Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach Fourth Of July Construction Update

Construction took a day off for the Fourth Of July holiday, but Brian Kennedy didn't. it was a beautiful day to fly the drone and check out the latest on the building of the Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach Resort. It was also a nice look at the crowds on the beach on a holiday.

I've spent many Fourth of Julys on Fort Myers Beach. Hot days with lots of liquid refreshment followed by fireworks over the pier. It's going to be a bit longer before we can get back to that but one part of the beach is progressing rapidly. The construction of the Margaritaville Resort.

Much of the exterior of the resort looks to be near completion as they work on the interior. The rooms are being constructed! As are the restaurants and bars. The pool is also coming along nicely. With as much rain as we've been getting, the pool may be full by the time the hotel is ready to open. Ha. Also, I really like the one lone palm tree out by the beach. I imagine more are coming, but right now that one palm is looking lonely.

A nice gesture for the 4th of July holiday.

The crowds are clearly still down from last year, and I blame parking for that. I was in a the water and it's super warm. The sand is soft and the beaches are clean. But parking, yeah, that can be an issue.

Living in The Sunshine State, we have the luxury of going to the beach whenever we please, but seven out of the ten most dangerous beaches in the US are in Florida.

Since the hurricane, I just started back with my beach days about a month ago. So far, I've checked out Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Fort Myers Beach and both Tarpon Bay and Bowman's Beach on Sanibel. I realized just how much I missed my beach days while cleanup efforts were underway. Whether you're staying local or traveling to other parts of the state, beaches can be dangerous. Of course, we don't like to think about that part as we're laying out, enjoying a cocktail, maybe playing a little volleyball. But unfortunately, something you look at as being fun and relaxing can come with some hazards that could even be deadly.

Recently, Travel Lens looked at different beaches around the US in terms of surfing deaths, hurricanes and shark attacks. What might not surprise you is that the deadliest beaches are along the East Coast. So thankfully here in SWFL, we have less to worry about. Though, that's not to say you shouldn't be careful. Fox put together a list of the top 10 most dangerous beaches in the country and seven of them are right here in Florida. You can check out the full list here, but let's see where beaches in Florida rank.

Fort Lauderdale has a danger score of 5.37 out of 10. This beach has seen three surf deaths and two shark attacks. Fort Lauderdale has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

Jacksonville Beach has a danger score of 6.02 with three surfing fatalities, three shark attacks and 120 hurricane strikes.

Melbourne Beach is another beach on the East Coast of Florida and has a danger score of 6.35 out of 10. Melbourne Beach has seen three surfing deaths, six shark attacks and has seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

While Panama City Beach has only had two shark attacks, surfing deaths are high with 24 since 2010. Panama City Beach has a danger score of 7.16.

Ormond Beach is another beach that has seen more surfing deaths (8) than shark attacks (4) and has a danger score of 7.48.

Cocoa Beach has a danger score of 7.57.

The most dangerous beach in the US is New Smyrna Beach with a danger score of 8.14. Just in the last 13 years, New Smyrna Beach has seen 10 surfing deaths and 32 shark attacks. The area has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.

EDIT: The data used in this "Seven Out Of The Ten Most Dangerous Beaches" list was from April. Panama City Beach now leads the nation in 2023 beach deaths. Despite double red flag warnings, tourists are still braving rip currents.