Naples, Florida

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Naples, Florida - What to Expect

Naples, Florida is located in southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. It is just outside of the Everglades. Naples is famous for its upscale dining, shopping, beaches, and golf courses. This area is very sophisticated. There is plenty to see and do in Naples. There are beautiful beaches with soft sugar like sand. The water is very warm like bath water. There are plenty of places to fish and do some shelling. Marco Island is very close and is also a popular place to visit.

Where We Stayed: Collier-Seminole State Park

We stayed at the Collier-Seminole State Park for two nights. It is located in the everglades. The park features 7,271 acres of land with access to the Blackwater River. There are black bears in the area. There are signs everywhere warning people not to leave food or garbage out. There were a lot of flies and there was quite a few on our camper. That was a little annoying but we managed. We were hoping to see a bear or an alligator but unfortunately we did not see either. There wasn’t much to do at the park itself, but it was very close to Naples and Marco Island. We didn’t spend too much time hanging out at the park and spent most of our time exploring the area.

Places we visited

1. Naples Pier

This was our favorite beach for the water temperature and cleanliness of the gulf. The water was very warm like bath water. It was so refreshing since it was 91 degrees that day. The water was very clear and there were many people swimming, some pretty far out there too. We swam for a bit and took some videos with our new underwater camera. After that, we relaxed in our little beach cabana that we picked up from the local beach shop. It came in very handy and gave us some relief from the hot sun.

2. Marco Island

We decided to head over to Marco Island to check it out. We have heard much about it so we had to see for ourselves. The first thing I noticed when we arrived is there are a lot of residential areas on Marco Island. We had a hard time finding public beaches in the area. We did find one public beach but it was in a residential neighborhood, so it did kind of feel like we shouldn’t be there. But it said it was public so we parked and went. The coastline on the island is packed with high end hotels. We noticed that there were a lot of retirees in the area.

3. Shopping

There is plenty of shopping in Naples, Florida. The shopping plazas are very high end and beautifully built. Everywhere you look; it feels very exclusive and rich. Now I know why Naples is famous for its world class exclusive shopping.

Where We Ate

1. Naples Pier

Be sure to visit the Naples Pier. The beach is very clean and it is one of the best for swimming in the Naples area. Make sure you pack your beach gear with drinks and snacks so you can enjoy the day on the beach.