Orlando. Miami. St. Augustine. Fort Lauderdale. Key West. These cities in Florida are well-known tourist havens that offer plenty of sunshine year-round, beautiful beaches, historic buildings and forts, vibrant nightlife, waterfront restaurants, diverse culture, boating adventures, Disney and numerous theme parks. They’re among the nation’s biggest international tourism destinations with Orlando and Miami making the United States Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration’s 2023 list of the most visited cities in America (Miami was No. 2 and Orlando made No. 4 on a list of 15 cities).
Some people don’t want that much excitement on vacation, however. Travelers who prefer a more laid-back vibe with a dash of nature should check out Naples, one of Florida’s lesser-visited beach communities. In Naples, the crowds are smaller, the vibe is more relaxed and the pace is slower, but there are still nice local beaches and plenty to do within an hour’s drive. Just south of Naples is Marco Island, another small, quaint community that’s the launching point for unique boat excursions to hunt for seashells and tour the lush mangroves in the Ten Thousand Islands. From Naples, you also can drive to the Everglades in less than an hour to take an airboat ride through the world-famous swamp.
Remember: It’s very hot and humid in South Florida in the summer and afternoons are often rainy. The best time of year for good weather is fall or spring through May. Winters are cooler but pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the 60s or 70s but the evenings can be chilly, so perhaps not the best beach weather.
Naples has a walkable downtown, a bay with marinas, a pretty public beach, a botanic garden and a zoo. The downtown shopping district is filled with high-end boutiques, art galleries and restaurants offering outdoor sidewalk seating. Stores are open through dinnertime and it’s fun to dine and browse. There’s a parking garage a block away with free, unlimited parking and the beach is a mile or two away.
Also nearby along the Naples Bay waterfront are several seafood restaurants. One favorite is the Boathouse on Naples Bay, where my husband and I had dinner then picked up a two-hour sunset cruise on a fun little floating tiki hut barge, courtesy of Naples Tiki Fun Tours. We saw dozens of massive mansions and yachts along the bayfront and especially in the ultra-exclusive Port Royal canal-front neighborhood. Our boat captain explained that most of these mansions are wintertime vacation homes (second-, third- or tenth-homes) owned by multimillionaires and CEOs. It was an incredible, rarely seen display of extreme wealth.
Lowdermilk Park is Naples’ best beachfront park, with sand volleyball courts, a children’s playground, picnic tables, benches, restrooms and showers, and beach access mats for disabled visitors. You can grab lunch from the Flip Flop Beach Grill concession stand, which sells hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, and sodas. I found this to be a pretty and clean beach with calm waters, and the crowds were not overwhelming. Unfortunately, the historic Naples Pier, first built in 1888, remains closed due to damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Plans are in the works to rebuild it.
Fun places to spend the day in Naples include the Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, a nonprofit, nationally accredited zoo with interesting and rare animals living among the tropical plants, and the Naples Botanic Garden. Some of the more unique animals at the zoo include the python, giant anteater, cheetah, flamingos, Florida panther and the capybara. Check the website, www.napleszoo.org, for special events. The botanic garden (www.naplesgarden.org) features native and tropical plants, special events, art, and trails through coastal scrub, plus a café for lunch.
Another way to put some nature into your Naples vacation is by driving about 20 miles south to Marco Island and take a boat excursion to the Ten Thousand Islands. The Ten Thousand Islands are part of the Everglades’ network of mangrove islands, salt marshes and shallow bays. Looking for seashells, bird viewing and fishing are favorite pastimes here, and tourists come from all over the world to see the Ten Thousand Islands. Tours leave from Rose Marina or the marina in nearby Goodland, both on Marco Island. You’ll see a few other boats and tourists, but not many.
One option is a roundtrip ride on the Hemingway Shuttle boat from the Rose Marina on Marco Island to Keewaydin Island. Early mornings and low tide offer the best conditions for finding pretty seashells. Parking at Rose Marina can be dicey, so it’s best to get there early. The ride to Keewaydin is short and scenic.
Keewaydin is an undeveloped island without roads, bridges, cars, public restrooms, lifeguards or amenities of any kind, but very pretty beaches. There will be, of course, other beachgoers, boaters and shelling enthusiasts at Keewaydin, but fewer than most public beaches in Florida. The earlier you go, the less crowded it is. The island is only accessible by boat or kayak, which helps keep the crowds down.
The best way to take in the beauty of the rest of the Ten Thousand Islands and hunt for seashells is by taking a charter or group boat tour with an experienced captain who knows where to find shells, knows the various bird species, and can point out the dolphins you’ll likely see. There are several boat tour companies that offer trips, from day-long excursions to half-day or two-hour trips. Bring a water bottle and beach towel, and wear a hat and swimsuit.
Finally, another unique nature adventure near Naples is an airboat tour of the Everglades. Again, several tours and airboat companies operate in the Everglades; do an Internet search and book a tour in advance. Everglades City is only 36 miles south of Naples so rent a car and drive out to Everglades City for a day-trip and airboat tour. Then drive back to Naples, jump in the pool and enjoy dinner and shopping downtown.