, but during the off-season, departs at 10 a.m. and returns at 2:30 p.m.

Cost of Living and Affordability

Despite being right on the water, Cape Coral has a surprisingly low cost of living that can help retirees stretch their travel budgets. The three biggest expense categories for the average household are housing, transportation, and food. Lee County runs only slightly above the national average in the transportation area, and its housing and food costs are more than low enough to make up for it.

Locals can expect to pay roughly $1,372 per month for housing, compared to about $2,120 on average nationwide. But if you’re interested in buying a home, Lee County actually offers a more affordable market. The median property value is just $326,300, over 20% below the national median of $416,900.

The typical Lee County resident also pays $1,175 per month in transportation, while the average American pays $1,098. However, the average gas price in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area is $3.108 per gallon, below the countrywide average of $3.167 (as of June 17, 2025). With that being said, fixed-route bus rides are available for $1.50 per trip, with discounted rates for seniors.

Rounding out the list—and balancing the scales—the average cost to feed a household in Lee County is just $701 per month, roughly $130 less than the national median. That alone offers potential savings of more than $1,500 per year, freeing up substantial funds for airfare or local getaways.

In addition, Florida is one of the handful of U.S. states with no state income tax, which can help you stretch your retirement savings even further.

Lifestyle Considerations for Retirees

No matter how much you like to travel, you’ll spend much of your time at your home base. If you retire in Cape Coral, you’ll have plenty to keep yourself entertained in between trips. The city offers a healthy mix of outdoor recreation and cultural activities to help keep day-to-day life interesting.

Cape Coral’s canals don’t have to be a transportation method. They also provide great places to spend a day fishing, boating, or enjoying the waterfront. Or you could skip them in favor of the area’s white-sand beaches, like those at Four Freedoms Park or Yacht Club Public Beach. 

For the days you’d rather spend indoors, Cape Coral is also home to 440 different arts and entertainment establishments. Many of them offer opportunities to socialize with other members of the local community. For example, the Cape Coral Art Center leads year-round classes for all ages and skill levels, and its Fine Art Gallery features monthly exhibits showcasing local artists.

Other Things To Consider

While affordability and lifestyle are key, there are other factors to consider before relocating, like health care access. Fortunately, Cape Coral retirees can get the medical services they need without traveling too far. Lee County is home to over 1,800 health care establishments, including 25 hospitals like Cape Coral Hospital.

Climate is another important consideration, and Cape Coral is more of a mixed bag here. The city enjoys Florida’s trademark warmth and sunshine virtually year-round, but it also carries a relatively high FEMA climate risk rating, primarily due to hurricane and flood exposure.

Florida’s population also continues to grow at a rapid pace. From 2022 to 2023, it was home to four of the five fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S. While that growth can help support new development and amenities, it can also lead to crowding, potentially affecting traffic, housing demand, and health care availability.

The Bottom Line

Cape Coral is a retirement destination that feels tailor-made for travelers. It offers easy access to RSW airport, more navigable waterways than Venice, and a low cost of living that supports travel and other discretionary spending. You can enjoy a relaxed, coastal lifestyle full of culture and outdoor recreation when you’re not on the go

Still, Cape Coral may not be the right fit if its hurricane risk and fast-growing population give you pause. If you’re considering relocating there in retirement, consider visiting during each season to get a first-hand impression and determine if it’s somewhere you’d like to call home.