Naples, Florida
Naples has everything you think of when you think of Florida. This historic city in Southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico is the seat of Colliers County and has been since 1966. Its history however dates back to the Seminoles and early settlers of the 19th century.
About The Community
Strategically located between Tampa and Miami, Naples grew with the advent of the Tamiami trail and the railroad. Naples today is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with a multicultural population of over twenty one thousand people. Old Florida and Mediterranean style homes and multi-family houses incorporate the outdoor lifestyle.
Naples offers pristine white sand, sun drenched beaches, the calmest seas, world class shopping and dining, abundant golf and fishing, history and culture. Excellent weather and open green spaces in lush tropical surroundings beckon sports enthusiasts and picnickers. What more could one want? Naples with its 35 challenging golf courses set in the lap of natural greenery has the highest ratio of golf courses to golfers in the USA. Golfing communities are Naples’ specialty.
Important Links
Vicinity of Naples
Additional Details
Water lovers revel in year-round sailing, boating, jet skiing, and windsurfing. Fishing from the Pier, Naples’ classic landmark, or in a deep-sea boat will reward you with grouper, pompano, cobia, sea trout, and tarpon. Take a stroll along the shell scattered beach or pier where you can glimpse dolphins and pelicans and gaze at a spectacular sunset. Nature lovers can rent a canoe for a tranquil exploration of the mangrove waterways. Charter a boat from Crayton Cove for deep-sea fishing and shelling excursions to one of the islands.
An exciting way to see the historic downtown and other areas is on the free Naples Trolley Tours, which will show you a hundred local attractions! The luxurious mansions along Port Royal contrast Palm Cottage, Naples’ oldest house, built in 1895. Other historic buildings include the Naples Commissary Building in Olde Naples and the renovated Naples Depot that was once Naples Train Station and now houses a caboose and other railroad memorabilia. The Collier County Museum displays a permanent collection from prehistoric times to the present.
The Conservancy’s Nature Center is a science museum and an animal clinic for injured wildlife. They organize free guided nature trails through a subtropical hammock and boat tours through the mangroves. Kids will love Naples zoo at Caribbean Gardens, southwest Florida’s only nationally accredited zoo. Big cats will enthrall you and you can take boat tour past islands of monkeys. Relax in the Florida sunshine or picnic in the shade of giant trees in this historic garden.
Do not miss an evening at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts or the popular Dinner Theater. Other cultural attractions include open-air concerts at Cambier Park. The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club is the venue of a free Summer Jazz on the Gulf. The Naples Spring Art Festival is another popular outdoors event where artists exhibit and sell their work. The famous Teddy Bear Museum with 3,000 stuffed bears is for the youthful.
Shopping and dining are among Naples’ chief attractions. Enjoy every possible cuisine from French Cuban, Mexican, and Chinese to Japanese, Thai, and “Floribbean” with its spicy and colorful Caribbean influence. Bayfront offers lovely restaurants for a casual meal or refreshing cocktail and exclusive small boutiques. Third Street in Olde Naples houses stylish clothes, jewelry stores, and art galleries in lovely buildings of French, Georgian and Old Florida architecture on shaded side streets. Fifth Avenue South is a broad tree-lined road to the beach with fashionable shops, art galleries, and European bistros. Fifth Avenue has a “Christmas Walk” along with Third Street’s sparkling “Festival of Lights.” Tin City at The Old Marine Marketplace retains a flavor of its nautical past with planked walkways that lead to about 40 unusual boutiques and eateries. Waterside Shops serenade you with classical music and cascading waterfalls and house large department stores.