Naples, Florida: Exploring the Paradise of Southwest Florida

The best way to describe Naples is “beautiful”! The beaches are beautiful, the shopping centers are beautiful, and the gardens are beautiful!

Where We Stayed

The Fairways Inn of Naples

Find out more about the Fairways Inn in my post here

Places We Visited

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park has beautiful white sand beaches and clear turquoise water. Shelling is good if you can beat the locals to the beach in the mornings. After about 10am, it gets fairly crowded.

Hours: 8 a.m. to Sundown, daily

Entry Fee: $6 per vehicle

Address: 11135 Gulfshore Drive, Naples FL 34108

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden is 170-acre tropical paradise featuring plants from around the world.

Hours: 9am - 5pm, daily

Entry Fee: Adults $19.95 , Child (4-14) $9.95 

Address: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112

Bayfront

Upscale community containing condos, boutiques, and fine dining on Naples Bay.

Parking is very limited.

Address: 436 Bayfront Pl, Naples, Florida 34102

5th Avenue

Things to do - Upscale shopping, hotels, and dinning

Address: Downtown area

Parking on or near 5^th Avenue is impossible to find. We finally found parking in front of the Cambier Park Softball Field   

  Where we parked address: 585 Park St, Naples, FL 34102  

Naples City Dock

Charter boats     https://www.naplesgov.com/cdw/page/charter-boats

We visited some of the cutest boutiques around the dock area!

Address:  880 12th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102 

The Village Shops on Venetian Bay 

Address:

4200 Gulf Shore Blvd N, Naples, FL 34103

T J Maxx

Someone told us they had some Lilly Pulitzer dresses there, so we had to check it out. 😀

Address: 5018 Airport Pulling Road North, Naples, FL 34105

Tigertail Beach (Marco Island)

We did not get a chance to visit Marco Island on the trip, but it is amazing! You can read about my trip there with the hubby here.

What we thought of Naples

This was my second trip to Naples, but my mother and daughter's first. Getting around was easy and everything was closer than it seems on a map.

Three generations of opinions to help you decide what you may like best! lol

 My favorite places were Naples Botanical Garden and Delenor Wiggins state park.

 My daughter favorite places were 5^th Avenue and Delenor Wiggins state park.

My mothers’ favorite places were Naples Botanical Gardens and the hotel (Fairways Inn of Naples)

Overall, we all loved Naples and can’t wait to return!

Happy Travels!

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park (Unique Beach and Formal Gardens) Florida

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is located along State Road A1A on the east coast of Florida near St Augustine. The park is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Matanzas River and is divided into two areas; garden and beach. A1A separates the two.

The beach area, located on the eastern side of the road, provides a parking area with a walkway leading over the sand dunes to the beach.

The beach is mostly brownish- orange sand with small shell fragments as you get closer to the rock outcroppings. Take shoes to wear! 

Once you get to the beach, the rocks are located a little way down the beach to the left.

About half way there, you will begin to see piles of shells.

The majority of the shells are located close to the rocks.

This is the largest outcroppings of coquina rock on the Atlantic Ocean.

Located on the west side of A1A, along the Matanzas River, is 20 acres of formal gardens nature trails.

The rose garden is a treat for the scenes with over 150 rose bushes.

Citrus groves at Washington Oaks date back to the late 1700’ s.

The pay booth is located on the garden side and will issue you a car tag that can be used for parking on the beach side as well.

Located:  20 miles (37 minutes) south of St Augustine and 35 miles (46 minutes) north of Daytona Beach

Address:

6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd

Palm Coast, FL 32137

Hours:

8am-sunset, daily

​Admission:

$5 per vehicle

Happy Travels!

Experiencing The Fairways Inn of Naples: A Review from Naples, Florida

A last-minute trip to Naples left us with very few options for lodging. I found a couple of places for over $600 a night, but they didn’t even look worth a third of that price from their web sites! I finally ran across The Fairways Inn, with one room available.

Getting to The Fairways Inn of Naples

The Fairways Inn is located in North Naples. It is 131 miles (2-hour drive) from the Miami airport and 32 miles (34-minute drive) from Fort Myers. The closest beach (Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park) is an easy five-minute drive.

103 Palm River Boulevard, Naples, Florida 34110

The Resort

Located at the edge of a quite neighborhood, the hotel has an old Florida charm. The choices of lodging are rooms, suites, and Kitchenettes.

 The Check-in

The check-in was old style and included a handwritten sign in and metal door key. The process was slow, but pleasant.

 Our Suite

We stayed in the two room Efficiency. It had been recently remodeled and was very clean.

Parking was right at the door, which we loved!

Hotel Grounds and Amenities

The grounds are one and a half acres of tropical gardens. Many places to sit and relax, a shuffle board court, and an oversize pool are nestled within the lush landscape. It was the perfect mix of complete solitude and visiting with other hotel guest.

Other amenities include:

Complimentary bottle of water in room

Shuffleboard court

Complimentary wi-fi

Pet-Friendly Rooms

Dining and Drinks

Dining onsite is a light breakfast served in the garden pavilion each morning from 7 to 10.

Overall Impression

The place is older, but the rooms are spotless and the grounds are well maintained.

The location is perfect to attractions, shopping, dining, and the beach. All are within a 20-minute drive.

The price is unbeatable for the area. Rooms run less than $200 while most of the rooms in Naples start at $350.

We would recommend a stay and would love to go back ourselves.

Happy Travels!