Naples Florida
106 miles (170 km) west of
Miami, 185
miles (296 km) south of
Tampa
Naples has a reputation as south west Florida's most sophisticated
town, home to wealthy residents accustomed to the best life
has to offer. The boutique shops, art galleries and
civic amenities hold their own against anything else in the
United States.
Yet Naples remains free of
elitism, it's relaxed friendliness welcoming everyone who is
attracted by its magnificent beach. The
town was founded in
1886, when a group of speculators bought 8,700 acres of ocean fronted
land, subdivided it into building lots and built a pier and a
hotel.
The sister of President Grover Cleveland was one of the
first attracted to the area. She and other notables of the time built
beach houses along the shoreline in the area now known as the historic
district of Olde Naples.
For a town with a
population of just over 20 000, Naples boasts an incredible 90
golf courses, so it hardly surprising the town has earned the
nickname "Golf Capital of America."
Some of the most
exclusive private courses are available to guests and affiliated hotels
and resorts.
Flanked by the pristine
waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the magnificent
Everglades, visitors can explore and experience these great natural resources, as well
as the town's up market commercial centers, all in the same day. To the north of Olde
Naples is Vanderbilt
Beach where much of Naples vacation accommodation is located. The
mix of inns, hotels, high rise
condominiums, beach resorts and vacation rentals give it a character in keeping with a
traditional beach resort.
It sits like an oasis of holiday development
between the preserved areas of the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park on the
one side and up-market golf residential developments on the other.
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Getting
There & Getting Around
