Enjoy Naples Florida

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Naples Florida

 

Perched on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida, Naples is well known for its high-end shopping, world-class culture and sophisticated dining. Naples Florida appeals to nature lovers and beach aficionados.

 

When it comes time for lunch or drinks and dinner, enjoy your meal with a water view, whether you choose a swank Naples beachfront resort or a funky bayside bar. Naples is known for their great food. Naples is a culinary dream, and you can sip and savor to your heart's content at hundreds of excellent restaurants (nearly 700 in Naples alone), from casual eateries, diners, and food trucks, to high end restaurants all around town.

 

Shopping is a treat 5th Avenue South and 3rd Street South are two areas in Old Naples with unique upscale boutiques carrying designer brands for your wardrobe and home. If you're budget-minded or a consignment and thrift store junkie, you'll be in heaven along 10th Street, known to locals as the Trail of Treasures. Park your car and walk the several blocks between Fifth Avenue North and Second Avenue South for dozens of thrift stores, consignment shops, and antique stores offering great deals on pre-owned treasures.

 

 

For families, the possibilities are endless when it comes to fun things to do with kids in Naples. Our kids and grandkids love it at the Sun-n-Fun Lagoon, Collier County's premier water park. They have four pools, a long lazy river that's open in the warmer spring and summer months, a splash playground, five water slides, and a concession stand.

Since it's sunny in Naples most of the year, you can enjoy the beach year round although ocean temperatures are typically better for swimming March through November. The clear water of the Gulf Coast is usually calm with a soft sandy bottom - perfect for small children and kids of all ages to play in.

15 Fun things to do when your visiting Naples Florida.

1. Hit the Best Beaches in Naples

The first thing to do when you get to town is head to the nearest beach to take in a deep breath of salt air and sink your toes into the soft white sand. Naples beaches consistently rank among the best beaches in the world. There may be 16 miles of shoreline from which to choose but these are my picks for the best beaches in Naples. All Naples beaches offer public access with no bridges to cross (or pay for) and very little traffic. You won't find boardwalks, t-shirt shops, major thoroughfares or any highways running along the beach. Street access along the beach is largely residential and therefore fairly quiet. Just park your car at one of the major access points in town and walk to your nearest favorite beach. 

 

2. Cruise Naples Tiki-Style

For something completely unique and totally Tiki, try Naples’ newest way to cruise with friends — Cruisin’ Tikis. Imagine seeing Naples Bay and the Bonita inland bays from the comfort of your bar stool! These floating tiki bars set off from two locations and promise the best afternoon of fun in the sun. The Naples Tiki launches from Three60 Market Restaurant on Bayview Drive on the south Trail, while the Bonita launch is from The Fish House Restaurant on Bonita Beach Road. Call to reserve a time for you or your group to cruise, tiki-style.

3. Nosh at Celebration Park Food Truck Park

Naples’ newest fun place is a relaxed and happening place — choose your favorite food bites from about a dozen excellent quality food trucks, grab a table (go early during the season if you want to find a table!) and order drinks from the bar. Celebration Park on Bayshore Drive off the south Trail is on one of the inland waterways in south Naples that leads to Naples Bay. Board games and corn hole keep kids busy or make a fun day relaxing with friends overlooking the water.

4. Check out the Naples Arts Scene

The arts are truly alive in Naples with  world-class cultural attractions, two performing arts theaters and countless galleries. Artis-Naples is the premier  venue in town for fine arts exhibitions, live performances, and community arts education. You may hear it referred to as The Phil, a testament to the community's active and ongoing support for the arts which began with the Naples Philharmonic.

ThreatreZone is a small, intimate theater experience and Naples' Professional Equity theatre company which produces top quality musicals and plays with a live orchestra. 

5. Stroll the Naples Pier and Historic Palm Cottage

The 130-year old Naples Pier has been beloved by generations, and got a facelift in 2017 after Hurricane Irma with new planking, rails, and lighting. After all these years, the Naples Fishing Pier is still the best place in town for a casual stroll or to catch sunset. The historic Palm Cottage, Naples oldest surviving home, is open Tuesday - Saturday for docent-guided tours and self-guided tours of the outdoor Norris Gardens.  Or join a guided walking tour around Naples’ historic district with a member of the Naples Historical Society.

6. Visit the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

The 44-acre Naples Zoo began as a tropical garden in 1919, and today this small city zoo has many native species along with other unique residents like giraffes, big cats, a giant anteater, and lemurs, or take a boat ride around  Monkey Island. 

 

7. Do Naples After Dark at The Mercato

 The Mercato is a a great place for shopping in Naples, but did you know it’s even more fun after dar? There’s always something happening at The Mercato, from fun movies on the lawn during the season, happy hours, and live music at at least one or two bars and restaurants. One of our favorite places to catch local talent and sing along with cocktails is at the Cavo Lounge, an LGBT friendly lounge with always something going on. Catch their Tea Dance Brunch Parties every third Sunday of the month from 2:00-8:00pm with DJs and Drag Queen performances. And some of the best Bloody Marys in town!

 

8. Visit the Naples Botanical Gardens

Naples Botanical Gardens is 170 acres of preservation land and cultivated gardens, representing seven distinct natural habitats and featuring over 1,000 native flora species. There are themed gardens, an interactive Children’s Garden, and water features complementing a 90-acre wetlands preserve. Open daily. 

9. Take a Day Hike

Hiking may not be top-of-mind when you think of southwest Florida, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to see! The terrain here is flat but lush, and there are some excellent places to get out into nature on several local boardwalk trails. You'll find nice and easy, light SWFL day hikes with plenty of native flora and wildlife to see. Head inland and you'll find the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary with well-maintained boardwalks and nature trails. The CREW Bird Rookery Swamp out Immokkolee Road also offers fun hiking with no fee!

 

10. Explore Fascinating History at the Koreshan State Park

The Koreshan State Historic Site located just north of Naples in Estero is a great place for a day hike and is a fascinating glimpse into some of the area's earliest intrepid settlers.  It’s fascinating local history and a fun day hike in one.

11. Visit a Naples Museum

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Naples Depot Museum in downtown Naples is set in the restored Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger station and tells the story of Naples' early technology and transportation. For train and model train lovers, the Naples Train Museum is also located here and open to visitors on Saturdays. Lovers of local history will love the Collier County Museum with exhibits covering everything from the Calusa Indians to more recent settler history. A five-acre garden is filled with relocated buildings of historic interest including a recreated Seminole Village.

 The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida is worth a visit but set your GPS because you might miss this gem of a museum tucked in an unlikely strip mall. The museum is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting unique works of art and telling the stories of the Holocaust through thousands of photos, artifacts, exhibits and events. 

 If you love art, I highly recommend a visit to The Baker Museum at Artis Naples, featuring one of the finest and most diverse collections of art in all of Southwest Florida. There are 15 galleries, a glass dome conservatory, and numerous works by Dale Chihuly including a lighted walkway you have to see! 

 

12. Go Shelling on Keewaydin Island

Nearby Sanibel Island may be the Shelling Capital of the World, but some of the beaches in Naples offer excellent shelling. Barefoot Beach in North Naples is a great place to find shells, as is the southern barrier island of Keewaydin with nearly eight miles of deserted beach to explore. It’s one of the best kept secrets in all of Naples, but there’s a kicker — this small and uninhabited island is only accessible by boat. Thankfully, this pretty little gem will be kept pristine for us to enjoy in its natural state. A number of tour boats (above) offer Keewaydin excursions.

 

13. Kayak the Mangroves

Naples is the Gateway to the 10,000 islands and the Florida Everglades, though you don't have to go that far to see evidence of the sub-tropical ecosystem all around you. One of the best ways to experience and appreciate the fragile environment here is to paddle and explore the calm waters, mangroves, and backwater estuaries around Naples and Marco Island.  Rising Tide Explorers runs kayak tours (more like ecology lessons in a kayak) from the Isles of Capri that are guided by biologists, eco- and family-friendly, and so much fun.

14. Cruise Naples 

Seeing Naples from the water is one of the best ways to enjoy the sights, and there are several local cruises we’ve taken that are perfect for families, groups, or a romantic twosome. One of our favorites is a sunset cruise aboard the Sweet Liberty catamaran, though they do daytime shelling cruises as well. There’s just something about the gentle rhythm of a catamaran!

At historic Tin City in Old Naples, you'll find tourist shops and cafes selling everything from rubber alligators and resort wear to Monkey Bread and coconut candies. You'll also find Naples fishing charters and sightseeing tours with Pure Florida and the famous Naples Princess which offers sightseeing, lunch, and dinner cruises - a great way to see Naples from the water. 

 The Conservancy of Southwest Florida also offers guided nature boat tours through the local mangroves. Protecting the water, land, and wildlife of southwest Florida is their mission and visitors can also tour the Dalton Discovery Center and aquarium, and visit the Von Arx Wildlife Hospital. The Conservancy also sponsors a reservation-only guided boat tour of Rookery Bay near Isle of Capri (on the road to Marco Island) onboard the 40-passenger pontoon boat Good Fortune.

15. Celebrate Sunset

You may think sunset is just the end of the day, but on the Paradise Coast, sunset is something to celebrate. Head to your favorite beach or the Naples Pier (which now sells beer and wine from approved vendors), toast to the fiery sunset and bid goodbye to the day.

 Look for the green flash in summer months - a phenomenon unique to Southwest Florida - which happens just seconds after the sun disappears over the horizon. Bring your camera or phone to Instagram a pic or text to friends. 

Lastly Did you know that Naples Florida is named the happiest place in the nation by The Gallup Well- Being Index? Did you know that not to long ago it was on the bottom of the list? Naples took steps to now make it a happy place to visit.

A few years ago Naples signed on to become a Blue Zone Project, adopting community strategies to make residents happier and healthier.  Encouraging restaurants to add nutritious menu options.  Not only does Naples Florida invite wellness with eating right but the League of American Bicyclists rates it as one of the most friendly spots in the nation.  They have added more bike paths and pedestrian walkways – Great for people who are into fitness and walking. 

 

So if your looking for a little bit of relaxing, beaches and great food.  Visit Naples Florida and breathe in the ocean air, see the sun and sunsets and eat and enjoy!