Information / Education

Best of the Beach Awards returning

  • January 2026
Articles like this will appear regularly on Fort Myers Living

The Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin Best of the Beach Awards are back.

After all of the returning and new businesses popping up lately around town, it is clear the time is now bring back the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin “Best of Fort Myers Beach” awards.

After many requests, we are bringing back the Best of Fort Myers Beach awards to determine from readers who has the best bayfront and beachfront restaurants, who has the best wings, where the best burgers are, where the best appetizers are, who has the best views, the best boat rentals, the best cruises and tours, the best accommodations and the best live music among other categories.

There will be both online and paper ballot voting.

Voting will run from Jan. 21 to Jan. 30 with advertising space for the ballot books closing this week. The ballot book will begin running in the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Online voting will begin on the same date.

The winners will be announced in the Winner’s Book on March 25. A winner’s banquet will be held a day prior to the Winner’s Book being released in the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin. The winning businesses and banquet will also be covered in the following edition of the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring back the Best of the Beach contest for the first time since Hurricane Ian and excited to let our audience of tens of thousands of print, digital and social readers cast their votes for their favorites,” Fort Myers Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin Publisher Ray Eckenrode said.

There are several advertising options available by Jan. 6 for both the online voting and the paper ballot book. For more information, contact senior advertising representative Lyn McElhaney by email at

[email protected].