Crazy Questions About Living in Southwest Florida: Myths, Realities, and Everyday Life

When people are thinking about moving to Southwest Florida, the questions start rolling in—some totally practical, some a little wild, and some just plain fun.

Whether it’s before they come to town or while we’re out looking at homes together, I hear a lot of the same curiosities and myths. So let’s walk through some of the most common (and craziest) questions I get about what it’s really like to live in Southwest Florida.

How Often Do Locals Actually Go to the Beach?

This one comes up all the time:
“You live by the beach… so do you go every day?”

I wish I could say yes. The reality? We don’t go nearly as often as you’d think—or as often as we’d like.

We live here full-time. That means work, kids, activities, and all the normal life stuff. Beach days are usually planned, not automatic. For us, it looks like:

  • Grabbing a sunset beach visit every couple of months

  • Heading to the beach when friends or family are in town

  • Enjoying the sand and water more often when we go boating

One of our favorite things is boating to more private or less accessible beaches—spots you can only really reach by boat or boat club membership. It makes the day feel extra special.

And yes, I regularly say to my husband Jeremy, “We really need to go to the beach more.” We’re so blessed to live this close to world-class beaches, and like a lot of locals, we’re always trying to be more intentional about enjoying them.

When You Live Where People Vacation… Where Do You Vacation?

I love this question:
“If you live in paradise, do you even go on vacation?”

We do—and we love it. But our vacations look a little different because we already have palm trees, sunshine, and beaches in our everyday world.

Some of our favorite getaways:

  • Marco Island – This is one of our happy places. Since we don’t live on the beach, it feels like a true “beach vacation” when we sneak away there for a long weekend or even a full week.

  • Other Florida escapes – Disney, the Keys, or quick trips to the Caribbean are all relatively easy from here if you want a different type of getaway.

  • The North Carolina mountains – In the summer, we love heading north to escape the heat. Western North Carolina—places like Blowing Rock and Banner Elk—is a huge favorite for our family. Cooler temps, mountain air, and a completely different pace.

One of our dreams is to spend more extended time in the mountains in the summer and enjoy the rest of the year here in Southwest Florida. So yes, even when you live in paradise, you still go on vacation—you just choose different versions of it.

Do Iguanas Really Fall Out of Trees?

Short answer: Yes. That’s a real thing.

Iguanas are cold-blooded. When temperatures drop into the 40s (which doesn’t happen very often, but we usually get a cold snap or two in the winter), they can become cold-stunned. When that happens, they lose muscle control and literally fall from tree branches.

It’s wild to see—but they’re not dead; they’re just temporarily immobilized until they warm back up.

I always joke that I totally understand the feeling. Jeremy once took me to the North Carolina mountains in November after we bought our condo, and as a now full-fledged Florida girl, I was absolutely “cold-stunned” in those 40-degree temps. I could barely talk when we got out of the car.

So yes, iguanas falling from trees = real. And if you move to Florida, don’t be surprised when you start getting cold-stunned by anything under 60 degrees, too.

Why Are Manatees Called “Sea Cows”?

If you’re not familiar with manatees, you’re in for a treat. They’re large, gentle marine mammals that live in our warm coastal waters and inland waterways.

They’re called “sea cows” because:

  • They move slowly and calmly, much like cows grazing in a field

  • They graze on seagrass and vegetation on the bottom, just like cows graze on grass

  • They have a peaceful, easygoing nature that feels very “cow-like,” just in the water

In cooler months, they seek out warmer, shallow waters, so you’ll often spot them in canals and estuaries around Southwest Florida. Watching them glide by is one of those simple joys of living here.

Can You Really Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk in July?

I’ve never personally tried it…but I’m pretty confident the answer is almost certainly yes.

Summers here—especially July and August—are hot and humid, and the pavement gets incredibly warm. A couple of important reminders:

  • Protect your pets’ paws; what feels fine in shoes can be dangerously hot on bare pads.

  • Paver driveways and pool decks can get extremely hot under direct sun.

So while frying an egg on the sidewalk is more of a fun visual than a daily activity, the heat it implies? That’s very real.

Why Is It So Hot and Humid in Southwest Florida?

Our climate is a big topic of conversation, especially for people moving from cooler, drier areas.

Here’s the simple explanation:

  • Florida sits between two warm bodies of water—the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Those warm waters mean lots of moisture in the air, which creates humidity.

  • Southwest Florida is a subtropical climate, especially once you go south of the Venice area, so we’re naturally warmer and more humid year-round.

  • Yes, we get sea breezes—and they feel amazing—but they also carry more moist air over the land.

June through September (also hurricane season) are typically our hottest and most humid months. It’s part of the trade-off for our mild winters and year-round green, lush landscapes.

Are There Alligators in That Water?

This might be the number one question I get when we’re out showing property:

“Are there alligators in that pond/lake/canal?”

The honest answer:
If there is water, you should always assume there could be a gator.

We’ve built many of our communities around natural and man-made bodies of water, which also happen to be the natural habitat for alligators.

A few things to know:

  • By nature, they’re not usually aggressive toward people and often swim away when we come outside or make noise.

  • You shouldn’t walk small dogs right along the edge of the water or let them drink from the shoreline. Awareness is key.

  • It’s illegal to feed alligators. When they become aggressive, it’s often because someone has been feeding them and they’ve lost their natural fear of humans.

When we bought our first house in Stoneybrook 13 years ago, the closing package included a sheet of important phone numbers—and the alligator hotline was right at the top. If there’s a nuisance or aggressive gator, you can call and have it addressed.

Most of the time, though, we simply respect their space, let them live in their natural environment, and safely coexist.

Your Turn: What Are Your Crazy Questions About Living in Southwest Florida?

These are just a few of the fun and frequent questions I’m asked about life in Southwest Florida—but I know you have more.

Thinking about moving here or buying a home in SWFL?
Curious what daily life is really like beyond the postcard pictures?

📩 Drop your questions in the comments, send me a message, or text me anytime at 239-776-6687.

I love having these conversations, busting myths, and helping people decide whether Southwest Florida is the right fit for their lifestyle and dreams.

And if you found this helpful, feel free to share it with a friend who’s thinking about moving here—because I want to help you Live Joy in Southwest Florida, too. 🌴