Wealthy in a laid-back way, Southwest Florida's
Paradise Coast region features white-sand beaches and five-star
resorts abutting the wilds of Everglades National Park, the
home of eagles, alligators, manatees, dolphins, and the
endangered Florida panther.
Day 1: Naples
10:00 AM
Before teeing off at one of two Greg Norman-designed,
Audubon-certified championship golf courses at Tiburon Golf
Club, consider a lesson at its new PGA TOURAcademy.
2:00 PM
Spend the afternoon perusing the shops and restaurants of the
Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South shopping districts in
Naples. www.naplesdowntown.com
7:30 PM
Walk to 12th Ave. South to Naples Pier for the best view of the
Florida sunset in town.
Day 2: Marco Island
10:00 AM
Zooming around on a personal watercraft is a blast. But you can
make it educational too with Marco Island Ski and Watersport's
guided nature and wildlife tour of the twisty, mangrove-lined
estuaries of the Ten Thousand Islands on the edge of the
Everglades. www.marcoislandwatersports.com
12:00 PM
Time for the beach, either in front of your hotel or
at Tigertail Beach on the northern end of Marco Island, a
preserve untouched by hotels and condominiums.
6:30 PM
View the sunset from the water with a dinner cruise on
the Marco Island Princess.
www.themarcoislandprincess.com
Day 3: The Everglades
9:00 AM
Go deeper into the Everglades at Big Cypress National Park.
Both ranger-led and commercial tours are available, so decide
if you want to walk along the boardwalk or hike inside the
park, rent a canoe or kayak, or ride on a swamp buggy ATV. www.nps.gov/bicy
2:00 PM
After a long day trekking through the Everglades, pamper
yourself with a spa treatment - all of the top resorts in
Naples and Marco Island have spas that offer a wide variety of
massages, rubs, and scrubs.