Arrive in Naples early Thursday night for a long weekend and you immediately go to the Celebration Park Food Court. The Maine Shack lobster rolls are the best this side of Kennebunkport. The bar is hopping – March Madness is in full swing – and there is a great selection of tap beers to go with lobster (good thing, the cocktails are lacking). Gigi’s Gourmet is for cheese lovers. Dragonfly offers Asian cuisine. The Polo Adobo at Mega Sabor is really good. The list goes on. Tis a small but mighty place.
We came to Naples see how the popular vacation spot has managed after Ian ravaged the coast last Fall. Hurricanes have been pummeling the Gulf coast of Florida for some time, so they people here have learned to adapt. Hurricane Ian hit the Gulf coast in late September of 2022 and inflicted some damage. Some places did better than others.
Fort Myers Beach, just a scant 25-30 miles north of Naples was hit hard. Winds approaching 150 mph have pretty much wiped out the beach area and all its pubs, restaurants and homes on the water. A friend two blocks off the water near the beach has yet to be allowed back into his second story condo.
Naples fared better, thought the famous Pier was impacted. This is the Naples Pier before Ian.
And after.
The pier was largely standing, but also largely unsafe.
The beach was humming and the crowds were enjoying the mild surf on the March afternoon we walked the open first 100 feet or so of the pier. Reconstruction is in full swing and food trucks and vendors are expected back in the coming months. Homes on the water are usually built for this and most seemed to do well, though we did walk past a couple lots that were clearly once the site of homes.
The Third Street retail district has not missed a beat. There are some great restaurants in that stretch. Campiello pays homage to its Minneapolis roots, providing a spot for those Minnesotans who call Naples home just over six months per year to avoid the high income taxes in MN. Many think that Osteria Tulia on 5th may have even better Italian cuisine. The Bevy on 12th Avenue has exceptional fish preparations as does Sea Salt on 3rd. You just cannot lack for good restaurants in the Third St. neighborhood.
While going out to eat is a favorite pastime that is not all Naples has to offer. Looking for a dance club? Try Evening on Fifth Avenue (649 5th Ave S.). Old Naples Pub (255 13th Ave S) is a more restrained, throwback pub that offers live music on weekends. The Naples Players is a smallish theater offering a variety of shows – Sound of Music was there when we walked by.
The Naples Art Institute sponsors a lively art fair running down 5th Avenue S every March and the kids will love the banyan trees on 199 12th Ave S. As you can see, they get quite large.
There is an abundance of golf courses to enjoy, but access to many is difficult without a membership or a friend with one. In the off-season they tend to loosen up a bit. Arrowhead Golf Club (2205 Heritage Greens Dr) is embedded in the Heritage Greens community and is a semi- private course. Its 18 holes provide lots of water and traps to keep you honest. Gold Tees measure just 6,832 yards for par 72. Slope is 130. Rating 73.1.
The range of hotels is good not great. If you want to be within walking distance of the Third St. activity and the beach, then Hyatt House Naples on 1345 5th Ave S is a nice place, good value. Bringing the family? The Best Western Naples Plaza Hotel (6400 Dudley Dr) is reasonably priced, very clean with large rooms, a pool and workout facility and free breakfast (just don’t look for eggs benedict). High end accommodations at places like the The Ritz-Carlton (280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd) and the Marco Beach Ocean Resort (480 S Collier Blvd Marco Island) come at the expense of proximity to Third St.
Interstate Rte 75 runs right through Naples. Getting there by car is easy. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is only a 30-mile drive, located east of Fort Myers.