Naples Florida

Imagine being on vacation at a luxury beach front resort, somewhere in the Caribbean. They've got exquisitely designed pools, tennis, golf, boating, fabulous restaurants, smart boutiques, happy coffee shops, awesome galleries, art shows, outdoor activities, weddings on the beach, magnificent sunsets, and people who seem to be smiling all the time. Better yet, imagine instead that it's not a resort, but a city. Imagine yourself in Naples, Florida.

Beautiful Naples Beach

Everyone is drawn to the Gulf of Mexico, so it's natural that your first stop is Naples beach, selected by the Travel Channel as one of the best beaches in the country. It can glow green and Caribbean, or it can be darkened by a thunderstorm, but more likely you'll see the dolphins pushing the bait fish into a natural depression on the beach, or maybe you'll catch the windsailers on a really windy day off in the distance wrapping and unwrapping their finger-like strings in the sky. And, of course a late afternoon stroll on the beach just naturally ends when the sun lights up both sky and water in reds, oranges, and sky blue pinks as it sets out over the Gulf. Next day, when you walk around either of the "downtown" areas, both just a few blocks from the beach, you'll undoubtedly see a postcard that looks exactly like that magnificent sunset from last night. But why bother with a sunset postcard? Just go back to the beach tomorrow and make sure to bring the camera this time.

Naples FL Entertainment

You'll never be bored in Naples. Go to movies in the park, try a photography institute tour of the Takahatchee Preserve and maybe be one of the few lucky people to see a Ghost Orchid in the wild, or just go to the yearly "Orchid Show" or the Naples Botanical Garden. Take a Segway tour through the "Historic District" of Olde Naples. And when you're done, sit down at any of the many outdoor restaurants on Fifth Avenue South or Third Street South, and enjoy the breeze coming off the Gulf as the sun calmly warms your skin. Stop at the Fifth Avenue Coffee Company for a bite to eat mid morning after riding down from Pelican Bay about seven miles up U.S. 41, or after a leisurely ride around Olde Naples. Almost every street has a lane painted just for that, so, you're likely to see lots of other colorfully dressed "bikers" up and down Gulf Shore Blvd and be awestruck by the great Banyan trees along the shady streets of Coquina Sands. Eat a mid-day "tapas" lunch or a freshly caught Grouper on a bun on Fifth Avenue South or dine "al fresco" at Tommy Bahamas or Campiello's on Third Street South, relax at the piano bar at Truluck's on Fifth on your way to a stone crab orgy, hang out the bar at Vergina's (pronounced Ver-Geen-Ah's), or sip happy hour martinis at Pazzo's or Handsome Harry's, and laugh it up at the comedy show at Bice's.

You can sneak away down the East Trail and perhaps catch visiting RuPaul perform at Snapper's, or get a round of beers at McCabe's and sing along with the rest of the revelers on St. Patty's Day, duck water balloons flung from huge rubber band slingshots from boats everywhere in Naples Bay at the Dock's annual canoe races in April, (a tradition started by restaurant workers to blow off steam after a season of waiting on all those tables at all those and many other great restaurants that dot Naples and the vicinity around town), and lastly make sure to take a drive on your motorcycle or in your convertible south on U.S. 41 and hang a right on route 92, head out on the desolate two lane highway through the beginning of the Everglades, the Ten Thousand Islands, and make sure to stop at the top of the Goodland Bridge and see what this part of Florida really looks like, and finally head to Stan's on a Sunday afternoon. There you'll be entertained by Stan himself, along with whoever happens to be the great "house" band that week, and last but not least "Buzzard Mary." Well worth the trip for a day out mingling with revelers who came from everywhere driving everything. It's no surprise to see a Rolls Royce Corniche parked between a dusty old red pickup truck and a bunch of Harleys; Stan's is where everyone's the same: happy to be outdoors having a good time.

Recreation in Naples

With long warm days and cool breezes blowing from the Gulf, it's mandatory to get outdoors and really experience the best of what Naples has to offer, its weather. Home to the most golf holes per capita in the country, Naples offers over a hundred golf courses which range from public courses to fine tuned country club golf venues designed by the top name golf architects in the world. If tennis is your sport, every neighborhood has a tennis court or two for a pick-up game, or you can become a member at the Arthur Allen Tennis Club in Olde Naples and play with a 4.0 rated opponent. Swim in the Gulf or dip in your condo's pool. Perhaps you're more interested in boating and fishing. Sailing race regattas dot the Gulf regularly throughout the winter season, and both backwater and off shore fishing provide the most ardent anglers with countless opportunities for sport and recreational fishing. You'll never get over the exhilaration of hooking a 150 lb "King" Tarpon as he dances and thrashes his way across the top of the water. If you haven't got your own boat, or aren't lucky enough to have a friend who does, just rent one, or go out on the daily sunset cruises aboard the Naples Princess. Because of its location and climate, recreational opportunities abound in Naples, and coincidentally, Collier County was recently selected by the AARP as the fourth healthiest place to live in the country.

The Gorgeous Ambiance of Naples Florida

Naples is one of the prettiest places in the country. You have to look very hard to find a trace of garbage anywhere. There seems to be a pride among its residents and visitors who want to keep it as pretty as it is. Flower lined public streets, swaying palm trees and water views from homes on the Gulf to lanais on lakeside villas invite you to enjoy what many people like to call it: Paradise.

Naples Real Estate

If you need assistance or more information about Naples real estate please contact your Naples Realtors, The David Team. We will be happy to hear from you. Feel free to browse through our Naples listings.