Naples - things to do

[ROL1983]

Hey, currently on our last few days in Orlando before we head to Naples for a couple of nights.

Can anyone recommend some Naples activities for a family of 5 (kids between 7-13)?
We are hoping for it to be pretty chilled and nothing too expensive but enough to keep the kids entertained.
Any advice appreciated.

[archibald]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I don't recall a lot of things to do around Naples - it's more of a beach and shop place although there's a couple of small museums and a zoo. Be sure to stop at one of the Mel's Diners in the area - some of them (not Naples, but Bonita Springs/FortMyers/Cape Coral) are the 'proper' shiny silver type too.

If you're driving down the 75, stop at Caspersen Beach (Venice) to search for sharks teeth, or visit the Shell Factory at Fort Myers (although it's a few years since we visited).

There seemed to be a lot of segway tours of Naples, and the beach has great shells.

[FloRidaLvr]

The Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is about 30 mins drive from North Naples . Naples Zoo . Tin City Waterfront Shops . Also Miromar Outlets with Ford Garage.

[Norah22]

Corkscrew Swamp is great, there is a raised walkway through the area and you get to see lots of local wildlife, it takes about 2 hours. Sanibel Island is also lovely, it is about an hours drive away, there you can go to CROW which is a wildlife hospital, I think you need to book before you go if you want the tour, then across the road from there is Ding Darling reserve, this is drive through with various stops around. When we were driving along we looked into the waterway and there was a manatee and her calf swimming beside us, it was lovely to see and we followed them for a while. It really is a lovely area and a chance to chill after the parks.

[Mpet]

edisonfordwinterestates... istoric-homes/ Near Fort Myers is worth a visit, although it would probably be of more interest to adults/older children.

[toddy22]

Hi, Naples peir is free fishing, you can rent rods at peir shop, plus never failed to see dolphins and Manatees there.

[Eeyore14]

The zoo is great there, I was going to suggest Octagon animal sanctuary which is at Punta Gorda but I think they are still closed due to covid. Tin city has small shop boutiques and you can get boat trips from there dolphin/ sunset cruises. The beach is lovely, you’ve got Sanibel and Captiva nearby too we once went to a wildlife nature reserve there (Ding Darling) and did not see one item of wildlife apart from a bird flying overhead and the kids were like “we could have stayed at the villa and seen that.”😂 Look at the Bubble Room for somewhere different to eat if you head over that way. Fort Myers beach you can hire jet skis and go parasailing.

[ROL1983]

Thanks everyone. Lots of great sounding ideas. Travelling down this afternoon so will research the above ideas.

[MinniMouse]

We headed to Everglade city for an airboat trip once. Didn’t see any gators so the guy at captain Jack’s gave us the attached map to see gators, and lots of them in the wild. A couple of miles further south from Everglade city turn left onto HP Williams Wayside. There’s a small boardwalk with toilets at the entrance, then if you want continue along inland along the dirt track, there’s a waterway runs the length where you can see lots of gators in their natural habitat. Watch out for panthers and bears! Map attached that we got from captain Jack’s. You’re close to Smallwood store, the smallest post office in USA and there’s another boardwalk just before HP Williams Wayside.

[scottish mama]

Also have a look out for Brooks gourmet burgers and dogs. We didn’t get to the beach or pier when we went due to red tide so did most of the things other folk have mentioned.