You don’t have to dig deep or look very hard to find a shark’s tooth on the beaches of Venice, so every year this Florida city celebrates its unique place in the world with the Venice Sharks Tooth Festival.
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida Getaways
Southwest Florida is known for some of the best beaches in Florida, wildlife and birds, gateway to the Everglades and the Ten Thousand Islands and other outdoor getaways.
Here are some of our favorite places to begin your exploration of the area. Each of these stories contains links to places to kayak, hike, bicycle and fascinating historic sites.
- Everglades City, a historic fishing village known for its stone crabs
- Marco Island, a beach resort close to the Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands
- Naples, a good basecamp for exploration of nature-rich region
- Fort Myers Beach, an Old Florida beach town
- Sanibel, an unspoiled island where seashells litter the beach.
- Punta Gorda, natural beauty and historic charm
- Venice, Mediterranean-influenced city with old world charm
We recommend:
Hiking: Myakka River State Park near Sarasota and Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples.
Biking: The Legacy Trail in Venice and the many bikes trails on Sanibel Island.
Kayaking: The little known Shell Creek near Punta Gorda and the joys of paddling with manatees in winter on the Orange River in Fort Myers.
Interesting Old Florida spots: Historic Smallwood Store near Everglades City and Koreshan Historic State Park near Naples.
The following are recent stories about Southwest Florida.
Camping with the Corps: Waterfront sites at locks along the Okeechobee Waterway
Campers get a front-row seat to the passage of yachts, sailboats and trawlers crossing Florida through locks at three Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
Best Southwest Florida camping is in public parks, forest preserves and remote islands
The best Southwest Florida camping can be found in public parks, beaches and forests where the costs are low and experience is wild.
5 things to discover in Venice, Florida
Explore the old world charm of this Mediterranean-influenced city on the Gulf Coast.
After damage from 3 hurricanes, Sanibel/Captiva near normal as Mucky Duck reopens
Sanibel has bounced back from a series of hurricanes in 2022-24. The latest reopening: the beachfront bar and restaurant, the Mucky Duck on Captiva.
Kayaking Pine Island, an Old Florida island that development skipped
Pine Island isn’t a beach resort, and that’s part of its charm. Visit it for pristine waters to kayak, explore a fascinating Calusa indian site or stay in a 100-year-old lodge.
10 things to do in Naples to experience its natural beauty
Naples has among the most beautiful beaches in the US, but there’s more to see and do there, including shady boardwalks, gardens & kayak trails.
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: Free, wild & five minutes off I-75
Next time you travel Florida’s Gulf Coast on I-75, take a five minutes detour in Fort Myers to discover a magnificent slice of old Florida – a 1.2 mile boardwalk through an unspoiled cypress swamp called Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. It’s free!
Now open: Everglades Visitor Center, gateway to Gulf waters by kayak and boat
Everglades National Park has opened its impressive new Gulf Coast Visitor Center, a new gateway to the Gulf waters for kayakers and tour boats.
Matlacha is a delightful Gulf spot bouncing back from devastating hurricane
West of Fort Myers, Matlacha is a colorful collection of little wooden houses surrounded by good saltwater-kayak trails. It’s been more than three years, but the community is still working to recover from Hurricane Ian.