Naples is a charming city with an atmosphere of understated elegance. Home to cozy beach cottages and five-star resorts, Naples is also known for its pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife.

Both the ambience and the scenery are serene, thanks to the easygoing demeanor of the Neapolitans and the city’s meticulously maintained thoroughfares, parks and shopping areas. A stroll along Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South’s tree-lined avenues in ‘Olde Naples’ reveals a variety of gift boutiques, antique emporia, apparel shops and art galleries, as well as a range of cafés and restaurants. The Old Marine Market Place at Tin City on Naples Bay reflects Neapolitan history at a time when the area supplied fresh fish from tin-roofed warehouses. Not far away, The Village on Venetian Bay is reminiscent of a Mediterranean plaza with winding waterways and walkways. At Waterside Shops, cascading waterfalls are the central point for major retailers, clothiers and galleries.

The Caribbean Gardens Zoological Park offers 21ha (53 acres) of rare, endangered animals and tropical gardens. At the Teddy Bear Museum, almost 3000 bears in every shape and size are whimsically arranged.

Naples boasts more than 53 golf courses. Professional tournaments such as the PGA Greater Naples Intellinet Golf Challenge and the Florida Senior Open take place throughout the year. Tennis is a close second to golf and Naples offers community courts in a park-like setting just blocks away from the beach.

Wildlife is also plentiful in the Naples area. Numerous venues afford ample opportunities to view endangered species such as the manatee, the American bald eagle, and the North American wood stork. Nature lovers will enjoy a real view of Old Florida along two miles of scenic boardwalks in the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

South of Naples is Collier Seminole State Park, featuring guided boat tours through mangrove forests along the Backwater River.