13 Best Sights in Naples, The Lower Gulf Coast

To experience what this part of Florida was like before civil engineers began draining the swamps, drive 17 miles east of North Naples to these 13,000 acres of pine-flatwood and cypress forest, grass-and-sedge "wet prairie," saw-grass marshland, and lakes and sloughs filled with water lettuce. Managed by the National Audubon Society, the sanctuary protects North America's largest remaining stand of ancient bald cypress, 600-year-old trees as tall as 130 feet, as well as endangered birds, such as wood storks, which often nest here.

This is a favorite destination for serious birders and is the gateway to the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. If you spend a couple of hours to take the 2¼-mile self-guided tour along the boardwalk (which is completely wheelchair accessible), you'll spot ferns, orchids, and air plants, as well as wading birds and possibly alligators and river otters. A nature center educates you about this precious, unusual habitat with a dramatic re-creation of the preserve and its creatures in the Swamp Theater.

This cool, contemporary museum at Artis–Naples displays provocative, innovative pieces, including renowned miniatures, antique walking sticks, works by modern and contemporary American and Mexican masters, and traveling exhibits. Dazzling pieces by glass artist Dale Chihuly include a fiery, cascading chandelier and an illuminated ceiling layered with many-hued glass bubbles, glass corkscrews, and other shapes that suggest the sea. This installation alone warrants a visit, but with three floors and 15 galleries, your cultural curiosity is sure to pique elsewhere, perhaps in the glass-domed conservatory. Reward your visual arts adventure with lunch at the on-site café.

There's something for everyone at this beach just west of the Third Street South shopping area, but what gets the most attention is the historical pier, which extends well into the Gulf and offers the best free dolphin-viewing around. Sunsets are a nightly ritual, and dodging anglers' poles is to be expected. The concession stand sells food for humans as well as for fishy friends, and, on the sand below, teenagers hold court at volleyball nets; families picnic on blankets; and a handful of other people swoop up cockles, fighting conchs, and coquinas. To avoid the commotion, head south on Gulf Shore Boulevard, and take your pick of the public access points. The sands here won't have the facilities of the pier—or facilities, period—but the solitude can't be beat. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunsets; swimming.

A quiet day at the beach gets an adventurous start when you board a tram and careen down a ¾-mile boardwalk through shaded mangroves and a network of canals. At the end is a pretty, secluded patch of sand where the calm surf is perfect for swimming. In addition to sunbathing, shelling, and sand-castle building, you can spring for a kayak and meander around the marsh. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming.

To get a feel for local history, stroll the vignettes and temporary exhibits inside this museum, as well as the parklike displays outside it. A Seminole chickee village, native plant garden, swamp buggy, reconstructed 19th-century fort, steam logging locomotive, and more capture important Naples-area developments from prehistoric times to the World War II era. You can even pack a lunch and picnic in the shady backyard.

Here you can connect with nature by taking a 45-minute boat tour (ages two-plus) along the Gordon River, renting a kayak, or going on a guided nature walk. The Dalton Discovery Center highlights six Florida ecosystems in its exhibits, which include a spectacular aquarium that's home to a loggerhead sea turtle and a touch tank where you can learn about the many animals found on local beaches. Preschoolers can have hands-on fun at the Little Explorer Play Zone. The on-site wildlife hospital's viewing area gives you a peek at staff working on any number of animals. Check out Cinema Sunday and other events in the Nature Center.

This bright, cheery, 30,000-square-foot ode to playful learning has 12 state-of-the-art permanent galleries that do not disappoint. Kids of many ages and abilities (exhibits were designed to be accessible for children with special needs, too) will love the gigantic Banyan Tree, a focal point at 45 feet tall and a climbing obstacle of sorts; the Farm & Market, a cooperative playground where roles are assigned (a harvester or cashier, for example) to subtly encourage team building and math skills; and the Green Construction zone, where hard hats and eco-friendly building materials will inspire future architects.  The museum is in the same place as the Sun-N-Fun Lagoon water park, and it's possible to do both in one day.

One of Naples's most culturally exciting attractions, the botanical "gardens with latitude" flourish with plants and decorative elements from Florida and other subtropical locales including Asia, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Highlights of the 170 acres include a Children's Garden with a butterfly house, tree house, waterfall, cave, Florida Cracker house, and hidden garden; an infinity water lily pool; an aromatic Enabling Garden with a how-to theme; and a dramatic waterfall feature. A visitor center offers a café, restaurant, and three gardens, including an one with more than 1,000 orchid species and cultivars.

The lush 44-acre zoo got its start as a botanical garden in 1919 and has since drawn visitors curious to see lions, cheetahs, bears, gazelles, and a wildly popular giraffe herd. It also offers glimpses of such endangered creatures as red-ruffed lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, François' langurs (leaf monkeys), snow leopards, mountain bongos (a type of antelope), and Florida panthers. Other attractions include two kids play zones; the Reptile Rendezvous show; and the Primate Expedition Cruise, which sails past islands populated with monkeys, apes, and lemurs. Meet-the-keeper experiences, alligator feedings, and educational Safari animal presentations are scheduled regularly.

Houses in 19th-century South Florida were often built of tabby mortar, a concrete-like material made of sand and seashells. For a fine example of such construction, stop by Palm Cottage, built in 1895 and one of the Lower Gulf Coast's few surviving tabby homes. The historically accurate interior contains simple furnishings typical of the period. Next door to the cottage, Norris Gardens was designed to reflect turn-of-the-last-century garden trends. Docent tours of the home are included with admission; for an extra $10, join the two-hour walking tour of the garden and historic district held on Wednesday morning (reservations required).

In the midst of 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Marine Estuary, the center dramatically interprets the Everglades environment and local history with interactive models, aquariums, an art gallery, a film, tours, and "coastal connections" programs (45 minutes, at 11 and 2 daily). It's on the edge of the estuary, about five minutes east of Marco's north bridge on Collier Boulevard. Take a walk along Observation Bridge, a 440-foot pedestrian bridge that spans the reserve's creek from the center's second floor, and connects with 1½ miles of nature trails and leads to a creekside viewing platform. Guided and self-guided walks are available. Kayak and boat tours are also available through advance registration. Exhibits include an interactive research boat, a display on the importance of the Gulf of Mexico to coastal communities, and another on global climate change. Geocaches can be found on the trail and in the parking area.

Across from the children's museum along the eastern edge of town, this splashy park has a Tadpole Pool as well as dumping buckets, spray guns, and other interactive features that will delight younger kids. The whole family will go for the diving pool, Sunny's Lazy River, and five waterslides. The park is generally closed from October to President's Day weekend (except during some local school breaks).

If a day at the shore just doesn't seem quite complete without a piña colada and serious people-watching, then this beach is for you. Its white powdery sand often looks like a kaleidoscope, with multihued towels and umbrellas dotting the landscape in front of the nearly 3 miles of tony north Naples condos and luxe resorts. If you walk far enough—which many people do—you'll come across the architecturally stunning mega-mansions of Bay Colony perched up on the dunes. A covered public parking garage allows for easy access to this beach, which really comes alive at sunset with onlookers. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunsets; walking.