With the nickname, “The Waterfront Wonderland”, there is little doubt the  city of Cape Coral was designed as a boater’s and fisherman’s paradise in the mid-cape_coral_florida_waterfront1950s. Cape Coral is surrounded by water. On the east side, it is separated from the city of Fort Myers by the Caloosahatchee River. On the west side, it is separated from Pine Island by Matlacha Pass. The land mass that makes up Cape Coral has more than 400 miles of salt and freshwater canals – and 5 public boat ramps to help residents enjoy every mile.