• Stroll on Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South in downtown Naples – two beautiful pedestrian friendly shopping and dining districts. Browse art galleries, fashion boutiques, gift shops, interior design stores and more. Choose either sidewalk seating or indoor dining at any of the many great restaurants and bars located downtown.
• Take a Segway tour of downtown Naples. This tour is lots of fun and everyone learns quickly how to navigate aboard the Segways. This is also a good way to get your bearings in the downtown Naples area and check out places you might want to come back to.
• Take a sunset cruise. Hire a private captain or hop on one of the area’s sailing vessels or the Naples Princess or Marco Princess yachts to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico. There are twice weekly Sipn’Sail wine tasting cruises – Thursdays on the Double Sunshine out of Tin City and Fridays from the Cocohatchee Nature Center. Sip from a selection of five wines and enjoy delicious hors d'œuvres – a great way to start the evening.
• Walk the beach. Miles and miles of beautiful white sand beach provide a leisurely way to spend some quality time together and get a little exercise.
• Remember that scene from Out of Africa, one of the most romantic films of all time, when Robert Redford takes Meryl Streep up in his bi-plane, and she reaches back to hold his hand? Put yourself in that scene by going airborne in a historic bi-plane with Naples Air on their champagne sunset flight. Look down to spot dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico at sunset and enjoy the colors as the sun sinks into the Gulf at day’s end.
• Take a fishing charter. Hire a backcountry fishing guide to take you into the Ten Thousand Islands. Not only will you find some great angling adventure, you’re likely to see all kinds of beautiful bird life along with sea creatures including bottlenose dolphin, manatee, sea turtles and more. And with an expert to run the boat, there’s no chance of getting lost, or running aground – so, there’s no reason to turn a great day into an argument!
• Walk the 2.25 miles nature boardwalk at the Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This beautiful old growth cypress forest is a magnet for birds and wildlife. There are several secluded spots leading off the boardwalk with benches where a couple can sit and just be together surrounded by nature.
• Go on a guided kayak eco tour with Everglades Area Tours. A motorboat takes small groups of passengers and kayaks to the beautiful secluded areas of the Everglades, and then you get out and paddle to explore the wilderness areas. There is no need for vigorous “speed” paddling to just get from place A to B. This is a great trip for both experienced paddlers and newcomers to the sport.
• Take a wine making class at the new Big Cypress Market Place, then share in the fruits of your labor with your own custom label wine. You can design your own label to commemorate your wedding, anniversary or other special occasion.
• Choose one of the many romantic fine dining options. A sunset view is always popular. In Naples, try the Turtle Club at Vanderbilt Beach Resort, H.B.’s at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club or Baleen at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. On Marco Island, visit Sale e Pepe at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, the Paradise Café at Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort or Quinn’s on the Beach at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort. Inland, Naples Tomato features the Enomatic automatic self serve wine system, perfect for a fun evening of wine tasting and excellent Italian cuisine.
• Treat yourself by upgrading to a suite at your hotel or resort. Rates are quite reasonable in the less-busy season from May through December.
• Book a couple’s spa treatment. Spas at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, the Inn on Fifth, the Golden Door at Naples Grande Beach Resort, The Spa at Naples Bay Resort and others have special couple’s treatment rooms.
• Take a shelling cruise. Board a boat to one of the nearby deserted island beaches to looks for fantastic shells and enjoy a few hours of quiet beach time, no crowds!
• If you’re an experienced motorcyclist, rent a Harley Davidson from Harley Davidson of Naples and take a tandem sightseeing trip down the scenic Tamiami Trail. Stop at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery to view spectacular black & white nature photography, then turn around and stop at Everglades City or Goodland on your way back into town for lunch or dinner at a rustic waterfront restaurant.
• If pedaling is more your speed, take a tour of either downtown Naples or the Everglades with Naples Bicycle Tours.
• Plan a destination wedding. There are plenty of options for fun activities for all of your family and friends.
• For the ultimate romantic moment - get married on the beach at sunset. Remember that June through September is the rainier season in Southwest Florida with afternoon thunderstorms possible – so morning weddings are most practical in the summer. The weather is picture perfect much of the time between November and May.