Dreaming of... Florida
Nature smiles benevolently on Florida’s sunshine-drenched Paradise Coast. Thirty miles of pristine Gulf of Mexico beaches await, along with wildlife-rich areas of expansive estuaries, mangroves, cypress swamps and forests.
While it’s a world away from the theme park crowds of Orlando and the busy buzz of Miami, it still offers quality hotels, fine restaurants and cafes, designer boutiques and art galleries.
Naples is the main town on the coast, oozing subtropical sophistication and access to key attractions such as its botanical garden, zoo and Caribbean gardens plus numerous golf courses and watersports options, both on and under the warm blue seas.
No visit is complete without nailing that essential gorgeous photo of 1,000ft long Naples Pier at sunset. Watch those likes rack up on your social media feed.
Also, right on the doorstep, you’ll find an international treasure – the 2,340 square miles Everglades National Park.
This Unesco world heritage site is a remarkable, mysterious wetland ecosystem which is home to rare and endangered species such as American crocodiles, the elusive Florida panther (there’s a rescued one in the zoo) and slow-moving, curious manatees.
Tours are available by foot, kayak or
airboat (nps.gov/ever/index.htm). Marco Island is the largest of the coast’s Ten Thousand Islands, which are fringed with mangrove-lined estuaries, and two bridges allow traffic on and off.
Here you’ll find your upscale Paradise Coast base, the four-star JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.
Like the pier, it is perfectly positioned for those fabled Floridian sunsets and offers guests a Mediterranean vibe with a sea view from every room. For diners there are 10 options, including plenty of sea to see at Quinn’s on the Beach, showcasing Caribbean-influenced cuisine and live entertainment.
Kane Tiki Bar & Grill also fronts the shore, with Polynesianinspired dishes.
Newly opened 10K Alley is an “industrial” gastropub and sports games venue that offers family fun during the day, switching to adult-centred nightlife after dark, with more than 60 Florida-brewed craft beers, barrel-aged bourbons and decadent milkshakes.
Two pools boast waterslides and cabanas, with an adults-only sanctuary featuring an outdoor terrace with a private beach, pool, cocktail bar and, of course, those Gulf views.
If you’ve found Paradise in Florida
stone crab season – mid-October to May – it’s hard to avoid the sweet, buttery and meaty crab claws, with the local catch celebrated at festivals and special events in restaurants throughout the Naples area.
Stone crabs can regenerate their claws every one to two years, so usually only one claw of a fixed size can be harvested and the crustaceans are released back to the fisheries to regrow it.
Tempted? Of course you are! So when can you go? Travel from the UK to America could resume as early as May 17, but we think it’s more likely to be late June.
Either way, those sensational sunsets will be waiting...
You are perfectly positioned for those fabled Floridian sunsets