Four days — beach, Everglades airboat, Marco Island, and the Naples Zoo. Active without the luxury overhead.
Naples beach at the pier is the first stop. The Gulf water here is calm and clear — good for kids of all ages. Grab an early dinner and get everyone rested for an active tomorrow.
The Gulf coast shelling is best at low tide, early morning. After storms or cold fronts, the beaches turn up lightning welks, alphabet cone shells, and junonia if you're lucky. Junonia is rare and Instagram-famous in the shelling community.
I-75 and US-41 (Tamiami Trail) are the main arteries. Traffic in season can be bad on US-41 through downtown Naples — use 41 for local, I-75 for speed. Marco Island requires crossing a bridge (no toll).
Clean, practical, pool. Not glamorous but you're spending your time outdoors. Walking distance to a Publix for self-catering breakfasts. Rates $120–180/night in season.
Naples Zoo opens at 9 AM — get there early before the afternoon heat. Back at the pier beach by 3 PM. Gulf sunsets are the free entertainment.
One of the best mid-size zoos in Florida — giraffe feeding, primates on islands (you boat out to see them), and a good cat collection. Budget half a day. $24/adult, $16/child.
Drive 45 minutes to Everglades City. The 90-minute airboat tour through the Ten Thousand Islands is genuinely thrilling — alligators in the wild, osprey, roseate spoonbills. Kids love the speed and the gators. Ear protection provided.
Marco Island is 20 minutes south of Naples and has Tigertail Beach — calmer, less crowded, and better for shelling than Naples proper. The sandbar that emerges at low tide has shells and shorebirds. Check tide charts before going.
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