Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Is Naples Florida worth visiting? If you are planning your Christmas, summer or spring break vacation on the Paradise Coast then you are bound to have this question.

Naples is the most visited city on the Paradise Coast and is rightly known as the jewel of Florida and the ‘Golf capital of the world ⛳’. Naples is also considered to be one of the wealthiest and best cities to live in the US and is rated highly as a great vacation spot in the country. So, it’s no wonder why so many people in the US dream of a vacation to Naples, FL.

Naples, Florida is definitely worth visiting, thanks to its snow-white sand beaches with crystal clear waters, oceanfront resorts, adventure parks, natural reserves, mouth-watering seafood, water sports, museums, and upscale shopping malls. Naples has more than you could wish for to make your vacation an unforgettable experience.

Naples is located on southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast at the edge of the Everglades national park. Naples, Florida is well known for boasting some of the most beautiful sunsets in the US and is also famous as the “Golf Capital of the World ⛳ ” with tons of Golf courses sprinkled around the city.

Naples is also one of the wealthiest cities in the US with most of the residents owned by millionaire businessmen and Hollywood stars. Being so wealthy Naples has also earned the right to be called the best place to retire in the US thanks to its great infrastructure and low crime rate of all the cities in the US.

Let us dive into some good reasons why Naples, Fl is well worth your time and money.

Table of Contents

1

  • Best beaches on the Paradise Coast🏖
    • Naples Pier
    • Delnor-Wiggins State Park
    • Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park
    • Vanderbilt beach
    • Keewaydin Island Beach
    • Dog Beach Park🐶
  • Cruise on the Gulf – ‘Tiki Style’
  • Celebration Food Truck Park🍟
  • Golf Capital of the World⛳
  • Enjoy the exhilarating vibes of annual festivals🎉
    • The Naples Craft Beer Festival🍻, March
    • The Naples Stones Crab festival🦀, October
    • The Naples Shakespeare festival, April
    • The Naples Winter Wine festival🍷, January
    • The Naples National Arts Festival🎨, February
  • Dive into history with Naples fascinating museums🏛
    • The Revs Institute🚗
    • Naples Holocaust Museum
    • The Baker Museum
    • Naples Depot Museum🚂
    • Palm Cottage🏡
    • Golisano Children’s Museum
  • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
  • The Naples Botanical Garden🌺
  • The best shopping experience on the Paradise Coast🛍
  • Enjoy the vibes of vibrant Naples Nightlife🍻
  • ❓ FAQ
    • What is the best time to visit Naples, Florida?
    • How many days do you need in Naples Florida?
    • How much does a vacation to Naples, Florida cost?

Best beaches on the Paradise Coast🏖

How can we not talk about beaches- the primary reason why so many people love to visit Naples, Fl. Naples beautiful snow-white sandy beaches are the first thing that attracts thousands of tourists each year to this wonderful beach city.

Being located on the Gulf of Mexico with Emerald green waters on Florida’s Paradise coastline, Naples has no dearth of absolutely gorgeous beaches with splendid sunsets. From the iconic Naples Pier with a beautiful sunset view to the laid-back and relaxing beach of Delnor-Wiggins State Park, Naples has a beach for every kind of vacation.

The best beaches in Naples, Fl-

Naples Pier

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Naples Pier

A visit to Naples isn’t complete without enjoying the beautiful sunset on Naples Pier. Naples Pier is a beautiful blend of well-preserved history and natural splendour. It was built in 1888 to serve as a dock for freight passengers.

Naples Pier stretches for more than a mile into the sublime Gulf of Mexico and is known for offering spectacular views of the sunset. The sunset scene in Naples Pier is amongst the best in the world.

The Pier is also a popular spot for fishing, watching dolphins swim close to the shores and soaking in the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico with your partner or family.

If you get hungry after enjoying all the excursions on the beach, then head straight to any one of the many food establishments which dot the Naples Pier for a mouth-watering dish of freshly caught seafood.

Delnor-Wiggins State Park

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle on the Naples Pier then Delnor-Wiggins State Park is an excellent beach for enjoying a laid-back vibe for couples and family alike. Delnor’s pristine white sandy beach is perfect for enjoying sunbathing, fishing and snorkelling.

Apart from the activities on the beach, the park’s nature trail offers a splendid glimpse of native and other bird species that flock to these beautiful state parks making it a perfect spot for nature lovers.

Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Barefoot beach county park| Image from Youtube, image by Southwest Florida Television

If you are looking to have a more relaxed and secluded family time on the beach then Barefoot Beach is the best beach for you. The beach boasts 8200 feet of soft sugary sand with crystal clear turquoise waters that stretch into the Gulf of Mexico.

The shallow waters make snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding pretty safe even for kids and senior citizens alike. Apart from natural splendour, the beach offers many amenities like restrooms, outdoor showers, restaurants and handicapped beach wheelchair access.

Vanderbilt beach

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Another iconic beach in Naples is located along Vanderbilt drive which is famous for its soft sugary white sand with turquoise waters and gorgeous sunset scene. Vanderbilt beach is excellent if you love to take a stroll on the beach, love shelling or watch beautiful birds that flock the beach every morning.

Keewaydin Island Beach

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Keewaydin island beach| Image by Donald H.Burke on Wikimedia Commons

Located between Naples and Marco Island, its remote location deep into the Gulf of Mexico makes it accessible only by boat. The Keewaydin beach is one of the undeveloped beaches in Naples which makes it more enticing to tourists who enjoy beaches that are untouched by human intervention and are more in tune with nature.

Dog Beach Park🐶

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Dog Beach Park is a haven for dogs and dog owners alike. The beach is particularly maintained to provide the most fun beach experience to our four-legged companions.

The shallow waters of the beach make it safe for older and shorter dogs alike to swim with their owners. You are required to clean up after your dogs, and doggy showers and poop bags are also provided on the beach.

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Cruise on the Gulf – ‘Tiki Style’

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Image by Cmglee on Wikimedia Commons

Imagine being able to experience the splendour of Naples Bay and Bonito Island Bay from the comfort of your bar stool. Yes, without having to let go of your favourite drink.

You may do the same thing on ‘Tiki-Style’ cruises, just while sitting on your bar stool and conversing with your friends or family. Tiki-style cruises are essentially floating bars, only they can also cruise along in the sea, affording amazing views of Naples Bay.

Celebration Food Truck Park🍟

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

The word ‘Celebration’ rightly describes the vibes of this excellent park. Because when hundreds of food trucks lined alongside and opposite each other are serving delicious food to hundreds of tourists then there is bound to be celebration and joy.

The Celebration food truck park is the perfect place to grab some delicious food with your family and make some new friendships with strangers who are always ready to start a good conversation.

The magnificent views of Naples form a perfect backdrop to enjoy a more fun-filled family time.

Golf Capital of the World⛳

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Naples well and truly deserves to be called the “Golf Capital of the World⛳” thanks to its hundreds of well-manicured golf courses with contoured greens and strategically placed hazards. The spectacular views of the Gulf form a backdrop to these golf courses elevating your golfing experience to another level.

With more than 90 well-manicured golf courses all around the city, Naples is truly a ‘Golfers Paradise’ ????️‍♂️

Best Golf Courses in Naples, Florida-

  1. Hammock Bay Golf Course
  2. Glen Eagle Golf and Country Club
  3. Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club
  4. Bonita Bay
  5. Riviera Golf Club
  6. Cedar Hammock Golf and Country Club

Enjoy the exhilarating vibes of annual festivals🎉

The joy of enjoying the local festivals in Naples, Fl along with the other things that the city has to offer is unparalleled.  Naples boasts of many lively and wonderful festivals for each and every month of the year and for every taste.

From local arts, crafts and music festivals to the festivals which are more in tune with the overall vibe and surrounding of Naples like beer and wine festival, seafood festival to coral arts and music festival that make visiting Naples, Fl more complete vacation experience.

Some of the most popular annual festivals in Naples, Fl-

The Naples Craft Beer Festival🍻, March

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

For the most ardent beer lovers in the world, The Naples Craft Beer Festival held in March is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year where beer lovers can come together and sample local craft brews with delicious food and live music.

The Naples Stones Crab festival🦀, October

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Do you love seafood? If yes! Then October is the best time to be in Naples. The Stones Crab festival is a haven for seafood lovers where you can savour the freshly caught seafood right from the Gulf of Mexico served with live music.

As the name suggests, the highlight of the festival is the dish with stone crab caught freshly from the Gulf. Apart, from stone crab, you can sample various local and popular seafood cuisines made by some of the best chefs in town.

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The Naples Shakespeare festival, April

A unique treat for the fans of the great playwriter. Enjoy the most popular Shakespeare plays live right on the beach.

The Naples Winter Wine festival🍷, January

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Similar to the Naples Craft Beer Festival, the winter wine festival is held in January each year where wine connoisseurs can taste the best wines from local wineries.

The Naples National Arts Festival🎨, February

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Celebrate local artisans, photography, paintings, ceramics and unique jewellery.

Dive into history with Naples fascinating museums🏛

For those who love to dive into the history of the place you are visiting, Naples boasts of many fascinating arts and maritime museums that showcase the history of Naples from its transition as a small fishing village in the 19th century to the modern paradise that it has become now.

From fine arts, culture, fishing to the car museum, the artefacts in these museums give you a deep insight into how the city changed with changing times and the impact of certain events in shaping the city that it is now.

Here are some of the best museums you must visit in Naples-

The Revs Institute🚗

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

If you love the vintage car, you are sure to have a great time at the Revs Institute. This is a one-of-a-kind museum/ educational institute which is solely dedicated to conserving, preserving and restoring rare and significant automobiles made between 1896 and 1995.

The institute’s great efforts towards creating awareness and providing a more intimate peek into automobile history means that you get to see some of the rarest and greatest engineering marvels of their time up close and with a guide who is more than happy to answer all your questions regarding any of the 100 models present in the museum.

Naples Holocaust Museum

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Naples Holocaust museum| Image by Ebyabe on Wikimedia commons

The Naples Holocaust Museum is dedicated to exhibiting and preserving unique works of art of the Holocaust period and showcases one of the darkest times in human history. From old restored photographs, paintings and artefacts from the concentration camps, the museums give us a peek into the times and lives of the people in World War 2.

The Baker Museum

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
The Baker Museum| Image by CTNMM82 on Wikimedia Commons

For those who love creativity, the Baker Museum is solely dedicated to exhibiting and supporting local artisans and contemporary and modern arts.

Naples Depot Museum🚂

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Naples Depot Museum| Image by McGhiever on Wikimedia Commons

If you love to train and like to nerd about train facts in front of your friends and family then Naples depot museum is a place where you would love to spend a day exploring old train models and decommissioned engines which were part of the early transportation system in Naples.

Palm Cottage🏡

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?
Historic Palm Cottage| Image by Napleshistoricalsociety on Wikimedia Commons

Get a peek into the early living style of the people in Naples with a tour of the Palm Cottage known as the oldest house in Naples. The Palm Cottage has been successfully restored by Naples County and showcases the old tabby mortar construction with vintage furnishing giving you an insight into the lives of early settlers in Naples.

Golisano Children’s Museum

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Tourists on a family vacation with kids are sure to love this museum. The Golisano museum is built to provide a wholesome fun and learning experience to kids and their parents.

The museum is itself accommodated in a ship-shaped building with 38000 square feet of interactive space for children to interact with each other and an environment to learn new things.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is your gateway to one of the largest wetlands in the world- The Everglades National Park. The sanctuary encompasses 13000 acres of magnificent wetlands, pine Flatwoods, sawgrass prairies and freshwater slough that draws water from Lake Okeechobee southward.

The sanctuary is home to the endangered Virgin Bald Cypress Forest (700 acres), the historical nesting colony of the endangered Wood Stork. Apart from the birds, the Corkscrew sanctuary is also an important habitat for several rare species of animals like Florida panther, American alligator, gopher tortoise, Florida sandhill crane, Roseate spoonbill and Florida bear.

The best thing about the sanctuary is the 2.25 miles of boardwalk that takes you directly into the heart of the sanctuary surrounded by beautiful pinewood trees, wet prairie and the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in North America.

The Naples Botanical Garden🌺

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

For the budding botanist and for those who love gardening the Naples Botanical Garden is sure to get you excited. The Garden encompasses 170 acres of land dedicated solely towards conserving and preserving different plant species from around the world.

The Naples Botanical Garden welcomes more than 200000 visitors each year representing more than 1000 native flora species and culture of Naples, Florida.

The best shopping experience on the Paradise Coast🛍

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Shopping in Naples, Florida is an experience like no other. Naples boasts of the most high-end shopping malls and boutiques on the Paradise Coast which is a reflection of the wealth of the city itself.

Being home to some of the richest people in America the city of Naples has the greatest number of millionaires of any city in Florida. So, it comes as no surprise that the shopping scene in Naples is so high-end and glamourous.

If you want to shop your heart out from high-end clothes to locally made jewellery head straight to Downtown Naples, the major shopping attraction in Naples. If you love antique stuff and unique things then check out the amazing pawn shops and antique stores on Third Street South of Naples.

If you love outdoor shopping and don’t mind stretching your wallet then head straight to the prestigious shopping malls in The Waterside shops, The Village Shops on Venetian Bay or Mercato which cater to your every desire.

Enjoy the vibes of vibrant Naples Nightlife🍻

Is it worth visiting Naples Florida?

Naples doesn’t just have beautiful sunsets but also a lively nightlife scene. When the sun sets on the beautiful sandy beaches of Naples, that is when you get to experience the lively vibes of bustling beach parties, bars, pubs and nightclubs sprawling with tourists.

If you are a party animal then you are going to love every moment of your time in Naples, where parties on the beach and in nightclubs go on till the early hours of the morning. To enjoy the vibrant nightlife in Naples’s head straight to Mercato, Fifth Avenue South or the Third Street South which boast of some of the best nightlife scenes in Naples.

The best places to enjoy the nightlife in Naples-

  1. Bar Tulia
  2. Hobknob Kitchen & Bar
  3. Yabba Island Bar and Grill
  4. Sunset Beach Bar and Grill
  5. Off the Hook Comedy Club
  6. Blue Martini Naples

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FAQ

What is the best time to visit Naples, Florida?

The months of March and May are ideal for a vacation to Naples. Daytime temperatures are in the 80s, making it ideal for a day at the beach or on the golf course. More significantly, if you travel during this window, you’ll avoid the winter price increases.

How many days do you need in Naples Florida?

Three days in Naples allows you to view the sites around town, explore the mangrove woods, rivers, and white sand beaches that surround the city, and go farther out to another south Florida location.

How much does a vacation to Naples, Florida cost?

A 7-day vacation to Naples costs an average of $1,825 for a single traveller, $3,278 for a couple, and $6,145 for a family of four.

Is Naples worth visiting Florida?

Naples continues to be top-rated as one of the Best Places to Retire in the US and a Top Florida Vacation Spot, it's one of the best destinations for a Florida beach vacation — the soft white sand Naples Florida beaches are an abundance of riches when it comes to natural good looks.

How many days do you need in Naples Florida?

How Many Days Do You Need in Naples, Florida? Spending 3 days in Naples gives you enough time to shop, see the sights around town, spend time on the white sand beaches, and explore the mangrove forests. I personally recommend spending at least 5-days in Naples, however.

What is the best time to visit Naples Florida?

The best time to visit Naples is between March and May. Daytime temperatures hover in the 80s — perfect weather for the beach or the links. More importantly, if you visit during this sweet spot, you'll sidestep the winter price hikes.

What part of Naples Florida is best to vacation in?

For travelers, the most popular areas are Old Naples & Downtown Naples. These two central neighborhoods offer the city's best dining choices and are close to its fine white-sand beaches and tourist attractions. For a sophisticated and elegant stay, book a room along 5th Avenue South.