Plan Your Perfect Beach Day, Your Way
A visit to the beaches of Florida’s Paradise Coast raises a question: What kind of sand-and-sun experience am I looking for?
The 30 miles of gorgeous white-sand shoreline on Florida’s Paradise Coast offer a wide array of experiences, from full-service and easy access at our many luxury resorts, to untouched and untamed at state parks and a pristine public beach accessible only by boat.
Here’s a primer on our eclectic array of beaches to help you plan your stay and make the most of perfect days amid the sun, sand and water. Of course, we encourage you to try several.
CLOSE TO IT ALL
Oftentimes a day at the beach also includes shopping and dining. In that case, let us recommend Naples Beach. Its focal point is the Naples Pier, which is on the west end of downtown, walking distance from the shopping and dining hubs of 5th Avenue South and Third Street South. Naples Beach is around 10 miles long, so you’ll have no problem staking out a spot. Lounge, relax, soak up the rays and get refreshed in the gentle waters of the Gulf.
The Pier itself is well worth a visit. Stretching a thousand feet into the Gulf, it’s the ideal place for a stroll, to drop in a fishing line or to catch a legendary Paradise Coast sunset.
About two-and-a-half miles north of the Pier sits lovely Lowdermilk Park, which offers a thousand feet of beachfront, plenty of picnic tables, a kids playground, volleyball courts and more. Just off the beach is an expanse of green space that includes a lagoon. You can take in some shade under a quaint gazebo.
Set amid luxury resorts and high-end condos sits the pearl of North Naples, Vanderbilt Beach. The five acres of cushy sand offer a pleasant experience, and you’re within walking distance of a nice lunch or shopping break. Perhaps Vanderbilt Beach’s most valuable amenity is a dedicated parking garage. (Click here to check the number of current spots available.)
On the southern end of Marco Island sits a convenient public access to South Marco Beach, which offers plenty of sandy real estate to spread out and bask in the sun. You can also rent kayaks or waverunners, and even go parasailing. You can grab a bite (and maybe sip a signature cocktail) at Sunset Grille, which provides beach and water views.
NATURAL BEAUTY JUST STEPS AWAY
Want to feel miles from everything but actually be close by?
Located just north of downtown Naples, Clam Pass Park consists of 35 acres of coastal habitat, highlighted by a stunning stretch of white-sand beach. You can walk (or take a free tram) to the beach via a three-quarter-mile boardwalk through a picturesque mangrove forest. At the boardwalk’s end sits the lovely Rhodes End restaurant, with views of the beach and the Gulf. The park is also a perfect place to fish or paddle in the calm waters of Clam Pass.
On the north end of Marco Island you’ll find Tigertail Beach Park, which has retained its untamed nature despite being located just a couple miles north of the island’s cluster of luxury resorts. Across a tidal lagoon sits the even more remote Sand Dollar Spit, three miles of wild beach that’s easily reached by kayak, paddleboard or wading at low tide. At Tigertail Beach, you’ll be surrounded by mangrove forests, lending an even more remote feel.
FEEL LIKE A CASTAWAY
On Florida’s Paradise Coast, you’re never very far from a beach that feels like a true getaway. The best example is Keewaydin Island, which can only be accessed by boat. It’s a stunningly pristine barrier island, 85 percent of which is undeveloped and public. The rest is made up of exclusive private homes. The nearly eight-mile stretch of sand is totally free of commercial activity (and restrooms, so plan your trip accordingly).
Keewaydin Island is renowned for its shelling — sightseeing tours routinely stop and let passengers off to hunt for colorful treasures. You can access the island by private boat, or aboard the Hemingway Water Shuttle.
On the northern edge of Florida’s Paradise Coast stands Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, a 166-acre natural marvel separated from the mainland by tidal creeks and mangrove swamps. The park is a destination for bird watchers from throughout the world. The large beach area feels especially secluded. A hard-bottom reef just offshore makes for terrific fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving.
On the northernmost tip of Florida’s Paradise Coast is another getaway spot, aptly named Barefoot Beach Preserve, 342 acres of undeveloped land filled with lush plant life. Walk this beach and allow yourself to feel like a true castaway — even if just for a few minutes.
RESORTS APLENTY
Perhaps the most common way that visitors experience Paradise Coast beaches is by staying at one of our many luxury resorts, which offer all the comforts you could imagine, stellar amenities and often private access to a gorgeous beach just a short walk away.
The coastal areas of Naples and Marco Island are lined with some of the most renowned hotel brands in the world, including the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa and the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, as well as independent names like La Playa Beach & Golf Resort, the Naples Grand Beach Resort and The Vanderbilt Beach Resort.
For a more in-depth look, see our guide to beachfront hotels and resorts on Florida's Paradise Coast.
However you plan your beach days, be assured that there’s something for everyone on Florida’s Paradise Coast.