Why Florida’s Paradise Coast is the best beach holiday you’ll ever take

The beaches are impossibly beautiful

Florida’s Paradise Coast has sand to pique the interest of many a traveller; some are secluded with only the sound of the ocean for company, while others buzz with activity and a wide scope of amenities.

Wherever you decide to roll out the towel, expect to do it on pristine white sands (there are 30 miles of it available). Don’t hesitate to get in the water either – beachfronts here gently slope into that blue-green goodness, and it's generally always calm and warm to soak.

Naples Beach and Vanderbilt Beach, located close to downtown, are ideal for groups; South Marco Beach is a must for solo birdwatchers; and Keewaydin Island, only accessible by boat, gives couples plenty of privacy. All boast a routinely mesmerising sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.

You’re spoilt for choice to practise that swing

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Golf enthusiast? You’ve come to the right place. Greater Naples has around 90 golf courses, and with the most golf holes per capita in the whole of America, it’s safe to say there’s room for everyone.

Around 30 courses are publicly accessible, while the rest are either private or semi-private. To take advantage of the semi-private courses, visit between May and December when they open up to all.

In addition, top-rated courses are available to guests of affiliated resort hotels. For example, if you stay at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, you can play at Tiburon Golf Club, while a stay at Naples Grande Beach Resort or The Edgewater Beach Hotel grants you access to the Naples Grande course.

This is basically a golfer’s paradise – no wonder three PGA professional golf tournaments take place here every year.

Safari opportunities are everywhere

The Everglades National Park is to Florida what the Serengeti is to East Africa. Officially recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it forms a part of the largest wetlands ecosystem in America, providing a home to threatened and endangered animals in their natural habitat (including the Florida Panther and West Indian Manatee). It’s also the only place where alligators and crocodiles cohabit.

Everglades aside, did you know that 80% of the Paradise Coast region is covered with parks and nature preserves? Continue the safari adventure at Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to see wood storks, deer and otters; Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park to see the gopher tortoise; and Big Cypress National Preserve for bobcats and black bears.

To see marine safari, sign up to cruise the Gulf for an up-close encounter with the dolphins of Marco Island.

It’s the ‘stone crab capital of the world’

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Florida's Paradise Coast is the birthplace of the stone crab industry and the second-largest supplier of stone crab claws in America. The official season is October to May, when the whole city is crazy for crab, but chefs still cook them up all year round so you needn’t miss a fix if you arrive outside those months.

What to expect? Well, stone crab meat is unlike regular crab meat. It’s sweet yet delicate, akin to lobster, and served chilled with a squeeze of fresh lime and accompanied by a tangy mustard sauce.

Stone crabs are one of the most sustainable seafood choices you could make: only their big claws are harvested and the crab is returned to the Gulf of Mexico alive where it regenerates a new claw.

There are so many ways for the whole family to have a splash

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For travellers with little ones (and big ones!) in tow, Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades are the best places to let them loose.

You can easily fill a whole week of outdoor adventures that go beyond traditional beachside fun. Explore the region’s wildlife via kayak, certainly the best way since much of the Everglades’ flooded wilderness is only accessible via paddle, or get an adrenaline rush aboard a WaveRunner, a jet ski-style zip through the Ten Thousand Islands.

Alternatively, watch pros at work at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. With professional-level synthetic turf fields, this is where football, lacrosse and NFL teams battle it out. Families can also enjoy the complex’s trails, play areas and dining facilities during tournaments.

It’s a shopaholic’s secret getaway

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While the crowds descend on Manhattan to burn plastic, follow the shopaholics in the know down south.

Florida’s Paradise Coast is a hidden retail haven. Here, you’ll get all the labels, from international names to indie, without competition snapping at your coattails.

The Naples area is the best place to peruse all things upscale, particularly on Fifth Avenue South. In Tin City, you’ll find unique and quirky little boutiques along the waterfront selling handmade crafts and souvenirs. Even if you’ve maxed out, it’s a lovely area to people-watch with a coffee.

Then, on Black Friday, there’s only one place to clear the diary for: the Miromar Outlets. Voted the ‘Best Shopping Center in Southwest Florida’, you’ll get massive savings on all your favourite labels (and discover new ones). Stores include Saks OFF 5TH, Kate Spade and the Adidas Outlet Store.