Southwest Florida
If you want your South Florida experience a little quieter, and with a lot more green head to the Gulf Coast of Southwest Florida. Here, nightclubs give way to nature reserves, glitz and glamour to history and culture—all without sacrificing a grain of white sand or a gust of tropical breeze. Most folks mosey over to visit Everglades National Park, the region’s biggest attraction, where exotic wildlife is plentiful. But Southwest Florida’s other, lesser-known parks are just as alluring. Ranger-led hikes through Big Cypress National Park let you not only take in the swampy surroundings, but the protected culture of its Native American inhabitants. Once a hideaway for pirates and conquistadors, Captiva Island is an outdoors enthusiast’s paradise. You may not find buried treasure on neighboring Sanibel Island, but you’re sure to dig up a couple of their famously beautiful seashells. Stroll along the palm-tree lined streets of Fort Myers, which still retains the sleepy charm that enticed Thomas Edison over a century ago, and frolic along the gleaming beaches near Naples. Who needs neon lights and pounding speakers anyway? Not Southwest Florida.
Top Destinations in Southwest Florida
