By The Dawn McKenna Group
In a single day in Naples, you can walk a trail through old-growth cypress trees in the morning, tour a collection of century-old racing cars after lunch, and watch the sun drop into the Gulf from a downtown rooftop that evening. For a city of around 20,000 year-round residents, the range of things to do in Naples, Florida, runs far deeper than the map suggests.
Everything also sits close together, with the best attractions, beaches, and downtown blocks within about twenty minutes of one another. Whether you are here for a long weekend or settling in, this guide covers the most rewarding ways to spend your time, from the preserves inland to the sidewalks of 5th Avenue South.
Key Takeaways
- Naples’ top attractions sit close together, from the Naples Botanical Garden to Artis-Naples.
- The coastline runs unbroken north to south, from the wild dunes of Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park to Lowdermilk Park near Coquina Sands.
- Downtown is two walkable streets a few blocks apart, 5th Avenue South and Third Street South, with galleries, dining, and events.
- On the water, options run from a narrated sunset sail to a shelling trip out to Keewaydin Island.
- Known as the Golf Capital of the World, Naples counts well over 80 championship courses, a handful open to resort and public play.
What Are the Top Museums and Arts Venues in Naples?
Regarding arts and museums in Naples, two names lead the list: Artis-Naples and The Revs Institute, with Historic Palm Cottage adding the city's history.
Artis-Naples brings the city's philharmonic and its flagship art museum together on one campus. The Revs Institute is keeper of one of the world's most impressive automobile collections, hosting a century of racing and touring machines in carefully controlled galleries that collectors fly in from around the country to see. Entry runs by appointment only, which keeps the rooms quiet and the viewing unhurried.
What to See First
- Artis-Naples, off Pelican Bay, is the one-stop pick for live music and art, home to both the Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum.
- The Revs Institute rewards anyone drawn to design or motorsport, and booking ahead means an unhurried couple of hours.
- The Naples Historical Society runs a 90-minute Historic District walking tour each season starting in October, from Historic Palm Cottage on 12th Avenue South, covering the earliest Neapolitans and the Calusa, the old Naples Hotel site, and the Naples Pier, currently under reconstruction. It doubles as a guided look at Old Naples architecture.
What Are the Best Things to Do Outside in Naples?
For spending time outdoors in Naples, the three anchors are the Naples Botanical Garden, the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
The Naples Botanical Garden, on Bayshore Drive, lays out tropical landscapes and restored wetland, with shaded footpaths, a bird-watching tower, and seasonal events.
The Gordon River Greenway ties into Baker Park to string together miles of paved paths and paddle routes beside the water, creating a perfect match for an early walk, a bike loop, or an hour in a kayak before the heat sets in.
Where to Spend a Morning Outdoors
- Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, an Audubon preserve, boasts a 2.25-mile boardwalk over the biggest stand of old-growth bald cypress left in North America, a top spot for wood storks and roseate spoonbills.
- The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, on century-old plant-garden grounds, runs a pontoon ride past islands of lemurs, monkeys, and apes.
- Cambier Park features a bandshell for concerts, lighted shuffleboard courts, the Arthur L. Allen Tennis Center, a softball field, basketball courts, and the Norris Community Center.
What Are the Best Beaches in Naples, Florida?
The best beaches in Naples, Florida, line the Gulf in a north-to-south run, led by Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Lowdermilk Park, Vanderbilt Beach, and Clam Pass Park.
Much of the near-beach living happens between the parks: The Moorings and Park Shore front the central shore north of Lowdermilk Park, Pelican Bay holds its own three-mile private beach near Clam Pass Park and Waterside Shops, and the towers of Kalea Bay and Moraya Bay rise near Vanderbilt Beach and Delnor-Wiggins.
If you are weighing where to put down roots near the shore, our team at the Dawn McKenna Group can point you to the neighborhoods nearest the sand you would use most. What ties the whole shoreline together is the powder-fine white sand, the warm gentle waves, and the shimmering sunsets that face due west. Note that the Naples Pier is closed for a full reconstruction for now, so point your beach day toward the parks above.
How to Choose Your Beach
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, which Dr. Beach named the sixth-finest beach in the country in 2026, is a 166-acre barrier island of dunes and sea oats. This is the pick for a quieter, natural setting.
- Lowdermilk Park near Coquina Sands is the most convenient in-town option, with shaded picnic spots, sand volleyball, and easy parking.
- Vanderbilt Beach and Clam Pass Park give you long runs of sand backed by residential streets.
What Is There to Do in Downtown Naples and on 5th Avenue South?
The core of downtown Naples comes down to two streets set a few blocks apart: 5th Avenue South and Third Street South, together forming the spine of Old Naples, the historic quarter whose cottage-lined lanes run toward the Gulf.
5th Avenue South, the busier of the two, is a palm-shaded promenade of galleries, open-air restaurants, and shops. Here, a quick errand has a way of stretching into dinner and drinks.
A couple of blocks away, Third Street South holds onto a cottage-and-courtyard feel that the newer projects around town cannot reproduce. Dining stalwarts like Sea Salt and Campiello hold down the restaurant end of the equation.
Near Pelican Bay, Waterside Shops sets high-end labels among banyans and fountains. In North Naples, Mercato lines up its stores alongside restaurants and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Naples.
What to Do Downtown
- Walk 5th Avenue South in the early evening, when the sidewalk tables fill up and galleries stay open late.
- Catch the Third Street South Farmer's Market for produce, flowers, and baked goods.
- On the Gordon River, Tin City Waterfront Shops maintains its working-dock roots, with independent sellers and seafood served right at the water, while the nearby Bayfront community gathers shops, galleries, and restaurants around a marina.
- Catch the Naples Downtown Art Fair or the Annual National Art Fair at Cambier Park.
What Are the Best Boat Tours and Golf Courses in Naples?
The best boat tours in Naples leave from the downtown docks at Tin City and the Port O'Call Marina, led by the Naples Princess and Pure Florida's Double Sunshine. For golf, Tiburón and Lely Resort are the top courses open to the public in a city known as the Golf Capital of the World, where Collier County packs in more golf holes per resident than anywhere in the nation.
First is the golf, which is the factor that first put living in Naples on many people's radar. For public golf, book Tiburón at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, with two Greg Norman layouts, the Gold Course and the Black Course, or Lely Resort, with the Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Flamingo Island and the Lee Trevino Mustang, plus the private Gary Player-designed Classics.
Ways to Get on the Water or the Green
- Cruises run on the 105-foot Naples Princess, for dining and sightseeing, and Pure Florida's Double Sunshine, for dolphin and sunset trips, narrating the waterfront homes of Port Royal, Royal Harbor, and Aqualane Shores.
- Keewaydin Island, reachable only by boat, is prized for the shells that pile up along its beach.
- Golf communities like Grey Oaks, with three courses close to town, and Fiddler's Creek, between Naples and Marco Island, anchor the private side of golf.
FAQs
What Are the Best Free Things to Do in Naples?
The public beaches, the Gordon River Greenway, and Baker Park are all free, as is window-shopping along 5th Avenue South and Third Street South or walking the Third Street South Farmer's Market. A Gulf sunset from any beach is the best free thing of all.
How Many Days Do You Need in Naples?
Three to four days covers the highlights: a beach day, a downtown evening, one indoor attraction, and a cruise. Add golf, a morning at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, or a barrier-island day trip, and a full week fills easily.
What Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Naples?
From roughly November through April, Naples enjoys its dry stretch, with mid-70s afternoons and the fullest calendar of the year, which is why it is busiest. Summers turn humid with quick afternoon storms that clear within the hour, and late spring and early fall bring thinner crowds and warm Gulf water.
Is Naples, Florida, Worth Visiting?
Naples rewards the kind of traveler who likes variety in a compact, coastal setting: shoreline, a charming downtown, championship golf, restored wilderness, and a well-rounded arts scene within a short drive. For a small city, the sheer depth of things to do in Naples is what surprises most first-time visitors, and it is the reason so many of them come back or look into homes for sale in Naples.
What Is There to Do in Naples When It Rains?
Head indoors to The Revs Institute or The Baker Museum at Artis-Naples, catch a Naples Philharmonic performance, or browse Waterside Shops and the stores and cinema at Mercato until the sky clears.
Making the Most of Your Time in Naples
From the cypress boardwalks at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to the gallery windows on Third Street South, Naples fits a lot into little ground. Build your day around the water, the greens, the museums, or the shoreline, and there is still room for a sunset sail before dinner.
If you are imagining more than a long weekend here, we would love to help you picture daily life in Naples. At the Dawn McKenna Group, we know these neighborhoods and the best things to do in Naples, from the streets closest to the beach to the golf communities. When you are ready to explore life in Naples, let us show you the city the way locals experience it.
