10 of the best things to do in Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades

1. Smell the orchids at Naples Botanical Garden

With optimum conditions for tropical plant life, it’s no surprise that Naples Botanical Garden is verdant all year round. Here you’ll find 170 acres of preservation land and cultivated gardens, seven different natural habitats and more than 1,000 native flora species.

The moment you step on the boardwalk, it’s like being transported into an Avatar-style world of rainforests, succulent displays, giant waterlily pools and flowering trees. Plus, the kids will love playing in the interactive children's gardens.

The highlights? The orchid species native to Florida State: the butterfly and the ghost orchid.

2. Master your swing on Naples’ golf courses

Credit: Paradise Advertising | Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB

When in ‘golfer’s paradise’, play golf! There are over 90 courses available in the region, for beginners right up to pros. If you’re in a mixed-ability group, head up to The Links of Naples, a massive 18-hole ground that allows for jubilant night games, fuelled by an excellent bar.

Those looking to centre the trip around golf should stay and play at The Ritz-Carlton Naples. Their guests enjoy access to the exclusive Tiburón Golf Club, which has two championship courses (the Gold and the Black) designed by golf legend, Greg Norman.

3. Live your most glamorous life on Fifth Avenue South

Credit: Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB

Sport your Sunday best and stroll along Fifth Avenue… South. You see, shopping here comes with serious perks compared to its Manhattan equivalent. The streets are immaculate, there are far fewer crowds and sunny skies mean better light to showcase any chic ensemble. Black Friday shopping just got glam, darling.

When you’ve flexed every plastic at the boutiques of Fifth’s palm-lined streets, settle down in an al fresco ice cream parlour and watch the locals take their turn, or recover at the Spa on Fifth before round two.

4. Switch off on Keewaydin Island

With 280 average days of sunshine, ample beach time is on the cards on Florida’s Paradise Coast. And if you came here to get away from it all, then you may as well go all out with a digital detox.

The best place to try it: Keewaydin Island, a barrier island between Naples and Marco Island that’s only accessible by boat.

Here lies 12km (nearly 8 miles) of untouched, white sandy beach, ideal for shelling, sunbathing, swimming, and feeling like you’re on another planet. One where spreadsheets and Kristy in accounts do not exist.

5. Kayak through The Everglades

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Everglades comprises tropical jungle, mangroves and cypress swamps. Since this is a wetlands wilderness, you know it’s teeming with marine life.

Join a mangrove tunnel kayak eco-tour to weave through the interconnecting, narrow lakes and flowing tidal creeks and spot creatures in their natural habitat along the way (keep your eyes peeled for the elusive Florida Panther and the gentle West Indian Manatee).

It’s also the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles cohabit, and there are 350 species of birds to look out for.

6. Tuck into fresh stone crab at Truluck’s

Florida’s Paradise Coast is known as the ‘Stone Crab Capital of the World’. Come season between October and May, everyone’s got a mallet in their hand.

If you want to taste the sweet flesh in a more upscale environment, make it a date at Truluck’s on Fourth Avenue. Here, claws are pre-cracked and served fresh with a traditional mustard sauce to dip.

Fun fact: Stone crab is one of the most sustainable seafood choices you can make, as only claws are harvested. Crabs are returned to the ocean alive where they regenerate new claws.

7. Have a photoshoot on Naples Pier

Built in 1888, Naples Pier is a city symbol and a beautiful spot to take in the coastline.

Visit in the evening to be treated to a famed Florida orange sunset, and in summer months, look out for a phenomenon unique to Southwest Florida: a green flash right after the sun disappears.

Part of the wooden dock is under construction but what's open still offers wildlife viewing opportunities like dolphins and stingrays coming to sea surface, and pelicans circling in the sky.

It’ll be hard to resist a photoshoot. Charge up your smartphone or enlist the help of a professional Flytographer.

8. Go hiking at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Put those Merrells to good use with a hiking day at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Just 30 minutes north of Naples, you’ll find a brilliant 3.6km-long (2.25 miles) boardwalk through 13,000 glorious wetland acres and the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in the US.

Nestled in this wilderness are rare gems, like the native ghost orchid. Of course, there’s no exploring any Paradise Coast outdoors without the company of wildlife. Look out for white-tailed deer, red-bellied turtles, otters and alligators.

9. Zoom through the Ten Thousand Islands on a WaveRunner

Credit: Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB

Ever been on a Waverunner? It’s like a jet-ski but the ride is smoother. That way you can explore mangroves and catch up with resident dolphins or exotic birds with both ease and speed.

Marco Island is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands and the best place to start exploration since it bursts with wildlife and plant life from its waters to its deserted islands. There’s no going home without an extraordinary sighting here.

Rent a Yamaha VX Deluxe WaveRunner from Marco Island Water Sports at $125 (£98) for 30 minutes.

10. Kick back with a beer at Celebration Park

Round off an epic trip with bites and an ice-cold beverage from Celebration Park in the Bayshore District.

The waterfront venue is a beloved local hangout, and crowds come by land and sea (you can park a boat right up to it).

Food trucks serving seafood, pizza, curry and barbecue provide juicy grub, while a four-sided full-service bar keeps all hydrated. Come for happy hour and stay around for the live music, every day from 6pm to 9pm.