Travel Guide to Naples, Florida

Matt and I just got back from a 3 day trip to Naples, FL, it was the perfect quick getaway. The weather was great, we had 80 degree sunny days—perfect weather for the beach. We also just missed the March spring breakers and avoided the April vacationers so it wasn’t overcrowded, making the end of March a great time to visit Naples.

We stayed at the Bellasera Resort which is walking distance from downtown South Naples (old Naples).

It was perfect for our first trip to Naples because we wanted to be able to walk to the shopping on 5th and restaurants downtown. The best part about the resort was the shuttle service that was included in the $20 resort fee. It went anywhere within a 3 mile radius. We took it to the beach and to the grocery and liquor stores which were a little over a mile away. They also have complimentary bikes that you can take for up to 3 hours. We used the bikes to explore the beautiful mansions and homes of South Naples.

The resort also has a nice heated pool and Jacuzzi as well as a great seafood restaurant with a raw bar called The Claw. Although we didn’t dine at The Claw, we definitely heard great things and so many locals were dining there.

Sometimes I feel like we vacation mostly for the food. We ate a lot. Some healthy and some indulging—it’s all about balance 😊.

Breakfast

The Bowl is another great healthy option for breakfast which is mostly Açaí bowls and smoothies. They also have an iced matcha and cold brew coffee, both pretty good.

Although I regret not getting the Açaí Bowl, I enjoyed the Dirty Milkshake that I got.

Brooklyn Dough with a Hole is a must If you are a bagel lover! I’m pretty sure Matt claimed it as the best bagel he’s had. The line was definitely long but worth the wait. They are closed on Mondays.

Lunch

Bar Tulia’s was the first place we ate as soon as we got to Naples. After our flight, I was craving a big salad and Matt was craving a pizza, we got both and shared.

Casual Dinner + Drinks

HobNob Kitchen + Bar was a fun and casual place for dinner and drinks, very hip with an industrial vibe. We had a late lunch the first day we got there, so we split the fish and chips for dinner which was really good, not overly battered and very meaty. We didn’t get much food there and actually ended up staying for the live music and drinks—which was so fun!

Grouper and Chips was another casual place we ate dinner at our last night. It was a no-frills type of place just outside of downtown. I got the blackened grouper which wasn’t my favorite but Matt’s fish and chips were exactly what you would expect from a standard battered fish, so crispy and good (Matt’s a big fish and chips guy if you couldn’t tell). So if fried fish is your thing and you don’t want to spend a lot to get it, the grouper basket and chips is the way to go.

Naples Beach and Gulf Club was a great spot for sunset drinks. After Grouper and Chips, we walked about a mile to the to get a drink at their outside Bar and Grille and watch the sunset. They were having their annual sunset party so there was live music and it was really crowded, but we got to bring our drinks on the beach and enjoy the sunset—which was beautiful.

Dining Out

The Continental was where we had our most expensive meal–we like to do one big dinner out. They are known for their steaks and Matt got the 10 oz. filet which was amazing and I got the local Snapper, simply cooked with olive oil. Both were really yummy. The restaurant wasn’t overly fancy and the vibe was a lot of fun. The only thing I didn’t love was that we were seated inside. It was all open air which was nice but it was a beautiful night and they had live music outside so I wish we sat outside. I would have requested an outdoor seat when we reserved had I known. The wait to sit outside was 45 minutes when we got there.

What We Did

Xoxo

Marisa