There are two kinds of people in Southwest Florida during August:

People looking for air conditioning...

and people looking for ice cream.

Personally, I support doing both at the same time.

From longtime SWFL institutions that have been scooping for decades to small-batch shops creating flavors you definitely won't find in the grocery-store freezer, we have some seriously good options around here.

So whether you're looking for an after-school treat, a date-night dessert, somewhere to take visiting family, or just an excuse to eat ice cream because it's approximately 4,000 degrees outside, here are seven local Southwest Florida ice cream shops worth melting for.

🍦 At a Glance

🏆 Best Overall SWFL Classic: Love Boat Ice Cream, Fort Myers

🍸 Most Unique: Tipsy Udder, Bonita Springs

🇮🇹 Best Italian Gelato: Sospiri, Estero

👑 Best Old-School SWFL Tradition: Royal Scoop, Bonita Springs

✨ Best Small-Batch Craft Ice Cream: Fernweh Ice Cream, Naples

🍧 Best Hidden Gelato Find: Gelato-go, Fort Myers

🥧 Best Ice Cream + Pie Stop: Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shoppe, Bonita Springs

🍦 1. Love Boat Ice Cream

📍 Fort Myers

⭐ Best For

The classic Southwest Florida ice cream experience.

❤️ Why It's Special

You can't really make a list of Southwest Florida ice cream shops without Love Boat.

What started as a local Fort Myers ice cream shop has become one of the area's best-known dessert destinations, with generations of SWFL families making a Love Boat run part of their routine.

We're talking big scoops, tons of flavors, waffle cones, sundaes and the kind of old-school ice cream experience that never really goes out of style.

If you're new to Southwest Florida and want to know where locals have been getting ice cream for years, start here.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

Don't underestimate the scoop sizes. Your eyes may be more ambitious than your stomach.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

Something in a waffle cone, obviously.

🍸 2. Tipsy Udder

📍 Bonita Springs

⭐ Best For

Creative flavors and grown-up ice cream.

❤️ Why It's Special

Tipsy Udder takes homemade ice cream and gives it a very adult twist.

The Bonita Springs shop has been serving Southwest Florida since 2016 and makes its ice cream from scratch in small batches. You'll find traditional gourmet flavors alongside their signature liquor-infused ice creams for guests 21 and older.

And don't worry if you're bringing the kids. There are plenty of completely alcohol-free flavors, plus sorbets and other options.

It's quirky, local and exactly the kind of place you take someone when you want something they probably haven't tried before.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

If you've never tried boozy ice cream, this is your excuse.

And Tipsy Udder now has a second location in the San Carlos/Fort Myers area too.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

One of the rotating liquor-infused flavors because we're here to make responsible adult decisions.

🇮🇹 3. Sospiri Italian Cafe & Gelato

📍 Estero

⭐ Best For

A little taste of Italy without leaving Estero.

❤️ Why It's Special

Sometimes you don't want a giant sundae covered in seventeen toppings.

Sometimes you want really good gelato.

Sospiri brings that Italian café experience to Coconut Point, making it an easy stop after shopping, dinner, or when you simply need something sweet.

Gelato has a denser, silkier texture than traditional American ice cream, and Sospiri is a great place to slow down, grab a cup or cone and pretend for a minute that Coconut Point is somewhere in Italy.

Palm trees included.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

Make this your dessert stop after dinner at Coconut Point instead of ordering dessert at the restaurant.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

Two flavors because choosing only one seems unnecessarily cruel.

👑 4. Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream

📍 Bonita Springs

⭐ Best For

A true Southwest Florida tradition.

❤️ Why It's Special

Royal Scoop isn't trying to become a local institution.

It already is one.

The original Bonita Springs location has been serving homemade ice cream since 1979, and the ice cream is still made right there at the Bonita shop. Today you'll find Royal Scoop locations throughout Southwest Florida, but there's something special about visiting the original.

It's nostalgic in the best possible way.

Big scoops. Classic flavors. Sundaes. Ice cream cakes. Families coming back year after year.

Sometimes you don't need to reinvent ice cream.

You just need to make really good ice cream.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

Visit the original Bonita Springs location on 8th Street at least once. That's the OG Southwest Florida experience.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

Whatever the featured flavor is, plus immediately questioning whether I should have ordered another scoop.

✨ 5. Fernweh Ice Cream

📍 Naples

⭐ Best For

Adventurous ice cream people.

❤️ Why It's Special

Fernweh is where this list gets interesting.

Located in Naples' Bayshore Arts District, this family-run shop makes its small-batch ice cream by hand and maintains a massive library of flavors that rotate through the shop.

And these aren't simply chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

We're talking creations involving everything from brown butter and cookie butter to passionfruit, guava, coffee, bourbon, limoncello and even mango-jalapeño tequila.

The shop typically rotates a selection of traditional, vegan and adults-only boozy flavors, so there's almost always something new to try.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

Get the flight.

Fernweh offers a six-scoop flight, which means you don't have to emotionally commit to one flavor. That's the kind of problem-solving I support.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

The flight. There was never another answer.

🍧 6. Gelato-go

📍 Fort Myers

⭐ Best For

A gelato stop when you're craving something different from traditional ice cream.

❤️ Why It's Special

Gelato-go brings another Italian-style option to the Fort Myers side of Southwest Florida.

Expect that signature creamy gelato texture, colorful flavors and the kind of dessert that works equally well as an afternoon treat or the final stop after dinner.

If you're someone who will choose gelato over traditional ice cream every single time, put this one on your list.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

Try something outside your usual chocolate-or-vanilla comfort zone. Gelato shops are made for flavor sampling.

🍨 What I'm Ordering

Pistachio if it's available. Always.

🥧 7. Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shoppe

📍 Bonita Springs

⭐ Best For

When you can't decide between ice cream and pie.

❤️ Why It's Special

Sweet Melissa's is exactly the kind of neighborhood dessert shop that belongs in a hyperlocal guide.

It's locally based in Bonita Springs and has been part of the community for years. The business remains active in Florida as of 2026.

You'll find plenty of frozen treats, but the combination that earns it a spot on this list is simple:

Ice cream + key lime pie.

Because this is Florida, and apparently we needed to make dessert even more Floridian.

💡 Stephanie's Local Tip

If key lime pie is available, this is not the day to pretend you're "just getting one scoop."

🍨 What I'm Ordering

Key lime pie and ice cream.

Obviously.

🍨 Quick Comparison Guide

Ice Cream Shop	Best For	Location
Love Boat Ice Cream	SWFL Classic	Fort Myers
Tipsy Udder	Boozy & Creative Flavors	Bonita Springs
Sospiri	Italian Gelato	Estero
Royal Scoop	Old-School SWFL Tradition	Bonita Springs
Fernweh Ice Cream	Small-Batch Craft Flavors	Naples
Gelato-go	Gelato	Fort Myers
Sweet Melissa's	Ice Cream + Pie	Bonita Springs

🌴 Why Local Ice Cream Shops Just Hit Different

Sure, you can grab ice cream almost anywhere.

But there's something different about finding your local spot.

The place you take the kids after the first week of school.

The place you stop after dinner because nobody is ready to go home yet.

The place visiting family asks to return to every time they're in town.

And the place where the person behind the counter eventually starts recognizing you because apparently you've been there that often.

Those little traditions are part of living here.

And in Southwest Florida, we have plenty of delicious places to create them.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most iconic local ice cream shop in Southwest Florida?

Love Boat and Royal Scoop are both longtime Southwest Florida favorites. Royal Scoop's original Bonita Springs location dates back to 1979.

Where can I find boozy ice cream in Southwest Florida?

Tipsy Udder offers alcohol-infused ice cream at its Bonita Springs and Fort Myers/San Carlos locations, while Fernweh in Naples also rotates adults-only boozy flavors. Guests must be 21 or older for alcoholic options.

Where can I get homemade ice cream in Bonita Springs?

Royal Scoop makes its ice cream at its original Bonita Springs shop, while Tipsy Udder makes its handcrafted ice cream in-house from scratch.

Which ice cream shop has the most unusual flavors?

Fernweh is hard to beat. Its rotating flavor library includes traditional favorites alongside adventurous combinations and adults-only creations.

Are there dairy-free options?

Options vary by shop, but Fernweh specifically offers rotating vegan ice creams, sorbets and Italian ices, while Tipsy Udder offers sorbets in addition to its ice cream menu.

🏡 Finding Your Local Favorites Is Part of Finding Home

When people think about moving to Southwest Florida, they naturally think about the big things.

The house.

The neighborhood.

The commute.

The beach.

But eventually, it's the little places that start making somewhere feel like your home.

Your coffee shop.

Your pizza place.

Your favorite farmers market.

And yes, the ice cream shop where everyone already knows what you're ordering.

That's why I love sharing these hyperlocal guides. Real estate might introduce you to Southwest Florida, but discovering your favorite local places is what helps you actually live here.

🖤 About The Inked Agent's SWFL Living Series

This guide is part of The Inked Agent's SWFL Living Series, where I share local favorites, hidden gems, restaurants, outdoor adventures, seasonal guides and the everyday experiences that make Southwest Florida such an incredible place to call home.

Whether you're relocating, buying your first home here, or you've lived in SWFL for years, my goal is simple: help you experience Southwest Florida like a local.

I'm Stephanie Barrett, SWFL's Only Inked Agent™, and I believe finding the right home also means finding the right lifestyle.