DINING - Naples has arrived on the culinary map. Diners seeking the very finest cuisine have the option of dining in five-diamond style at Artisans in the Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. Chef Tony Ridgway displays Southwest Florida inspired innovation with classic touches at his Ridgway Bar and Grill in Old Naples. Naples Tomato provides a unique fresh take on hand prepared sauces, pastas, seafood, veal dishes and more, with a focus on fresh locally grown tomatoes and produce. Naples Tomato was the first restaurant in Florida to install the Enomatic self-serve wine-by-the-glass delivery system. Fresh seafood, including local stone crab claws caught in season between October and May, and the latest continental and fusion cuisines are abundant, along with many opportunities for café, alfresco or waterfront dining – from casual to elegant. To learn more about the many local independent restaurants in the Naples area, visit www.naplesoriginals.com

ARTS & CULTURE - Culture abounds in Naples. From theatre to dance, to its 100 art galleries and numerous fascinating museums, greater Naples is recognized internationally as a destination for the culturally minded. Naples was named the #1 Small Art Town in America in 2005 by author and art critic Robert Villani; and Naples was named one of the "Top 25 Cities for Art" in the June 2008 issue of American Style magazine. The Naples Museum of Art houses 15 galleries with both permanent and traveling exhibits. The Philharmonic Center for the Arts brings the finest in music, theatre and dance to Naples each season. The Naples Players, recognized as one of the top community theatre groups in the country, perform at downtown Naples’ Sugden Theatre. Theater Zone brings Broadway style professional productions to town. Opera Naples has an increasing number of performances. Historical museums abound, featuring information on the area’s early inhabitants, the Calusa Indians, as well as early southwest Florida pioneers.

SPAS - Relaxation is a way of life in Naples, and an abundance of spas now serve the area. Some of the newest are the Verde spa at Bellasera Hotel, a “green” themed spa with organic products; the Golden Door Spa at Naples Grande Beach Resort, the only Golden Door on the U.S. east coast; The Spa on Fifth at The Inn on Fifth, Spa Terre at the LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, the Spa at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club and the The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa offers a luxurious Balinese-themed spa at its expansive resort property on nearby Marco Island. There is also a growing collection of day spas and medical spas in Naples apart from those at area resorts.

ACCOMMODATIONS - From life at the top to accommodations for the budget-minded, Naples has an excellent array of hotels, motels and resorts. Newer properties include The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort, the Bellasera Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples – one of two Ritz-Carlton resorts in the city. Newly renovated properties include Bayfront Inn 5th Avenue, Naples Grande Beach Resort, Edgewater Beach Hotel, the Inn of Naples, the Lemon Tree Inn, The Inn on Fifth, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples beach resort, the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club and the LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. Numerous medium-priced chain hotels and boutique hotels and motels provide a wealth of options for the budget minded – all within minutes of the area’s many public beaches and shopping. For a full listing of area accommodations and direct online booking, visit the Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades area official visitor information site, www.paradisecoast.com.

ON THE WATER - Whether it’s a sunset cruise aboard the Naples Princess yacht or the Sweet Liberty sailboat, a nature cruise on the Gordon or Cocohatchee rivers or a private charter to either the Ten Thousand Islands or the Gulf, there is no shortage of ways to get out on the water from Naples. The area’s many bays, canals and rivers provide a network of waterways for cruising, kayaking, canoeing, fishing or relaxing. Boat tours are also a popular way to peek into the luxurious lifestyle of Naples’ wealthier residents, with elegant estates lining the waters of Naples Bay. There are so many bottle nosed dolphin living in Naples Bay and the Gulf that most every boat trip includes numerous dolphin sightings. Many professional fishing guides offer private or group boat charters that allow anglers to experience the unique thrill of fishing for tarpon, snook, redfish, permit, snapper, grouper and other popular game fish species.

BACK TO NATURE - One of the beauties of Naples is that it is surrounded by thousands of acres of private, state and federally preserved land. Within short driving distance you can be bird watching or adventuring at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Lake Trafford, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Collier-Seminole State Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest, or Everglades National Park, with an entrance in Everglades City. Right in town you can get back to nature at popular attractions including the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Naples Nature Center, Naples Botanical Garden, the Cocohatchee Nature Center and Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens.

GETTING TO NAPLES - Getting to Naples is easy – visitors only find it difficult to leave this relaxing paradise. From I-75, four exits offer drivers entry into Naples. Exit 101 to State Road 84 leads visitors to downtown Naples. Exit 105 (Golden Gate Parkway) leads to Airport-Pulling Road, the Naples Municipal Airport and US 41. Exit 107 (Pine Ridge Road) leads you to US 41, Waterside Shops and Naples. Exit 111 (Immokalee Road) leads to North Naples and the National Audubon Society’s renowned Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – just 15 miles east. Southwest Florida International Airport, the region’s largest airport, is just 30 minutes to the north in Ft. Myers. The airport’s new Midfield Terminal offers greatly expanded air service, including daily flights on Southwest Airlines. Naples Municipal Airport offers direct service to Key West, Ft. Lauderdale and more on Yellow Air Taxi. www.flynaples.com If you are driving from Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or Palm Beach international airports, take I-75 (Alligator Alley) to Exits 101, 105, 107 or 111. Naples can also be reached from Miami via U.S. Highway 41, also known as the Tamiami Trail, designated as a U.S. Scenic Byway and Florida Scenic Highway.

For a free visitors guide, brochure or other information on places to stay and things to do along the Paradise Coast of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades, visit www.ParadiseCoast.com or call 1-800-688-3600. International visitors may call (239) 225-1013.

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism marketing agency for Collier County, Florida, funded entirely by the Collier County tourist development tax.