Welcome to Naples

Naples General Information - Map - Accommodations - Attractions - Dining - Fishing - Golf - Real Estate - Rentals - Shopping

Naples - Beautiful, uncrowded beaches, luxury accommodations, fine dining, sophisticated entertainment, pristine natural areas. It’s no wonder Naples and Marco Island have developed such lofty reputations.

Naples has blossomed into an upscale playground, where multimillion-dollar second, third or fourth residences are not uncommon, and where celebrities and business and government leaders retreat to relax in the sunshine and play on golf courses or tennis courts. Downtown Naples, notably Fifth Avenue, is a shopper’s delight of upscale boutiques, galleries, and restaurants.

In the evening, take in a performance at the Naples Dinner Theater or the popular Naples Players at Sugden Community Theater. Or revel in world-class dance, music, or other entertainment at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, home of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. Be sure to arrive early to meander through the art galleries at the Phil, but an art lover’s experience in Naples isn’t complete without visits to the von Liebig Art Center and the Naples Museum of Art.

Nearby Marco Island is noted for its lovely beaches and high standards in welcoming visitors. As in Naples, accommodations offer full amenities, and many of them are right on the beach. Although Naples and Marco are the places to go for some well-deserved pampering, that’s not the only reason to visit the area!

Fascinating history lessons lie beneath the polished exteriors, and standing firm at the edge of the manicured lawns and well-tended golf courses is the daunting wilderness of the Florida Everglades and the Ten Thousand Islands. This is the territory of dangerous alligators, of birds with plumes so beautiful they were hunted nearly to extinction. And this is where the Seminole, refusing to surrender to federal forces, retreated to rebuild and exist.

Collier County has three museums that explore the history of the region and its various inhabitants, in Naples, Everglades City, and Immokalee. In addition, the Palm Cottage shows visitors a glimpse of the area’s architectural history.

Experiencing the Everglades gives people a better understanding of what early settlers endured. Not too far from Naples and Marco is Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, which offer views of the unique ecosystem Marjory Stoneman Douglas dubbed “The River of Grass”. A visit to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the Briggs Nature Center takes visitors into the wet wildness of the region.

For all Naples’ attractions, the beaches and the Gulf of Mexico will always be the main event. Miles of beautiful, white sand beach stretch along the waterfront, and the town’s central gathering spot is the Naples pier, where people of all interests and walks of life meet, play, fish, and chat. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area north of Naples, Lowdermilk Park, Clam Pass and Vanderbilt County Park and Tigertail Beach County Park on Marco Island are the favorite spots to get outside and enjoy the water and natural beauty of Southwest Florida. Those looking for a slightly different outdoor experience find it by venturing on a shelling charter, and ecotour, or thrilling a trip into the Everglades by airboat.

Naples Area Chamber of Commerce, 895 Fifth Avenue, South Naples, Florida 34102; 239/262-6141; www.napleschamber.org

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May 2008