Fort Myers + Naples

As opposed to the many cheesy shell shacks, this is a serious museum devoted to saltwater, freshwater, and land shells (snails) from all over the world....more

From Marco Island north to the far tip of Captiva Island, almost the entire Gulf Coast is fringed by fine, family-friendly beaches with similar attributes:...more

The National Audubon Society's 13,000-acre preserve, located 20 miles inland of Bonita Springs, protects pine flatwoods, open prairie, and North America's...more

One of the town's earliest homeowners, Thomas Edison, once lamented, "There is only one Fort Myers, and now 90 million people are going to find it...more

Although this is the third-biggest national park in the Lower 48, there is only one access point from Florida's Gulf Coast—Everglades City, on the park's...more

Would you hike off the path and wade through waist-deep pond-apple sloughs to see the rare ghost orchid? You don't have to be obsessed with orchids to enjoy...more

The Gulf of Mexico's warm, shallow waters and protected estuaries make southwest Florida an angler's paradise. The sheltered Ten Thousand Islands are a favorite...more

With more than 130 courses, southwest Florida suits golfers to a tee (sorry, we couldn't help ourselves). Although the majority are private, there are also...more

If you're lucky, you'll encounter alligators, manatees, loggerhead sea turtles, roseate spoonbills, and even the 11-foot female American crocodile that loves to...more

With cement made from sand and seashells, Palm Cottage was built in 1895 by a Louisville newspaper publisher, one of the city's founders, who spent many winters...more