NAPLES BEACH
Area: Florida
Country: United States of America


Location:
In the SE United States, on the coast of SW Florida, directly on the Gulf of Mexico. 30 mls S of Fort Myers; 110 mls W of Miami and its international airport. 30 mls S of SW Florida International Airport; a small commuter airport is located in the city.

Telephone code from UK:
1 941

Website:
http://www.see-naples.com

Position:
Low-lying and flat.

Description:
Naples is one of the wealthiest communities in the US and features multimillion-dollar residences, well-laid-out streets and avenues where even the central reservations have been planted by top landscape architects. This narrow roughly 9-ml-long resort, averaging only about 1 ml in width, hugs the coastline and its surpassingly beautiful beach, probably the resort's greatest treasure. Historic Old Naples and the long Naples Fishing Pier constitute the heart of the city, which is dotted with several concentrations of exclusive shops and restaurants that invite long hours of browsing and dining.

Suitability:
Although affordable for any pocket, especially in the laid-back summer season, Naples attracts the affluent in droves. Many are interested in eco-tourism and outdoor sports opportunities in the area.

Accommodation:
From B&B to world-renowned, full-scale resort hotels. Condominium and home rentals abound.

Shopping:
A shopper's paradise. Glamorous boutiques and "designer" shops are clustered in attractive villages, along tree-shaded streets, on the water and in an exclusive complex at the N end of the city. The Fifth Avenue corridor contains art galleries and upmarket shops; Tin City is full of unusual gifts and the Village on Venetian Bay offers shops in a Mediterranean-style setting.

Beach:
The resort's real attraction. 10 mls of fine, clean, white sand with plenty of public access. Rated among the best in the US.

Entertainments:
Daytime: golf, tennis, boating and other water-based activities; teddy bear and historical museums. Caribbean Gardens, with small zoo and botanical gardens. Conservancy_Naples Nature Center. Many art galleries. Nightlife: not as glitzy as Las Vegas but plenty of good music for dancing and listening to. Performances at Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Annual "Tropicool Fest" incorporating regattas, outdoor concerts, food tastings and many other events.

Eating:
Dine by water in shorts or savour vintage wine by candlelight. Naples claims some of SW Florida's most popular award-winning restaurants.

Public-transport:
Almost all visitors hire cars for their visits; rates are moderate. Taxis are few and far between and expensive.

Local-excursions:
A privately owned trolley service provides narrated tours of the city and permits passengers to board or alight at major hotels and shopping areas. Nature reserve at Rookery Bay. Delnor_Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area for shell gathering and other beach-front activities. Self-guided tours of Everglades National Park and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Nearby resorts of Fort Myers as well as Marco, Sanibel and Captiva, all interesting barrier islands and easy day trips.